Rewire Your Heart Day 2

Heart2Soul · May 6, 2021

I was reading my daily devotion one day several years ago and the scripture that day was Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
— Ps 51:10 (NKJV)
That scripture was exactly what I had been crying out to God about....to cleanse my heart...it was the 1st time I had seen this scripture...
From that day forward I spoke this scripture each day as I prayed...
It took a long time to manifest...but today I can say my heart is humble, full of compassion, abundant in love towards others, and mostly filled with His Spirit.
I have to add that my mind had to be renewed in order for my heart to change.

DuckieLady · May 6, 2021

Heart2Soul said:
I was reading my daily devotion one day several years ago and the scripture that day was Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
— Ps 51:10 (NKJV)
That scripture was exactly what I had been crying out to God about....to cleanse my heart...it was the 1st time I had seen this scripture...
From that day forward I spoke this scripture each day as I prayed...
It took a long time to manifest...but today I can say my heart is humble, full of compassion, abundant in love towards others, and mostly filled with His Spirit.
I have to add that my mind had to be renewed in order for my heart to change.

I posted this verse today! I wasn't sure whether to post it here or there but I posted it because I heard it!

Must of been confirmation for you! How cool!

Right here :

https://twitter.com/DuckieKes/status/1390328135908872194?s=19

The Lord is listening!

Hidden In Him · May 6, 2021

FluffyYellowDuck said:
https://twitter.com/DuckieKes/status/1390328135908872194?s=19

The Lord is listening!

Wow. You got lots of good comments too. Sorta lighting up the sky, Lol.

Nice to see Twitter being used for something good still.

DuckieLady · May 6, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
Wow. You got lots of good comments too. Sorta lighting up the sky, Lol.

Nice to see Twitter being used for something good still.

I only follow what is good. Lots of Godly encouragement and edifying, you just have to find it! Then stay away from the trending! Lol

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
Yeh Hidden shed new light day 1. Reminded me to be aware of reading scripture in context... Not just taking the study person's notes in account. My pastor tells us that he can take one scripture or small passage and just chew on it for a week, because there is just so much in God's Word...

Sorry this is late. I was doing a lot of work yesterday.

Alright, the first thing you want to understand about Colossians is who the heretics were Paul was warning them about; people who had infiltrated the congregation and were trying to influence them. They were a very strict sect of Judaism called the Essenes. They were strict about observing the Jewish unclean food laws, and also very serious about keeping the Sabbaths and Jewish Feast days, and judged others if they didn't keep them in a very specific way (Colossians 2:16). They also believed that during their worship services they were literally joining in with the worship of the angels in Heaven, hence Paul's reference to them (proper translation) "delighting in the worship of angels" (Colossians 2:18).

Now, this is the backdrop behind which Paul told them not to worry about "taste not, touch not, handle not," and then added that this was not effective at actually dealing with sin (sexual sin in particular). The full passage is right here:

Why as though living in the world do you subject yourself to decrees? Touch not, taste not, neither handle such things as are all coming to corruption with the using, in accordance with the injunctions and teachings of men; [teachings] which indeed have an appearance of wisdom in advocating voluntary subservience, self-abasement and neglect of the body, [yet] do not have any value against gratification of the flesh. If therefore you were raised with Christ... Mortify your members which are upon the earth: Sexual immorality, uncleanness, physical passion, evil lust, and [sexual] covetousness, which is idolatry, on account of which things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you also walked when you were once living among these. (Colossians 2:20-23, 3:5-7)

Again, this passage was about how to defeat sexual in particular, and while the last word "covetousness" is sometimes falsely translated "greed," it is referring to the same thing the rest of the words in that verse are. God commanded in the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors wife," and this is what it is referring to; coveting a member of the opposite sex so strongly that it becomes idolatry in your heart.

Anyway, the Bible study writer we are using here (and this is a common misinterpretation, so they are not unique in it) comes to the conclusion that Paul was teaching against asceticism (fasting in particular), but this is actually precisely what Paul was advocating. He was saying that the strict Jewish heretics were trying to tell them not to eat or even touch certain foods, and Paul said this did seem to make it look like they were advocating "self-abasement and neglect of the body," only the exercise not have any real value "against gratification of the flesh." You see, a person can eat just certain foods and it be a form of self-denial, but they can still feed their face with the foods they think are acceptable. And if so, it will not bring the flesh under submission but actually making it stronger. Fasting the flesh has been proven in clinical studies to lessen the sex drive in both men and woman (I can post those for you if you like). But not everyone realizes this is what Paul was teaching. I know of churches who engage in "Daniel Fasts" where they eat only vegetables or fruit for 21 days. The problem is, you've never seen people eat more food in your life. To compensate for not being able to eat meat, they eat vegetables like they might be dying tomorrow, and you wonder if the local Walmart is ever gonna be able recover and fill their produce department again. It's not "fasting" the flesh, it's just going through a religious exercise that actually defeats the purpose of fasting, LoL. I've seen others "fast" their cell phone or the TV for periods of time, but that's sort of the same thing. They are certainly doing something that may benefit them spiritually, but it actually has nothing to do with what Paul was saying is one of the primary reasons for fasting.

