Fasting (The Word Of God Book 7)
Contents:
Here are those seven areas Jesus left for us to check. They can be expressed as prayer requests, asking God to conform us to His plans for us. They flow like this: Focus my heart, my mind, my emotions, and my responses to whatever comes today through this truth. This is when I consciously surrender to God, by inviting Him to take over my life again today.
I offer to Him the priority spot in my life. He gets first place in my plans. I will seek Him before everything else. I will seek His Word to feed my soul.
Why Should I Fast? 7 Examples of Fasting in the Bible
I will seek His Truth to guide my thoughts. I will seek His Peace to guard my anxious heart. Of all the places that we can stumble, this second petition is the most strategic area. If we do not get this point, we are like a car with the drive shaft disconnected, or the transmission shot. The motor is revving, the power source is fully functional, but we are going nowhere. The connection between the engine of our life and our daily journey through life is right here.
This is my setting for the day. Each time I face a choice, I pause and invite God to guide me, lead me, and show me what will please Him. This is staying in step with His Spirit. This is asking to be filled so I never peddle through life on flat tires. All that help from my Father comes each time I stop and ask for His filling to Guide me.
For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Usually, when they express their expectations or desires, we do everything to try to meet their expectations, right? Please bow with me. So basically we can say that we are looking right in the middle of this teaching lesson with His first disciples. So Jesus just added a pattern to those daily prayers, directed then towards God as Father, and laid out areas that would keep them in step with His plan. That is why the prayer that Jesus commanded in Matthew 6 is so important. So, Jesus assumed His first disciples would give, pray, and fast.
This transforms all my personal prayer requests into requesting from my Father what is best. I want His choices not my own, His plans not mine. This means that I can bolding know that anything my Father wants me to do, he will provide for. My Father is never late, rarely early, and always on time. He wants me to increase my faith by asking, seeking, knocking, and waiting.
This is when I do a quick inventory to see if there are any un-confessed and un-forsaken sins in my life.
If there is anyone I am holding a hurt, grudge, or un-forgiving spirit towards, I cry out for cleansing. There is constant torment for me from my Father Mt. This cry to my Father to Cleanse me is the only way the grace-empowered engine of my life will continue to run. This is my pause for checking my gear.
My breastplate is maintaining the personal integrity of denying ungodliness any place in my life. My belt that holds everything together is the truth from God that I believe. This prepares me to be able to wield my shield of faith that quenches demonic darts of despair, hopelessness, and pangs of overpowering lusts.
Each of those are quenched by believing truth from God. Then I make sure my feet are protected from the punctures that life can bring. Finally I check my sword, the arsenal of verses I have personally learned as lethal weapons when my prowling, roaring adversary pounces on my seeking to devour me with anxiety, fear, distraction, materialism, or lust. I ask for my Father to Protect me by taking, holding, and using everything he gave me in Christ to use through life.
This is my conscious time of checking for those ticks of pride that creep in un-noticed as I go through the woods and fields of life. They start biting into me saying that I am important, and I am vital. My way is to be fought for, my pleasures and conveniences are more important than serving God.
I must stop and look for these dangerous ways and say Empty me my Father of any pride and self-seeking. It is Your glory, not mine, that I live for today. Thy Kingdom come in my life. Thy will be done on earth in my life as it is done in Heaven. Give me this day my daily bread. Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. When I realize that I have been set free Jn. Lead me away from temptations, and deliver me from the evil one.
So I can now truly say: Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Kind of a very simple plan. Not a lot to remember: Now, go back to our face2face graphic. So, what were those Gospel truths they were to pass on? Jesus said, the simple Gospel truths I taught you, that you heard me say and watched me do: So what were those truths?
We can call them the: I like to say that the lives of highly useful or effective believers are marked by ongoing right choices, which can be cultivated into spiritual habits. These are actually the 7 Gospel truths that become habits that mark the lives of those who are highly effective for God. These are the truths that sharpen us as believers, that focus our lives on what matters to God, and what opens our lives to His power and blessings. Jesus taught the disciples how to be: Jesus taught the disciples how to: Stay Connected to God 4.
Jesus taught the disciples to: This is the framework for a daily prayer that keeps my day focused on what matters to God. This prayer can open our lives each time we ask, to His power and blessings. So God wants me every day through prayer to understand more about all Christ did for in through my Salvation.
So, knowing what salvation is, assured that the work of grace has begun, and knowing how to share that faith is foundational. Focus me back upon who you are as the God of my salvation. Paul capped his monumental doctrinal letter with a plea for regular, ongoing choices of surrender Rom. Control me as my Master. When Jesus described salvation it included an overflowing river of the Spirit Jn. Lead me in doing what pleases You. I need to Seek Nourishment from the Scriptures. Supply me with everything I need to do Your will. Christ's teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong reminder for me to Stay Connected to God.
