As we begin 2013 my prayer is for a living encounter with God that will bring about change in me, my family, my community and our church! To that end I want to encourage you to join with me in Christian Life Center’s 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting from January 6-27.
Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Through fasting coupled with prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life. Fasting and prayer can also work on a much grander scale. I am convinced that when God’s people fast with a proper Biblical motive — seeking God’s face not His hand — with a broken, repentant, and contrite heart, God will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation and world. Fasting and prayer can bring about revival — a change in the direction of our nation, the nations of earth and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual admonitions. In fact, it has been ignored for so long that it is difficult to find information on the “how-to’s” of this life-changing experience. When I first undertook an extended fast, I had difficulty finding information on the nature of a Biblical fast, how to start, what to expect physically and spiritually, and how to terminate a fast.
The information below is designed to answer your practical questions about fasting and give you some basic steps to help you successfully fast and pray. Whether you do a partial fast or an absolute fast, I pray that God’s wonderful love and blessings will be poured out on you as you take this exciting step of faith in 2013!
KINDS OF FASTING:
Normal fasting is going without food for a definite period of time. Duration can be 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks or even 40 days.
Absolute fast allows no food or water at all. This should be short and you should only participate in this fast if led specifically by the Lord.
Partial fast omits certain foods or is on a schedule that includes limited eating.
A rotational fast consists of eating or omitting certain families of food for designated periods of time. Like grains may be eaten only every 4th day etc. You may even participate in various types of fasts during the time of fasting and prayer, such as going without food for 1 day per week and then a partial fast for the other days, etc. There can be any kind of mix of fasting. The secret is to do a fast that works with your schedule so that when you fast you can also pray. Also do a fast which you will keep. But whatever type of fast God speaks to you about I encourage all of you to join all of us for this 21 day period of time from in January 6-27 for the spiritual destiny of yourselves, your families, our church, our community and our nation.
A word of caution: Be sure that whatever fast you chose it does not create a physical problem for you because you are hyperglycemic or diabetic or have to take medicines with food or have some other physical reason that you cannot abstain from regular eating. A fast is never to prove anything but rather to bring your self into submission to God.
Whatever you do during a fast make sure that you drink plenty of water.
Read your Bible
Take your Bible and select a certain portion of Scripture to read. For example read through the Psalms and ask God to direct you to things that He wants to speak to you about. Then underline those sections.
Pray regularly when you fast!
Use the time that you would be eating to be praying and reading God’s Word.