So the teaching becomes an instruction on practical measures that will bring the body under submission, as opposed to simply doing something for show that was really just a religious exercise and nothing more. And this is why Paul mentioned engaging in fastings often (2 Corinthians 6:5; 2 Corinthians 11:27), and what he was talking about where he said he didn't simply shadowbox his body, i.e. engage in a fake fight against it, but brought it under submission (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). Ambrosiaster, in his ancient commentary on this passage, wrote, "To 'pummel the body' is to fast and to avoid any kind of luxury. Paul shows that he disciplines his own body so that he will not miss out on the reward about which he preaches to others" (Ambrosiater, Commentary On Paul's Epistles, 370 A.D.). This is why the early church developed a tradition of asceticism and especially fasting. They understood this is what Paul both taught and lived out in practice as a means of keeping sexual urges under control and avoiding sin.

We've lost this teaching today, and I believe it needs to come back. The modern church is steeped in sexual sin, and all the self-help style methods of "fixing" the issue don't really work for most Christians having trouble, especially the men. But it is not a comfortable teaching. This is another reason why I think the early church was right in adopting fasting as a serious Christian practice. Only the Spirit of God would urge a teaching that is so utterly dislikable to our flesh, LoL.

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
Sorry this is late. I was doing a lot of work yesterday.

Alright, the first thing you want to understand about Colossians is who the heretics were Paul was warning them about; people who had infiltrated the congregation and were trying to influence them. They were a very strict sect of Judaism called the Essenes. They were strict about observing the Jewish unclean food laws, and also very serious about keeping the Sabbaths and Jewish Feast days, and judged others if they didn't keep them in a very specific way (Colossians 2:16). They also believed that during their worship services they were literally joining in with the worship of the angels in Heaven, hence Paul's reference to them (proper translation) "delighting in the worship of angels" (Colossians 2:18).

Now, this is the backdrop behind which Paul told them not to worry about "taste not, touch not, handle not," and then added that this was not effective at actually dealing with sin (sexual sin in particular). The full passage is right here:

Why as though living in the world do you subject yourself to decrees? Touch not, taste not, neither handle such things as are all coming to corruption with the using, in accordance with the injunctions and teachings of men; [teachings] which indeed have an appearance of wisdom in advocating voluntary subservience, self-abasement and neglect of the body, [yet] do not have any value against gratification of the flesh. If therefore you were raised with Christ... Mortify your members which are upon the earth: Sexual immorality, uncleanness, physical passion, evil lust, and [sexual] covetousness, which is idolatry, on account of which things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you also walked when you were once living among these. (Colossians 2:20-23, 3:5-7)

Again, this passage was about how to defeat sexual in particular, and while the last word "covetousness" is sometimes falsely translated "greed," it is referring to the same thing the rest of the words in that verse are. God commanded in the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors wife," and this is what it is referring to; coveting a member of the opposite sex so strongly that it becomes idolatry in your heart.

Anyway, the Bible study writer we are using here (and this is a common misinterpretation, so they are not unique in it) comes to the conclusion that Paul was teaching against asceticism (fasting in particular), but this is actually precisely what Paul was advocating. He was saying that the strict Jewish heretics were trying to tell them not to eat or even touch certain foods, and Paul said this did seem to make it look like they were advocating "self-abasement and neglect of the body," only the exercise not have any real value "against gratification of the flesh." You see, a person can eat just certain foods and it be a form of self-denial, but they can still feed their face with the foods they think are acceptable. And if so, it will not bring the flesh under submission but actually making it stronger. Fasting the flesh has been proven in clinical studies to lessen the sex drive in both men and woman (I can post those for you if you like). But not everyone realizes this is what Paul was teaching. I know of churches who engage in "Daniel Fasts" where they eat only vegetables or fruit for 21 days. The problem is, you've never seen people eat more food in your life. To compensate for not being able to eat meat, they eat vegetables like they might be dying tomorrow, and you wonder if the local Walmart is ever gonna be able recover and fill their produce department again. It's not "fasting" the flesh, it's just going through a religious exercise that actually defeats the purpose of fasting, LoL. I've seen others "fast" their cell phone or the TV for periods of time, but that's sort of the same thing. They are certainly doing something that may benefit them spiritually, but it actually has nothing to do with what Paul was saying is one of the primary reasons for fasting.

