Fasting

To fast or not to fast?

It's Communion time again at our church. My previous pastor used to suggest that we fast before Communion. That got me thinking about where Jesus stood on this matter. Was He for, against, or neutral on the matter of fasting?

Is fasting a required part of the Christian Life?

It's not required but there is nothing wrong with it ... There are some heath and mental benefits to it but I wouldn't try doing it for 40 days....
Do it at your own digression but don't make it must do law ...then it just becomes works.

Well, Matthew 17:21 says "...this kind [demons] goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
So there's a place for it but I don't know that it's "required".

...and definitely don't try to forcefully impose it upon others.

Thank you for that.
Interesting that this verse came to my mind as well. That is a very narrow application. It doesn't seem that Jesus emphasized applying it (fasting) to everyday life.

My husband says: "Jesus was probably for fasting, not against it or neutral. He spoke as though it was assumed a person would fast, for example Matthew 6:16 and Matthew 9:14-15. Jesus also started his ministry with a 40-day fast. He certainly didn't seem opposed to the idea."

Personally I skip eating before just about any church service.
Doing so just seems to sharpen me somewhat spiritually.

Fasting is good, but keeping away from gluttony on a regular basis is better.

Yes it is. When Christ was asked why His disciples were not fasting while He was on earth, He said that they would be fasting after He had ascended (Mk 2:18-20; Lk 5:33-35).

Christ also said that the casting out of demons (at least in some cases) required fasting (Mt 17:21). But that fasting was a practice in apostolic churches before major decisions were made is evident in Acts 14:23 and 1 Cor 7:5. Jesus Himself fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and no doubt Moses did the same when he was on Mount Sinai.

fasting draws us spiritually closer to Jesus. this discipline is a soul & spirit builder. supplemental, its 1 of the best ways to discipline yourself to refrain from being a quitter which America, sadly, is loaded with quitters.

fasting isn’t about food

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?


Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?

when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:3-11‬ ‭

fasting is found in this principle notice that Jesus doctrine fits into what Isaiah is saying there it’s about denying one’s self

lol it’s about what kind of fast God wants from people

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:3-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Now Gods chosen fast that he will honor and answer

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

( that’s the type of fasting God wants and this is what he says he will do )

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.


If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:6-11‬ ‭


It’s alright if you want to disagree but if you just read what he’s saying it’s pretty clear and in the end this part

“to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him;”


Is what God is trying to teach us to be like it’s going to be extremely important

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:34-40‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the fast God has chosen is what Jesus teaches us about actual love

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:16-19‬ ‭


Remember what he said he would do if we respond to that chosen fast of his ?

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

Taking passages out of context does not help anyone.

Old and New Testament tells us about fasting, it is a time of living in the kingdom of heaven all we can and denying the kingdom of the flesh.

Just as the Lord does not look at our works to decide about our salvation, The Lord does not base our salvation on our decision to fast or not, but as with works, our decision is based on our living as one with Christ within to guide us.

Our well being in this life as well as the life to comes is as we follow Christ, not the flesh.

And why not 40 days? I have done three forty day fasts already in my lifetime - and they have been some of the greatest spiritual growing times in my life. Some very direct answers to prayers as well . . . . !!