Our prayer life always reflects how much we need, trust, and love our Lord. Cleanse me from anything that displeases 13 You. Protect me from getting devoured by the Devil. I need to soberly remember that we are each given a lifetime that can be invested or not invested, for the Lord. Empty me so You get all of the credit from my life. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
God wants me to constantly remind myself of just Who it is I am talking to. He is my Creator that knows me completely John 1: He is the One who holds together everything in the Universe Col. God wants to rule over every dimension of my life; and for me to surrender to that rule. God wants me to be like Christ. We are most Christ-like when we have the same attitude Jesus had while on Earth. God wants me to need Him on a daily and soon moment-by-moment basis. He wants me to ask for what I need for today. One of the great curses on the church is the false teaching that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous.
The Bible actually says God wants us weak so He can be strong; poor so His riches are needed; and dependent so He can meet our needs constantly. God wants me to never forget how many of my sins He has forgiven; and how impossible my debt to Him really was; so that I am never hard-hearted to others, and lose His blessings. God wants you to seek and find His constant protection from all your spiritual enemies.
The devil prowls like a dangerous predator I Peter 5: You can only resist the devil by submission to God James 4: Amen God wants me to keep the spotlight of my life upon Him. Life is not about me but Him. Look at the words again. We could distill down the whole prayer to: Jesus came to save Mt. Remember that Jesus is jealous of your love, so lay hold of your first love for Christ.
I could wish you were cold or hot. Spiritual Neutrality is when we stop aggressively resisting the world. Living the Christian life is resisting the pressure of the world. The world is everything that is not focused upon glorifying God. Anything that is not glorifying Him is pushing us away from His Glory. Word -Fed Seeking Nourishment from the Scriptures: Hope in Jesus through life until Spiritual SelfSufficiency: Kingdom of God in our lives and thus began to slowly drift from His righteousness in our lives.
I seek You to lead me through all the myriads of choices life presents each day. Then I will trust that You will supply me with whatever I need to accomplish Your will. Connected Living in Connection to God: Christ's teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong Cleanse me so I stay in close touch with You and Your plan. Our prayer life always reflects how much we need, trust, and lov e our Lord.
His Spirit Sardis, Rev. Jesus often told us to dress ourselves with His character, His power, and His armor. Invested Understanding Life as a Stewardship: Christ's parables so often pointed at an accounting, or stewardship of our lives Mt. We all need to soberly remember that we are each given a lifetime that can be invested or not invested, for the Lord. Protect me from everything that seeks to keep me from You. Spiritual Blindness is just that: We no longer see Him in His Word. We begin to stumble along, acting more and more like lost people who do not know, cannot see, and do not follow the Lord.
Watchful Expecting Spiritual Warfare: Jesus went right from Baptism to the Wilderness of Temptation Mt. The only difference is that He was prepared.
- 1 Samuel 7:7;
- Yahshua, The Man Behind The Glory!
- Dead At Last!
Laodicea, the foolish church, needed nothing. Therefore be zealous and repent. Spiritual Laxity is when we drop our guard about un -confessed sins in our lives. We forget how horrible sin always is to Jesus. Our sin cost Christ His very life, 20 His intimate fellowship with the Father, and made Him feel the wrath of God in our place. Word-Fed Seeking Nourishment from the Scriptures: Christ's teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong reminder Mt.
Why should we pray? The more we examine this precious opportunity given to us by God, the more we are drawn into deeper and deeper connection to the Almighty King of the Universe. Prayer is what Jesus modeled so clearly from the pages of the Gospels. Prayer was what surrounded all of the major events recorded from Christ's life. Prayer is what we are to do or we will faint Jesus said. That is why the prayer that Jesus commanded in Matthew 6 is so important. As you turn there, may I remind you of one of the simplest and yet most profound spiritual exercises that Jesus prescribed for us?
The Lord's Prayer was an exercise designed to keep each of us in step with God's plan for our lives. Remember that simple prayer that changes me? Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Please stand with me, and invite God to rule over every moment of our days through that prayer Christ left us to pray!
More than any other of the Gospel writers, Luke notes that Jesus prayed, prayed, and prayed. In fact Luke notes that But the greatest argument for the priority of prayer is the fact that our Lord was a Man of prayer. Luke shows more of Christ's prayers than any other of the Gospels. Luke records seven times Christ prays: He prayed at His baptism Luke 3: Next, we need to know: He used His very first words in public ministry Mt. Then Christ ends the sermon with those stern warnings that a decision is not enough, saying all the right things without a life-transformation is deadly.