So the teaching becomes an instruction on practical measures that will bring the body under submission, as opposed to simply doing something for show that was really just a religious exercise and nothing more. And this is why Paul mentioned engaging in fastings often (2 Corinthians 6:5; 2 Corinthians 11:27), and what he was talking about where he said he didn't simply shadowbox his body, i.e. engage in a fake fight against it, but brought it under submission (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). Ambrosiaster, in his ancient commentary on this passage, wrote, "To 'pummel the body' is to fast and to avoid any kind of luxury. Paul shows that he disciplines his own body so that he will not miss out on the reward about which he preaches to others" (Ambrosiater, Commentary On Paul's Epistles, 370 A.D.). This is why the early church developed a tradition of asceticism and especially fasting. They understood this is what Paul both taught and lived out in practice as a means of keeping sexual urges under control and avoiding sin.

We've lost this teaching today, and I believe it needs to come back. The modern church is steeped in sexual sin, and all the self-help style methods of "fixing" the issue don't really work for most Christians having trouble, especially the men. But it is not a comfortable teaching. This is another reason why I think the early church was right in adopting fasting as a serious Christian practice. Only the Spirit of God would urge a teaching that is so utterly dislikable to our flesh, LoL.

Btw, to anyone who might read the above, just consider it as two studies in one and food for thought, even if it should read like "strange fire" or something, LoL. My work is based not on surface analysis of the epistles but on heavy-duty study that I engaged in over the course of several years. I own numerous commentaries including some of the most scholarly in print, but I take no man's opinion over what the Lord reveals to me personally. I analyze things myself, and let the Lord Himself teach me through the Holy Spirit. But regarding what else is out there, I am well aware of what is taught.

Just take it as food for thought if it seems disagreeable on first read. There is much more to explain about the entire letter. I just left off a lot to keep things simple.

God bless,
- H

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

Rewire Your Heart Day 3

I'll just post the ten days, one a day, but feel free to keep discussing, taking time if wanted. This part is really good. I really have gleaned more out of the passage from this. Thanks Hidden!

I tend to have just done the self denial thing with fasts in the past, but am coming to understand the purpose of fasting and how to fast right these days. I have been doing it intermittently since I have stopped nursing. But as my body gets used to it, I think I have to start increasing the time. If I do it once a week though, I need to make sure health wise, if it is okay for my body. I'll do like ten hours, but forgot to eat before I went to bed Thursday night. Woke up pretty sick and realization hit. So I am not sure if that counts as a Biblical fast or ritual if I forget I am hungry. My body is getting used to fasting Thursdays...

. He was saying that the strict Jewish heretics were trying to tell them not to eat or even touch certain foods, and Paul said this did seem to make it look like they were advocating "self-abasement and neglect of the body," only the exercise not have any real value "against gratification of the flesh." You see, a person can eat just certain foods and it be a form of self-denial, but they can still feed their face with the foods they think are acceptable. And if so, it will not bring the flesh under submission but actually making it stronger. Fasting the flesh has been proven in clinical studies to lessen the sex drive in both men and woman (I can post those for you if you like). But not everyone realizes this is what Paul was teaching. I know of churches who engage in "Daniel Fasts" where they eat only vegetables or fruit for 21 days. The problem is, you've never seen people eat more food in your life. To compensate for not being able to eat meat, they eat vegetables like they might be dying tomorrow, and you wonder if the local Walmart is ever gonna be able recover and fill their produce department again. It's not "fasting" the flesh, it's just going through a religious exercise that actually defeats the purpose of fasting, LoL. I've seen others "fast" their cell phone or the TV for periods of time, but that's sort of the same thing. They are certainly doing something that may benefit them spiritually, but it actually has nothing to do with what Paul was saying is one of the primary reasons for fasting.

