This week we head into a time of prayer and fasting. Here are a few tips that can help you as you prayerfully consider how you can participate.
Fasting is simply choosing do deny ourselves of good things for a specific period of time in favor of better things –namely time seeking the Lord in prayer. We don’t fast to impress the Lord or to earn His love or acceptance (we already have that). During times of fasting we remind ourselves of our total dependence on Jesus and willingly let go of other things so that we can focus more totally on Him. Here are just a few thoughts to help you participate this week:
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Decide what and how long you will fast
- Total Fast –With or without water.
- Partial Fast –Abstaining from certain types of foods and/or limiting quantity of food. Like Daniel’s fast in Daniel 10:3 where he fasted delicacies, meat and wine. For example, you may choose to fast certain meals like lunch or to just drink fruit and vegetable juices.
- Special Fast –Fasting things other than food like TV, Internet or Facebook.
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Fast Safely
- Especially if you are choosing to fast significant amounts of food, ensure you are healthy and consider consulting a physician if you are unsure.
- Pregnant women, diabetics and those with poor health or eating disorders should not fast.
- Fasting can be a healthy practice that is beneficial to your body. Limiting physical activity and ensuring adequate rest is important.
- Slowly reintroduce foods after fasting.
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Take time to Pray
- Fasting is more than doing without. It is a season of reallocating priorities to focus on prayer and seeking the Lord
- Take part in prayer meetings and schedule specific times to pray.
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Avoid Religious Displays and Beliefs
- In Matthew 6 Jesus encourages fasting as a practice done before the Lord not for appearing more holy before people.
- Fast as a confident child of God not a fearful slave trying to gain something from God.
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Grace
- Fasting is difficult. Rely on the strength the Lord graciously gives to those who ask.
- If you slip up, take it to the Lord in prayer and continue with the rest of your fast.
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Expect Results
- This time of focused attention on prayer will accomplish much in your life and church.
