Bible Study Should Christains fast? Do you?

[Eve777]

In a religious fast, a Christian will sacrifice his natural desire for food in order to spend time seeking God regarding a specific issue. The intention is that all the time that would be spent acquiring, preparing and consuming food will, instead, be spent in the presence of God through prayer, worship or meditation on the Word.

Also, the heightened sense of awareness obtained through hunger serves as a reminder of the purpose of the fast. The goal is to replace the feeding of the needs of physical hunger with the feeding of one’s spiritual hunger by the means of intimacy with God.

Jesus fasted from all food and drink, except water (Luke 4:2). The Bible also describes some extreme times that people fasted from everything, including water. See Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, Ezra 10:6, Esther 4:16 and Acts 9:9

Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

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Act 27:33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought [them] all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
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1Cr 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.


I think we can see from the verses above that the early church did fast. they did take water, I assume though because it only mentions taking meat when they are done...... I have only fasted a few times since I got saved...I just wondered how many of you have fasted and if so how often.....?

 

[Bob10]

Should Christains fast?

Paul and the Apostles still kept the Day of Atonement, also known as The Fast (acts 27:9) -- the day of reconciliation (Romans 5:8-11) - kjv.


http://www.abcog.org/atone.htm

 

[Shana]

The early Christians did fast as did the Lord. Personally, I believe that it can be beneficial if the motives are pure and sincere. I am thinking of Jesus's words on this and of Paul's words in Colossians 2 where he speaks of a false neglect of the body, and false humility. I believe that it is a way of strengthening someone's relationship with God and for other spiritual purposes by helping to focus on Him, so how can it hurt, if done for the right purpose? I don't believe, however, that anyone should be chastised or looked down upon because he or she doesn't fast. God bless.

 

[Angelic Being]

I did a fast of food , tv books everything but water and reading and praying. for 5 days it really changed my life, so yes we should fast

 

[Dean]

It is a tool we (and certainly I) use too infrequently.

I think Shana's motives point is excellent, but we still should avail ourselves of the focusing features of fasting (wow, say THAT five times fast ( no pun intended )).

Certainly life gives us circumstances that warrant our searching our hearts and the Heart of God, that warrant fasting, more often than we employ it.

Happy March, everybody.

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Agreed to everybody here!

Many in my church did it last year before a guest evangilist came. We did it for 8 days! Going that long without food is a real spiritual "eye-opener"!

Bill :-D