There are Christian disciplines that we probably do out of a mix of routine, love for God, and because they are frequently mentioned in sermons; prayer, Bible reading, cooperate worship, participating in the sacraments, and fellowship. But there's one, at least in my life, that was seldom talked about and I only saw it modeled only once; fasting.
Recently my pastor mentioned fasting in a sermon which started me thinking. If Jesus expected His followers to fast (Matthew 6:16) and Paul expected married couples to fast (1 Corinthians 7:5KJV) then shouldn't Christians do it? And since I'm a follower of Jesus, shouldn't I?
I didn't have a clue how to go about it...so I did some research. People typically fast in order to confess sin (either for themselves, the church, or the nation), because they are in mourning, or to give God undivided devotion/attention while they seek His will on a certain issue. Basically, the concept of fasting is to deprive yourself of food for a period of time and use the time you save (instead of making and eating food) to pray and seek God.
I set a day aside. And I didn't eat.
And it was hard.
But it was amazing.
As I sacrificed something I love (food) for my God I was blessed to know Him in a deeper way than I had before. It was a very tangible from of worship and service to my King and it cleared my heart and mind to seek God in a deep way. Scriptural truths were clearer and I felt the Holy Spirit's presence more. And it taught me how much I depend on God for everything.
Everything.
Though it has not once been easy, every time I fast I am thankful to have done it. I come away loving God more and having my life centered more on Him. Which is the whole point of life, isn't it?
Please do not be afraid to fast. The week before you fast I recommend preparing yourself by praying about it. If you don't think you can fast an entire day start with skipping 2 meals (preferably breakfast and lunch) and work your way up. I am in no way an expert on the subject of fasting and you would like more information you can find some to start here.
Recently my pastor mentioned fasting in a sermon which started me thinking. If Jesus expected His followers to fast (Matthew 6:16) and Paul expected married couples to fast (1 Corinthians 7:5KJV) then shouldn't Christians do it? And since I'm a follower of Jesus, shouldn't I?
I didn't have a clue how to go about it...so I did some research. People typically fast in order to confess sin (either for themselves, the church, or the nation), because they are in mourning, or to give God undivided devotion/attention while they seek His will on a certain issue. Basically, the concept of fasting is to deprive yourself of food for a period of time and use the time you save (instead of making and eating food) to pray and seek God.
I set a day aside. And I didn't eat.
And it was hard.
But it was amazing.
As I sacrificed something I love (food) for my God I was blessed to know Him in a deeper way than I had before. It was a very tangible from of worship and service to my King and it cleared my heart and mind to seek God in a deep way. Scriptural truths were clearer and I felt the Holy Spirit's presence more. And it taught me how much I depend on God for everything.
Everything.
Though it has not once been easy, every time I fast I am thankful to have done it. I come away loving God more and having my life centered more on Him. Which is the whole point of life, isn't it?
Please do not be afraid to fast. The week before you fast I recommend preparing yourself by praying about it. If you don't think you can fast an entire day start with skipping 2 meals (preferably breakfast and lunch) and work your way up. I am in no way an expert on the subject of fasting and you would like more information you can find some to start here.
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