Christian Living

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When You Fast!!

What does fasting mean?
Here are some definitions:
o To fast mean to go without food for a period of time esp. for religious reasons; Collins software dictionary-English-English.
Christian fasting
o Biblical fasting is abstaining from food, drink etc. to focus on spiritual growth; to deny the flesh; to glorify God; enhance our spirit and grow deeper in our prayer life. ‘A Lifestyle of Servant Living.’ www.gotquestions.org/fasting-Christian.html.
Dennis Rupert
o The Greek word for ‘fasting is’nesteia – a compound of ne (a negative prefix) and esthio which means “to eat. The basic root meaning of the word “not to eat.” Biblical fasting is “not eating” with spiritual communication in mind” Biblical fasting, is denying self; not only my own body but my own wants. Biblical fasting always occurs together with prayer; deliberately abstaining from food for communication and relationship with the Father.

When You Fast!!
Isaiah 58:1 - 8

Way back in 1993 while I was either preparing to fast or during fasting and searching the Scriptures, to hear what God had to say about fasting; during the process of seeking God, I was drawn to Isaiah 58. I was naïve to the fact that God had blatantly rejected some types of fasting (Isaiah 58 verses 1- 3a). Commonsense should have told me that whatever we do in word or deed God is looking at our motives behind it. Jesus was dead against hypocrisy, He had experienced hypocrisy with religious leaders, insincere and pious practices were an issue in Jesus’ day. Jesus talked about artificiality and doing things for gain, and for [outward show] the praises of men (Matthew 6). So I should have known that people fasted for the right, as well as the wrong reasons.

There are examples of Jesus fasting, Paul and the others disciples had done it; and even Cornelius the Gentile fasted for the right reason(to get direction the disciples God), while others fasted for a show (example, the Publican and sinner). However, what I need to know since it was not a command? And also what are the beneficial factors of fasting? These questions dominated my thoughts during those years every time I fasted; I do hope these questions will be answered throughout this piece of writing.

Whenever I have fasted my favourite chapter is (Isaiah 58 verses 1-8) and a few Scriptures from the New Testament to use as my guideline. I have not made a detailed study of (Isaiah 58:1-8) or its references before; neither have I went on the Internet to see other people’s views about fasting. But I have today. I have spent the whole morning reading and praying as I read the text: looked up the related references, put my thoughts to paper; and then went on the Internet to research on the topic.

I have learnt more today about fasting because ‘I seek, and I have found’ and this is the reason for sharing. Maybe what I have written is basic, but Jesus always used the basic and simple things to reinforce His teaching. My purpose of studying is to implement what I have learnt and sharing it with the body of Christ is vital. My earnest desire is to serve God acceptably and with all my heart; and doing the things which bring glory to Him is critical. So according to (Isaiah 58) there are both unacceptable as well as, acceptable fast; and my aim is to do acceptable service to God and man.

A Prophetic Message from Isaiah

God gave Isaiah a message to His people, they were grumbling because they did not see result in their fasting and God instructed Isaiah that he should not spare them embarrassment but tell them the truth; because it is only the truth was going to set them free. He should tell the people of Israel (paraphrased),’you’ve sought Me daily, but only externally, you want to know my ways, yet you are doing the things which profit you and not Me; your fasting is a front.’

The transcript from the first few verses of chapter 58, as well as some related texts, will be highlighted throughout.

God challenged their complaining, “Why have we fasted, and we haven’t see results, God?” But God told them ”You are only fasting to bribe Me; you should be mourning about your sins---;” the list of wrong doings went on. God pinpointed areas in their lives which had nullified their outward show; in plain truth God was not going to answer them (verses 3b to 4), the ungodly behaviour stood as a damning record of Israel’s conduct.

From this example, it shows that even in their good disciplines [practicing our service to God], they had created ways of distorting these services because their motives were wrong.

Fasting is a vast topic.

I have discovered through my research on the Internet sites various aspects and topics on fasting, as well as reading Isaiah 58 which will be filtered throughout the transcript. The first site’s topic is Biblical Fasting---. What It Is And How to Do It. [Going Faster in the Christian Life].

The report is by Dennis Rupert, he did a detailed study on Biblical Fasting both in Old and New Testaments times: which he includes the historical backgrounds of the first recorded fasting; that was about lengthy fasting: consisted of three 40 days, and one 80 days. The report talked about why God provided food for us to eat, the benefits of food and the types of food that is beneficial to our bodies, in this report the author gave Biblical principles of fasting, and some of the appropriate occasions for fasting.

The document is about seven pages long and I believe a book could possible developed from the information I have received; and this piece has the potential to develop into a deeper study, which I would need more adequate research material.

However, I don’t really feel God’s leading or the right time to do a deeper and more detailed study, neither am I feeling an
adequate Bible Scholar nor assuming a teaching role, but I am one who takes delight in sitting and pouring over God’s word and then write about it. That’s my life!

