Remember what Jesus said?
He said, in Matt 6:16 and 17 "When you fast ...". He didn't say "If you fast ...". Jesus clearly expects fasting to be a part of the normal Christian life, just like praying and reading the Bible.
But what are the benefits of fasting?
According to Selwyn Hughes (15 Ways to a More Effective Prayer Life) some of the benefits are:
- Fasting puts the body in its place. God created us with a spirit, a soul and a body and it is vitally important that the relationship between these three entities is as God intended it. When we fast, we confirm that our spirit rules over our body, meaning that we are not driven by our carnal nature. Rom 8:6-8: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
- Fasting gives victory over temptation. After Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, He went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and then was tempted by satan - Matt 4.
- Fasting sharpens our spiritual understanding enabling us to make right decisions. "Church history shows that many of the men who figured greatly in the growth and development of the Christian Church practiced the art of fasting. John Wesley so believed in the importance of fasting that he refused t ordain young men to the ministry who would not fast two days each week. Martin Luther fasted regularly, and so did John Knox. Charles Finney said, 'When empty of power I would set apart a day for private fasting and prayer ... after this, the power would return in all its freshness.'"
The fact is that fasting is a regular topic in the Bible, both Old and New Testament and there is a myriad of books available on the subject. Yet it is something that is seen as somewhat out of the ordinary (at least in my circles). It would be well worth your while to investigate fasting and try it for yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment