Power of Fasting Pt. 1

For many years, fasting has been viewed as an optional activity for believers, many not knowing what it really is, what the benefits are, and how it should be done, especially now in this dispensation of grace. For some believers, it is an optional activity, since furthermore we are accepted by God through grace, and it seems like one of the “works” that were done away with. For others, it seems like that last resort to get God’s attention, to get Him to do something for them, with the notion that when we starve ourselves and afflict our souls and flesh then He hears. For others, it is an activity they do because it is done by other believers, and it seems good for believers to do.

Paul in Phil. 2:1-2 exhorts us to be “like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” The reason the first church thrived was because of unity. The only way we can come to oneness of mind and unity is if we all renewed our minds to the word of God, and start thinking in line with the word of God. With this in mind, we need to come to one reasoning as far as fasting is concerned, drawing lessons from the word of God.

What is fasting?

Fasting is the abstinence from all or some foods or drink, for spiritual reasons. From this definition, we see that fasting is an activity we engage in for spiritual reasons, when we abstain from all or some foods or drink. From this definition, and from the Scriptures, we can learn of the types of fasting.

Types of fasting

   1. Absolute fast:

In this type of fast, one abstains from all types of both food and drinks.

Exodus 24:18

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 34:28

And he [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

1 Kings 19:8

And he [Elijah] arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Esther 4:16

Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"

Acts 9:9

And he [Paul] was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

These are a few of the examples of absolute fast that we have in the Bible. We see that Moses and Elijah went for 40 days without food or drink, while Esther and the children of Israel and Paul went for 3 days. Ezra, in Ezra 10, went for 1 night, fasting. In all these cases, we see that they were fasting either to hear God’s voice clearly without distractions, or for unity.

Medically, it has been said that a human body can go for two to three days without food or water. Any attempt of absolute fast past 3 days is viewed as a risk to the human body. It’s amazing how people in the Old and New Testament did not have this medical knowledge and yet few surpassed the 3 day mark. The only possible explanation for this is God’s guidance. God knows our bodies and knows what we need, and He’s the one who can lead us to the type of fast, length, and reason. Elijah and Moses, who went for 40 days without food or drink, really needed supernatural power to do this, and again the only possible explanation is God’s strength and grace that sustained them.

   2. Normal Fast

In this type of fast, one abstains from food only, and goes with water.

Matthew 4:1-3

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

It has been assumed that Jesus went for 40 days without water or food, but this is not what the scriptures imply. After the fast, it is noted that Jesus was hungry, not thirsty, implying that He went for 40 days without food only. If He went without water and food, the Scriptures would have noted that He was thirsty and hungry. If you go for such a period without food or water, the first thing you would look for is not food, but water, logically. With this in mind, it makes sense why the devil did not tempt Jesus with water, just with food.

   3. Partial Fast

In this type of fast, one abstains from animal products, sweeteners, and processed foods. One partakes only of water, fresh juices, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other fresh farm products.

Daniel 1:12-13

"Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

 ¹³ "Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." ¹⁴ So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

Daniel 10:2-3

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

This type of fast is mainly associated with Daniel. In this fast, we see that he abstained from pleasant food, which in our case would be processed foods, meat (representing animal products), and wine (representing any type of drink apart from water). In the first instance of Daniel 1, we see that Daniel had done this before, and it is stated that he and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego only took water and vegetables. The King James Version, taking a direct translation of the Greek translation, uses the word pulse in place of “vegetables”, which is something sown. This implies fresh farm produce.

The first instance of Daniel 1 cannot really be called a fast, since we defined fasting as when someone abstains from food and water for spiritual reasons, mainly seeking God. In this instance, they were doing it for spiritual purposes, since the only other option they had was defiled foods, but they were not engaging in it to seek God as per se. In Daniel 10, we see him engaging in a partial fast, for spiritual reasons of seeking God regarding the nation of Israel and the prophesies of Jeremiah.

How do I choose?

With the information on the types of fast in mind, comes the question of how to choose the type of fast. Studying the Biblical examples of fasting and the people who fasted, we can only conclude that it is God who guided them to choose the type of fasting. From the type of fasting, the number of days, the purpose for fasting etc., it is God who knows what is best for us and for our situations, and will guide us into how, what, how long and why of fasting.

In all the above types of fasting, we see different number of days mentioned. God will also lead you into the “how long” to do the fast, whether 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 10 days, 21 days, 40 days and so on. You can never go wrong in fasting, especially when you are led by God. You can do the absolute fast, partial or normal fast for whatever length of days, as long as God is guiding you. For example, God can guide you to do the partial fast for 1 week, and another time He leads you to do it for 21 days, while another time He may lead you to do it for 40 days. We should not be rigid and legalistic in our minds, but allow God to tell us what He needs.

Purpose of fasting

In the Old Testament, people used to fast as a sacrifice, and as a sign of faith. Remember, in these days, people used to be approved and acceptable to God based on what they did. So, fasting was one of the works that God them accepted before God. For example, when Nineveh was at the verge of destruction due to their disobedience and sin, the king called for an absolute fast throughout the nation, to offer a sacrifice to God, show brokenness and repentance, and appease God.

Jonah 3

Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?  ¹⁰ Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Because of the fast, it is noted that God saw their works, and forgave them. Same thing with David, in 2 Samuel 12:16-23, after he sinned with Bathsheba and wanted God to forgive him and spare his son’s life.

So in those days people used to fast to move God into doing something for them (show them grace), or into not doing something to them (show them mercy). Remember, grace is when God does something for you that you did not deserve, while mercy is when God refrains from doing something to you that you deserved. When God spared David’s life when he repented after sinning with Bathsheba, He was showing him mercy, as he deserved death but God refrained it from him. When God gave David a son who came in and took over the kingdom from him through the same woman who he committed adultery with that was grace, as he got what he did not deserve.

In the Old Testament, they could not be accepted except through a sacrifice, which also included them sacrificing food and water, for God.

In the New Testament, we only see fasting used as a means of seeking God for clarity, to hear people more. We do not need any other sacrifice except Jesus, to be accepted by God (1 Cor. 1:30, Heb 9:11-15, 10:10-14). All we need to receive grace and mercy from God is not our works or anything else, but faith in Jesus:

Hebrews 4:12-16

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So today, fasting is not a sacrifice we offer to God to be accepted, it is not works any more. For example, Paul did not fast for the three days to be accepted by God, as he had already been chosenby God. We are not told why exactly he fasted, but it is not to be accepted, as Jesus told Ananias that he was a chosen vessel to bear His name before many (Acts 9:9-16). Cornelius also fasted for four days, not to be accepted, but to know God more (Acts 10:3-6, 30-33), and his prayers were answered, for he got clarity and saw the angel who told him what he must do.

We are already accepted by the blood of Jesus, our fasting is therefore not something to get us accepted, but something that benefits us.

In the next part we’ll talk about the benefits of fasting, in depth.

Amen.

-- Sam Gitonga. 



(25/05/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission.)

Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.