What is a Fast?

Hello: 

On yesterday, I received questions about fasting.  Some people were concerned what the purpose of fasting was and what type of fasting should they do. 

Today, I thought I would take you into Isaiah and show you what God said about the type of fasting that he desires and what should happen when we fast.   

Look at this text:   Isaiah 58:1 ”Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3 ’Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 ”Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.   (NIV)  

Let’s look at the context.  The people were actually going through the ritual of fasting yet they were getting no results.  As we have seen in all these teachings, God is concerned with the heart, our motives for why we do what we do.   The people fasted yet they did not get any results and they cried out to God as to why God was not honoring their sacrifice of fasting.  God responded by saying that you act like you really want to know my ways and get close to me but you really don’t mean it.  Your fasting ends with strife against your brethren, discord, etc.  You go through the motions but there is no real urgency to seek the face of God or to know his ways, it was just a “religious act.”   Then, you’ll read in the text what kind of fast that God requires.  

1.  The kind where you intercede for injustices to be dealt with and you pray that people that are in bondage will be set  free.

2.     When we fast, we should be more sensitive to the poor and needy.  We should share how little or how great our resources with the needy.  Fasting makes you sensitive  to your surrondings; it has a way of opening up your spiritual eyes and making you more discerning to other people’s needs.  3.     The text says when this happens in fasting; your intercession for others, your showing kindness to the needy, then your needs will be met.  Healing will take place, you will be refreshed, you will call and God will hear, etc. 

4.     Fasting is a wonderful spiritual resource to strengthen our relationship with God and our fellow man.   

Okay, now you may ask what kind of fast I should do.   First of all if this is your first time fasting, I would take it slow.  There are all types of fast in the bible.  Most people refer to the Daniel fast, I think it is the most popular one; which is considered to be a 21 day fast where you fast from “pleasure breads” which consists of all breads and sweets.  Some people do an all vegetable fast, some people give up their favorite foods for a season, some do an all juice fast, an all fruit fast or a combination of both fruits and vegetables and then the ultimate is the absolute fast, where you do water only.  

Whatever you choose to fast from, it must be a sacrifice for you.  Some people include in their fast such things as no TV  or any extra curicular activies and they spend that time that they spend that time  reading, praying and studying.   It is always best to check with your doctor if you have health concerns before you venture on an absolute fast.     The key in fasting is that it must be a sacrifice and you must include praying and reading God’s word; without the inclusion of prayer and reading the word, you’re simply starving yourself.  There’s so much more, but I hope this at least helps and gives you an idea of how people fast and what its purpose is. 

We’ll continue our study in Matthew on tomorrow.    

God Bless. 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

This entry was posted on 23. July 2008 at 10:55 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.