However, if anyone is interested in doing a detailed study on the subject of fasting, you can visit this website which I have included. I believe it is a good Christian site. I have documented the source below.
What Biblical Fasting is Not:
• Fasting is not a psychological discipline
• Fasting is not a religious exercise or acts which people have often misunderstood---
• Not physical discipline- nowhere in the Bible God has told people to use fasting as a diet, there are some benefits, but fasting is not for loosing weight; God has a more higher purpose
• Fasting is not a manipulative tool; we can attempt to bribe God by fasting by using it as a hungry tool to force God’s hand.
• Hypocritical Religious Exercise, e.g. Luke 18:12a i.e. the Pharisees
Biblical fasting is not hypocrisy. It is not manipulative tool. It is not physical discipline

What Biblical Fasting is:
The Bible shows why people did not eat food and(in Leviticus 16: 29)demonstrates that fasting is closely associated with afflicting of the soul. Fasting is more than afflicting our body.

The above definitions can be summarised that fasting is a disciplined exercise primarily for us to draw nearer to God and to communicate with Him. By drawing near we receive all the benefits associated with obedience, a broken and a contrite heart, and submission of our mind, body, soul and spirit. When we seek God with all our heart we will find Him. When we fast we are seeking God’s face to know Him more fully and learn to follow Him closer day by day

We cannot seek the face of God and remain the same. We are changed from the inside out and then rise up as it were from the dust changed, renewed and empowered to fulfill the task God has assigned for us to do. When we fast and pray the eyes of our understanding are opened and we are presented new challenges and also new obstacles to leap over; and definitely new victories to be won. The final outcome depends on our obedience to follow through our assignment.

Biblical fast are varied and people are driven to fast for different reason.

There are various types of fast as well as varied reason given why we need to fast. The Bible recorded about seven occasions when people fasted. However, there are no hard and fast rules about fasting; for example, how long or how short do we need to fast, or what particular day or days (except for one stipulation in Leviticus 16, a day was set apart to fast on the Day of Atonement), the manner in which we fast is between ourselves and God. Fasting is not a command as already mentioned, but voluntary.

Nevertheless it is expected that every Christians ought to fast in order to enhance our walk with our Creator (when the Spirit of God leads; or a united designated fast by our Church/leaders). Source: Dennis Rupert http://www.new-life.net/fasting.htm.

God said, “When you Fast”

Continuing from the first four verses of Isaiah 58 God declared in verse 5 the fast which is acceptable to Him: ‘that brings Me pleasure, because it’s not seeking to bribe Me but instead reach out to others, this is the kind of fast delights Me ‘(paraphrased). God has chosen humility of the soul, not merely a mechanical exercise. The requirement is synonymous to both Old and New Testaments.

These verses got my attention to crisscross through Bible references. Now from verses 6 to 8 God gave the criterion, four specifics, which are found throughout the Bible that related to the poor and downtrodden, these four are all linked with the same purpose in mind.
Required Fast:
1. To loose the bonds of wickedness (chains, rope to bind, cords to tie mentally, spiritually, emotionally and even financially).
2. To undo the bands of the yoke ( a band does the same job fastened together, but it has less strength because it is more like a flat strip of material, but both bonds and bands are a symbol to restrict) our fasting is meant to liberate both ourselves and others.
3. To let the oppressed go free (to set free those who are controlled by cruelty or force, it speaks for itself)
4. To break every [enslaving] yoke (this is the underlying purpose of a fast)

To loose the bond of wickedness: When we fast our aim should be to let God fulfill His purpose through us here on earth, as Jesus did. He wants to use us to reach out to suffering people in His name; demonstrating God’s great love for mankind. He wants to see mankind loose from the bondage of sin, sickness and poverty. The first criterion is referred to by Jesus. It was prophesied (in Isaiah 61:1 – 2; Daniel 9:24) and fulfilled the New Testament. Jesus declared (in Luke 4:18 – 19; 7: 22)that He was the fulfillment of that prophecy as well as other New Testament Scriptures (in John 3:34; John 7:16-19) to authenticate Him [Jesus] as the Deliver; God gave Jesus the Spirit without measure, and that seal of approval was on Him.

Jesus’ role linked to Isaiah 58

Jesus demonstrated (in Matthew 11: 5; 12:18)that the Sabbath came about to serve man’s higher good and (He) Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and was the express image of God. Jesus read(Luke 2:18 - 19)this Scripture in the synagogue as a declaration of Who He was. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him because He has anointed He was the Anointed One.

He was indeed the Messiah the One who was promised to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. He was send forth to deliverer those who were oppressed, broken messed-up humanity.

Jesus came to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord the day when salvation and the free favour of God abundantly accessible to all.

