What About Fasting?

Q

What do you think the importance of fasting is with faith? Calls to fasting and prayer used to be more common. Now I hear of calls to prayer, but fasting is left out.

I wonder if there is a correlation between your messages of faith healing and miracles and the type of worship that is unique in fasting. I’ve never seen anyone healed myself, but last year I fasted for the first time in my life and the Lord sent me on a 30 day journey to Jerusalem when I fasted about it. A couple of days ago I fasted for a single day for the Lords intervention in my business and the moment I committed to it, the Lord intervened and my request was granted even though I had to follow through and fast as I promised until the time I had chosen had expired. I know its not as simple as that, but could there be something to our lack of faith or our lack of fasting with our prayers?

A

In His only teaching on fasting, Matt. 6:16-18, Jesus began with “When you fast … ” Notice He didn’t say, “if” but “when.”

When we fast, we’re denying our selves and focusing on God. In this self centered world of ours, it’s one of the few times when we do so, and it pleases Him. It can add emphasis to our prayers as well as our worship. I once read a book titled “God’s Chosen Fast” that gave me a good Biblical understanding of fasting, and believe that fasting before bringing something of great importance before the Lord is a Biblically sound practice.