So the teaching becomes an instruction on practical measures that will bring the body under submission, as opposed to simply doing something for show that was really just a religious exercise and nothing more. And this is why Paul mentioned engaging in fastings often (2 Corinthians 6:5; 2 Corinthians 11:27), and what he was talking about where he said he didn't simply shadowbox his body, i.e. engage in a fake fight against it, but brought it under submission (1 Corinthians 9:26)

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
Btw, to anyone who might read the above, just consider it as two studies in one and food for thought, even if it should read like "strange fire" or something, LoL. My work is based not on surface analysis of the epistles but on heavy-duty study that I engaged in over the course of several years. I own numerous commentaries including some of the most scholarly in print, but I take no man's opinion over what the Lord reveals to me personally. I analyze things myself, and let the Lord Himself teach me through the Holy Spirit. But regarding what else is out there, I am well aware of what is taught.

Just take it as food for thought if it seems disagreeable on first read. There is much more to explain about the entire letter. I just left off a lot to keep things simple.

God bless,
- H

I can always fast your food for thought if I disagree. LOL

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
If I do it once a week though, I need to make sure health wise, if it is okay for my body.

Yes, always. There were a few people in the early church period, women actually, who took the teaching too far and actually died prematurely as a result, and that was never the intent of the Lord. Paul taught that our bodies are the temple of the Lord, so while they need to be brought under submission, they also need to be cared for and protected so as not to do them any harm in the process. Many think fasting is bad for the body, but done properly most medical professionals will tell you its actually quite healthy to cleanse the body of toxins and excess weight. The unhealthy thing is to be badly overweight.

Mayflower said:
So I am not sure if that counts as a Biblical fast or ritual if I forget I am hungry. My body is getting used to fasting Thursdays...

The Jewish custom during New Testament times was actually to fast two days a week, the equivalent of our Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I've never managed it yet myself, LoL.

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
I can always fast your food for thought if I disagree. LOL

Good to hear. Just don't "overdo it" LoL.

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
Yes, always. There were a few people in the early church period, women actually, who took the teaching too far and actually died prematurely as a result, and that was never the intent of the Lord. Paul taught that our bodies are the temple of the Lord, so while they need to be brought under submission, they also need to be cared for and protected so as not to do them any harm in the process. Many think fasting is bad for the body, but done properly most medical professionals will tell you its actually quite healthy to cleanse the body of toxins and excess weight. The unhealthy thing is to be badly overweight.

The Jewish custom during New Testament times was actually to fast two days a week, the equivalent of our Tuesdays and Thursdays. I've never managed it yet myself, LoL.

Interesting!!!! I wonder how long their day was. Fasting nights just doesn't seem to have much purpose to me unless going a longer period of time.

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
Interesting!!!! I wonder how long their day was. Fasting nights just doesn't seem to have much purpose to me unless going a longer period of time.

The Jewish "day" was from sundown of one evening until sundown of the next. But I'm not sure if they fasted the entire "day" or not.

For me, the best thing is just to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for your own life. He knows your body and your situation, and the demands that your normal work week (kids and all) make on you. So just go as the Lord leads you. The teaching was that there were principles involved, but there was never any law laid down by the church about fasting. People did it as they felt led of the Lord. And as a married woman, there was also the matter of doing it by agreement with one's spouse (1 Corinthians 7:4-5).

No sense fasting if one half of the marriage was into the idea and the other half not so much, LoL.

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
The Jewish "day" was from sundown of one evening until sundown of the next. But I'm not sure if they fasted the entire "day" or not.

For me, the best thing is just to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for your own life. He knows your body and your situation, and the demands that your normal work week (kids and all) make on you. So just go as the Lord leads you. The teaching was that there were principles involved, but there was never any law laid down by the church about fasting. People did it as they felt led of the Lord. And as a married woman, there was also the matter of doing it by agreement with one's spouse (1 Corinthians 7:4-5).

No sense fasting if one half of the marriage was into the idea and the other half not so much, LoL.

Hubby supports me in anything, but he is not at that place in his spiritual walk to fast. I am praying for him to be more open in faith and pray again with me and the kids in meals and things. I encourage him, but I also keep going with my own walk with God and growing in faith where I am at drawing closer to God. I am unsure what that passage means in 1 Corinthians and will have to study it a bit deeper. We are one flesh, but I also know I belong to God first and foremost.

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
Hubby supports me in anything, but he is not at that place in his spiritual walk to fast. I am praying for him to be more open in faith and pray again with me and the kids in meals and things. I encourage him, but I also keep going with my own walk with God and growing in faith where I am at drawing closer to God. I am unsure what that passage means in 1 Corinthians and will have to study it a bit deeper. We are one flesh, but I also know I belong to God first and foremost.