The Spirit of the Lord anointed Jesus to continue building God‘s Kingdom here on earth and to restore and to minister the acceptable year of God’s favour to the outcast. What blessed hope to mankind? We are the beneficiary or Jesus’ obedience, He completed the task (John17:4-8). Jesus did not need to fast but He did it for forty days and forty nights before He began His ministry.

As in Isaiah 58

The prophesy of Jesus (Isaiah 49: 8-9);He came to preach the gospel to the poor to release the prisoners from captivity and bring those who were in darkness into light, crushing all yoke.


To undo the yoke (a yoke is a wooden frame joined together and placed over the necks of two animals to work together as a team); a yoke is also a frame fitted over a person’s shoulders for carrying buckets. To undo the yoke is a symbol of freedom. Christ came to set the prisoners like you and me free from all bondages, whatever they may be. Therefore when we fast our aim should be to see captives being delivered from bondage. Whenever we are driven by God to fast the end result should be change; and change affects people, and people are who builds communities, and when people are in bondage communities are affected.

Jesus affected the lives of everyone who crosses His path for good and so should we. For example, in the Old Testament God gave commands to His people to deal fairly with the poor.

A command was given (in Nehemiah 5:11-12) to the people or Israel to show favour to the less fortunate and to return their fields, vineyard, olive groves, money, grains etc. The more affluent Israelites should restore to the poorer Israelites without expecting anything in return, loosing the yoke is not only a symbol of freedom but restoration.

God told (in Jeremiah 34:9)them to set free their male or female slaves. Initially the command was accepted with enthusiasm, but later on, the price became too high for them (their comfortable lifestyle was being affected) so they declined; and God became very angry with them because of disobeying His orders. The result is in the subsequent verses.

I can’t help seeing the similarity between the people of Israel and us. How many times we have gladly accepted the challenge to fast and pray, or to deny ourselves and reach out to others; but when we count the cost, similar to our predecessors we too change our minds. As God was angry with Israel for breaking His covenant so He gets angry with us for our disobedience.

Obedience is better than any sacrifice we know but it is to the individual God speaks. He mostly deals with us as individual and not as a group (there are exceptions), as He told the people of Israel. He sets the record straight to discourage their concept, they had the idea that God punishes the children for their fore parents’ sins. He told them that He now deals with the individual (Ezekiel 18:7).

What has all the above statements to do with fasting? Just take a look (at Isaiah 58:7)again, (paraphrased) listed are the ethics of fasting God requires:
I. We are to divide our bread; whatever we receive we should share (whether spiritual bread (the word) or natural bread (sustenance) the hungry and thirsty should not be left out in the cold. To bring the hungry, homeless and naked to our house. I believe the requirement represents friendship, relationship and security. A home is a place where people feel safe, so God wants our fasting resulted in our hearts to show His heart for mankind, minister to the homeless poor, and those who come in out of the cold, they should feel at home in His house
II. Cover the naked don’t expose them, fasting allows us to live out 1Corinthians 13:6-7. See the needs and reach out to them.
III. Meet the needs of our own flesh and blood. We should not hide ourselves from the needs of our loved ones. God has placed us in our homes to minister to our family. Our greatest battles are fought and won in our homes with our flesh and blood. Fasting should sharpen us to their needs. I find it quite easy to be impatient with my own household and more patient with other people, no wonder God insisted that I must die to self. God knows that our home can be the greatest battle ground; so He wants us to study His characteristics and allow Him to live them out in us. However, only when we are obedient and fulfill the requirement of verses 6-7 we will receive the promise.

You see, obedience activates God’s promises. The glory of the Lord will be our light continually verse 8, because we trust and obey; that is when we seek God to find out what He requires us to do and do it. What God may be saying to one, might not be exactly what He is saying to the others at a given moment, so we should not impose what God requires us to do on others. Only the individual can fulfill God’s condition for them, because our experiences and assignments are all different. When we want what God wants and follow through His instruction in fasting and seeking Him several things will happen:
 We will become His reflection to the world as Jesus did; we will be restored and will be healed; we will walk in newness and freshness of life because of our right relationship and right standing with God.
 We will be blessed spiritually, physically, materially, financially and emotionally; in other words ‘we will be radically blessed.’ (Joyce Meyer)
 We will be God’s light to lead others out of darkness.
So fasting with the right motives have untold blessings laid up in store for us.

Or we could be enquiring why have we fasted, exactly in the same category as mentioned (in Isaiah 58), ‘we have fasted and everything seemed to be going wrong for me;’ however, if our heart condemns us not (we are walking in obedience) then we must have confidence in God.

I believe that God is faithful, take a look at Job. God will bring us through whatever the test, don’t give up remain faithful to the end and fast according to God’s requirement. When we have done all to stand, just stand! and if tempted to give up Read Hebrews 11. ‘Be steadfast and do things God’s way because He always rewards our obedience.

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