The Discipline of Fasting
Review:
Disciplines: pathways of spiritual ____________ that effect fundamental __________ in us so that we become increasingly more like Jesus.
Meditationàthinking deeply about the _______ and works of God so that our _________ more naturally drift to Him.
Prayerà ________with God that aligns our will to His will.
The Discipline of Fasting
Fasting: a believer’s _____________ abstinence from food for ____________ purposes.
Types of Fasting in the Bible:
Normal fast: abstaining from all food, but not from _________ [JesusMatt. 4]
Partial fast: _____________ of the diet [Daniel vegies and waterDaniel 1]
Absolute fast: avoiding all food and liquid, even water [Paul-Acts 9:9]
Supernatural fast: Moses/Elijah no food or water for 40 days [Dt. 9:9, 1 Kings 19:8]
Private, Congregational, National [Acts 13:2, 2 Chron. 20:3] Regular, Occasional
Purposes of Fasting [the REASONS for fasting]
• To ____________ prayer [Ezra 8:23]
• To seek God’s ______________ [Acts 14:23]
• To express _______________ [2 Sam. 1:11-12, 1 Sam. 20:34]
• To seek _______________/protection [Esther 4:16]
• To express ________________ [Jonah 3:5-8]
• To _______________ oneself before God [Psalm 35:13]
• To express concern for the ________ ___ ______ [Neh. 1:34]
• To ________________ to the needs of other [Isaiah 58]
• To overcome _______________ [Matthew 4]
• To express ________ and _____________ to God [Luke 2:37]
Benefits of Fasting [the RESULTS of fasting]
• Fasting reveals the things that ____________ us.
• Fasting reminds us that our _______________ is not in food, but in God [Matt. 4:4, Jn. 4:32]
• Fasting helps us live with _________________ in mind [Matt. 9:15]
How to Begin
1. Start ___________
2. Plan what you’ll do ________ __ _______.
3. Consider how it will affect ____________.
4. Try _____________ kinds of fasting.
5. Fast from something other than ________.
6. Let your hunger drive your ____________.
“Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem, whether it’s fighting against some sin, or pleading for someone’s salvation, or for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus.” (David Mathis)
