The Old Testament originally required one day of fasting and it was on the Day of Atonement. The practice would eventually become corrupted by the Pharisees. As the New Testament church appointed elders, they did so in the context of fasting and prayer. We therefore want to look at the subject of fasting.
1. the description of fasting - Fasting involves abstaining from food (Mat 15:23)
- Fasting involves an association with prayer (Ester 4:16; 2 Chr 20:3; Ezra 8:21,23) Fasting involves more than just not eating or drinking. Fasting that is spiritual does not occur without accompanying prayer. It involves people afflicting their souls to seek a right way. Fasting does not bend the arm of God behind his back. It is a humbling of ourselves before God so that we will find His way
- Fasting involves afflicting the soul (Psalm 35:11) This verse ties fasting with a humbling of the soul. Fasting can be physical but not spiritual. We can fast without our hearts being involved. We want the inner man involved. Fasting should involve a humbling ourselves before God as we pray and seek God for His will to be done.
2. the duty of fasting (Matthew 9:14-15) There was a time when the disciples did not mourning. They were not sinning by not fasting. There would be a time when they would as we see in Acts (13:3; 14:23). Fasting is a voluntary action on the part of believers but Christ assumes they will fast (Matthew 6:17)
3. the reasons for fasting - corporate sin (Nehemiah 9; Jonah 3) - personal sin (Ahab rebuked by Elijah in 1 King 21:27) - national crisis (Esther, Joel 2) - stubborn resistance to Christ's kingly reign (Mat 17:21) - special seasons (Acts 14:23)
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