It just means that if one person in the marriage wants to fast the flesh to bring sexual urges down and focus more on walking in the Spirit, it needs to be by agreement, because the other one may not be too into the "I wanna cut down on sex for awhile" thing. For a woman it's a bit different than for a man, and the passage was actually being mostly directed towards the men, hence he started with, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." Technically, it should read, "It is good for a husband not to touch (i.e. have sex with) his wife," if they are choosing instead to give themselves to the things of the Spirit. Nevertheless, because sexual temptation was always preset outside the marriage if both of their needs were not being met, he urged that they remain close, except by consent for a time, and then come back together again (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

So I think only if a wife were to somehow deny her husband would there potentially be an issue.

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
It just means that if one person in the marriage wants to fast the flesh to bring sexual urges down and focus more on walking in the Spirit, it needs to be by agreement, because the other one may not be too into the "I wanna cut down on sex for awhile" thing. For a woman it's a bit different than for a man, and the passage was actually being mostly directed towards the men, hence he started with, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." Technically, it should read, "It is good for a husband not to touch (i.e. have sex with) his wife," if they are choosing instead to give themselves to the things of the Spirit. Nevertheless, because sexual temptation was always preset outside the marriage if both of their needs were not being met, he urged that they remain close, except by consent for a time, and then come back together again (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

So I think only if a wife were to somehow deny her husband would there potentially be an issue.

OHHH got you. I was talking about fasting in general, but yeh, that would present an issue if for the reasons of this passage. I fast more because I understand it as a commandment. I was reading some other reasons what fasting helps with:

22 Encouraging Bible Verses About Fasting And Prayer

God’s intervention

1. 2 Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Repentance

2. 1 Samuel 7:6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.

3. Daniel 9:3-5 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.”

4. Joel 2:12-13 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

5. Jonah 3:5-9 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Guidance

6. Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

7. Acts 13:2-4 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Worshiping

8. Luke 2:37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.

Strengthen prayers

9. Matthew 17:20-21 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

10. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

Mourning

11. 2 Samuel 1:12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the LORD’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.

12. Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

13. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.

Other ways to fast

14. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Humility

15. Psalm 35:13-14 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

16. 1 Kings 21:25-27 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

Mayflower · May 7, 2021

I think repentance, guidance, worship, and strengthening prayers are good reasons to fast too... Bringing the flesh into submission.

Hidden In Him · May 7, 2021

Mayflower said:
OHHH got you. I was talking about fasting in general, but yeh, that would present an issue if for the reasons of this passage. I fast more because I understand it as a commandment. I was reading some other reasons what fasting helps with:

22 Encouraging Bible Verses About Fasting And Prayer

God’s intervention

1. 2 Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Repentance

2. 1 Samuel 7:6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.

3. Daniel 9:3-5 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.”

4. Joel 2:12-13 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

5. Jonah 3:5-9 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Guidance

6. Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

7. Acts 13:2-4 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Worshiping

8. Luke 2:37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.

Strengthen prayers

9. Matthew 17:20-21 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

10. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

Mourning

11. 2 Samuel 1:12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the LORD’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.

12. Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

13. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.

Other ways to fast

14. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Humility

15. Psalm 35:13-14 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

16. 1 Kings 21:25-27 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

This list is excellent. They could have also added divine revelation, especially as related to understanding visions, dreams and prophecy.

In Daniel 9:3, the prophet stated that he gave himself to fasting and prayer, and after he appears to him in Daniel 9:22, the angel of God starts making clear to Daniel that his prayers and supplications to receive revelation from God concerning the prophecies of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2) are going to be answered (Daniel 9:24-27).

Fasting (especially fasting and prayer) accomplishes a great deal, especially for those not given to the things of the flesh but the things of the Spirit.

Rita · May 13, 2021

I am late to these studies and threads, really interesting reading them today. What a blessing to have a study thread that has allowed for constructive interaction.....
Rita x

Rita · May 15, 2021

I brought the book by the way, it’s very good xx
Rita

Heart2Soul · May 15, 2021

Hidden In Him said:
The Jewish "day" was from sundown of one evening until sundown of the next. But I'm not sure if they fasted the entire "day" or not.

For me, the best thing is just to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for your own life. He knows your body and your situation, and the demands that your normal work week (kids and all) make on you. So just go as the Lord leads you. The teaching was that there were principles involved, but there was never any law laid down by the church about fasting. People did it as they felt led of the Lord. And as a married woman, there was also the matter of doing it by agreement with one's spouse (1 Corinthians 7:4-5).

No sense fasting if one half of the marriage was into the idea and the other half not so much, LoL.

I read that they ate one meal a day around 4 pm our time....
I should add that the source I read it from was on the internet....

so I can't be sure of the accuracy of the information.

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