So the first element disciples need to know, understand, and be taught is what it really means to be saved: Then Jesus showed the way we are to use God's Word as our weapon in spiritual warfare. Starting in Matthew 5: He explains the role of fasting, since He later ties that to prayer 6: Finally Jesus ties together self examination and confrontation 7: Then in one verse 6: They are still the framework for us today. Note with them what Paul said: We hear the Gospel from God's Word, we believe the truth and respond in faith, and God transforms us.
That is the pathway of salvation, and the pathway of each day of our life as believers. Taking God at His Word and seeing Him at work in us. That is simple, clear, and easily explained in Scripture.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:5.
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We are saved by hearing, and responding to the truth of the Word of God. The Gospel flows only from God's Word, and no where else. Only by believing the Gospel contained in God's Word the Bible can a person be saved. Here is how he explained salvation to his congregation while Paul was still being trained. Again we see that receiving God's Word, believing God's Word, and acting upon God's Word are all tied to our salvation. We hear truth from God. We believe that truth from God. We respond to that truth from God God transforms us. The Bible has examples of people fasting after they have sinned, but there is no reason to think they did so as a punishment, but rather to have time to focus on repentance and their walk with God 1 Sam.
We live in a very self-centered culture, and our sin nature is relentlessly selfish. One way many people have become less self-centered and more Christ-centered, helped themselves focus on a petition before God, or helped themselves break the control that their fleshly desires had over them, was to fast. In each of these cases, fasting was something that the individual felt was important for his spiritual life and successful walk with God, and we must realize that as it helped them, it may possibly help us.
There are several common ways people practice fasting. One way is to go entirely without food. Another way is to fast from something that seems to have a control over us. These can be very effective ways to deny ourselves. There are many things we can give up for a while to help us focus on a petition before God, gain confidence that a request will be answered, or even just give us confidence that our flesh does not control our life. What we learn by studying fasting in the Word of God flows in perfect harmony with what we know about God.
No pious outward show we make in our flesh impresses God, for He looks on our heart. In our efforts to live a life of service, it may be helpful to fast. If we do choose to do so, we must do it like Jesus taught us: Our goal is to be pleasing to God and helpful to others, which requires denying ourselves, which is the same instruction God gave us on the Day of Atonement. Thank you so much.
I agree with your understanding on fasting. We can see this when the Lord ministered the Samaritans. Doing the will of God is his food. Both were led by the HS and as result they forgot foods. They were led by the Spirit. It had nothing to do with denying the flesh as a means of getting closer to God.
It had everything to do with seeking out the Glory! Thanks for the essay. It is very well written! Nevertheless, there is one small correction that should be addressed:. It took some time to find that. Also, it would be great if you could talk about Jesus fasting for 40 days in the desert. We know for certain that he fasted from food since that was something he was tempted with at the end. Since 1 John 2: Obviously, I am not saying that we have to be in a desert for 40 days, pray on mountains, or walk around the country preaching.
7 Days of Fasting and Prayer - Kindle edition by Charles Magaiza. I am going to buy all of Charles Magaiza books, he is truly a man of God. this material along side of the word of God too help me through my Times of fasting and prayer . Through many examples of people in the Bible who fasted, we can know that 7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. .. The Good Book Blog.
We are, however, called to have an intimate relationship with God, which many Christians achieve through the tradition of reading scriptures daily ie Quiet Times. We are also called to live our lives focused on others rather than ourselves Mat While the context of the desert is not important, actions that denote heartfelt sincerity are expected of every follower of Christ James 2: Aside from those two minor points, I completely agree with your assessment of fasting. Much like the practice of tithing, it began as a voluntary gift. Soon, however, the tradition became so legalized that it often fails to serve the intended purpose: How does causing myself pain convince God to listen to my prayers?
It would be much more effective for me to fast from Netflix, video games, or even perhaps work ie take a Sabbath Day. Forgoing any one of those things would open up a lot of time to focus on God, which actually would achieve my goal. Perhaps if anyone is asking themselves whether they should fast or not, they should first take note of what distracts them from God.
FTF-24 - Hungering For God - What Did Fasting Look Like In Biblical Times
Of course, I would definitely appreciate feedback on these thoughts from anyone. Thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Very good breakdown esp. This was a good read. He went on and on in great detail. I wonder why he thinks it is so important that fasting is only about food? Thank you for reaffirming what I believe to be a personal, heart matter.
I have one that I love deeply that is involved with some that do corporate fasting annually and at other times of the year. As I watch from a distance, it appears to me that they are doing for all the wrong reasons or to bring attention to what they are doing rather than what we need to be about. Your email address will not be published. July 24, at 9: November 13, at 6: May 21, at October 17, at 2: August 30, at 6: January 11, at 5: January 29, at 1: April 3, at