This blog is designed to teach you some of the benefits of fasting. The benefits cannot be fully summed up because when you reach for Yahweh (God, Jesus Christ & the Holy Ghost) there’s no telling what all may be done for you. Fasting is one of the three pillars a solid spiritual walk is built on. The other two pillars are Bible study and prayer. These three things are essentially God’s love language that He is asking you to communicate to Him through. This is how God wishes to be seen and loved. The old folks growing up would always say “fasting makes you lasting and praying makes you staying.” I agree with them fully.
What is Fasting?
One definition of fasting is to withhold oneself from all or particular food and drink, especially for religious observance. My favorite example of fasting from the Bible is when Queen Esther fasted in order to get God to move on behalf of the Jews. I have also fasted for three days and three nights without food or drink. However, such a thing is not needed in order to please God.
What Counts as Fasting?
In its primary sense fasting refers to abstaining from food and/or drink. The concept of self-restraint can be applied however to anything you consume. Video games, social media, etc. The thing is that it has to be something you miss while it’s gone. This can’t be something you could care less about anyway or there is no sacrifice. Having said that let me state that food and drink is the standard to start with as long as there are not pressing medical conditions and then go from there.
Benefits of Fasting:
- Brings you closer to God. Fasting is one of God’s love languages.
- Aides in helping you gain self-control in any area of your life.
- More spiritual power & internal fortitude.
- Power over devils & unwanted presences.
How to Fast:
Prayer and fasting go hand in hand. I also make sure to read a few scriptures while I am fasting just to make it extra special unto God. Prayer, fasting and Bible study are all about being alone and intimate with God and getting to know Him better. If I am in the middle of a travel day or something like that then I pray quietly and pull up scripture on my phone as I am moving about.
Fasting begins when you wake up or if you were out all night then whenever the sun rises is a good option to go with but this is flexible so pray and see what God tells you personally. Fasting ends either at a set time or sunset. I usually pray 1 to 3 days per week and fast until noon or some other time depending what I’m hearing God tell me to do. Sometimes I go without food and drink and sometimes it’s just without food but still liquids. Other times I might do a 1 to 3 day all liquid fast. There are many types of fasts recorded in the Bible and here is a link to an interesting website to help guide you. https://www.cupstocrowns.com/blog/biblical-fasting
Like in the example of Queen Esther fasting does not have to be individual all of the time. It could be groups of friends, lovers, families, co-workers etc. It should primarily be individual but this a totally flexible thing.
Scriptures on Fasting:
- Matthew 17: 18-21
- Matthew 6: 16-18
- Joel 2: 12-13
- Ezra 8: 21-23
- https://www.openbible.info/topics/fasting
De’Vannon Seráphino, Show Host & Author
