Jesus Café Ministries - Scripture Squad - When and how should you fast?

From: Tisa
When/How should you fast? If you are fasting can you have coffee, juice and do you fast all day or part of the day? What should you pray for and how often during a fast?

Fasting is commonly defined as abstaining from eating all or certain foods, especially as a religious discipline. However, from a Biblical perspective there is much more to it.
The first and most important aspect of fasting is our motive. Please read all of Isaiah 58 for God's thoughts on this issue. God said to Isaiah, vs. 4, "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." In vs. 5,"Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?"

Fasting, from a Biblical view, is responding to God's call for confession and repentance as we mourn for sin. "Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

Fasting may be abstinence from all food or from certain foods for a variable length of time. A person may abstain from eating any type of food such as fish, meat, vegetables or from drinking a favorite beverage. The concept may be expanded to include anything desirable in life that God calls us to fast from, i.e. watching television, playing golf, etc. There were some required fasts in the Jewish community. These included fasting on the Day of Atonement, (Yom Kippur,) Leviticus 16:29, Jeremiah 36:6.

Public fasting was associated with national repentance in Nehemiah 9:1. National crises required fasting such as Judges 20:26, and 1 Samuel 7:6. The key to successful fasting is not to think we can manipulate God or a to win a "more spiritual" rating from God or others.

Remember that Jesus said, "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:17,18

Fasting is a very personal thing. It is a spiritual discipline that few people take part in today, unfortunately.

Remember that in the first century, fasting was very common and often occurred before important events such as Jesus public ministry, Matthew 4:2 and the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-3). We would do well to discuss this with God and see if He would have us abstain from something to help us draw closer to Him.

- The Scripture Squad :
TCCaleb, TCCaff, RuthCCC & DawnCCC