Fasting

I personally don't think their is a specific time that your suppost to fast, its up to you. But you should certainly pray about it. I have only fasted once, and I was in search of answers. So during the usual times I would eat or drink I would take that time to pray and talk to God. I think that is the purpose of fasting. To use the time you would normally use for eating to instead talk with God.And believe me when I say you will be tested to see if your really devoted to what your doing. When I started my fast I prayed to God and told him that I would not eat or drink until he revealed to me the answer to what I was praying about. Now I have heard of a few methods to fasting, sometimes people only cut out certain foods but still eat, and sometimes they don't eat but they drink water, and sometimes its done like I did it with no food and no drink (including water)When I fasted I didn't eat ANYTHING or drink ANYTHING, including water, for 39 hours. And I could see him testing me through it all. I am still in school and when I got to school that day one of my friends offered me a box of donuts they had left over from breakfast, then my 3rd period teacher brought food, at lunch we got a suprise pizza party, and then at my tennis practice after school we had an endurance day(basically we just ran sprints till we couldn't walk anymore).Now I have never been offered so much free food in one day! And how CONVINIENT that we ran sprints that day that I wasn't drinking any water. All I can say is I am glad he answered my prayer before lunch the next day.

(lorenski44;23800)
Can anyone please explain fasting to me. I know from the bible that we are supossed to fast and that we are to fast in private and with a happy heart but can someone give me more information, like when to fast, how long to fast and any other information I might need. THank You.:angel9:
If you don't eat, you will die, it simply means to not overdo it.Also, although we can live without food for longer periods,we can only do without water for shorter periods."David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them." (2 Samuel 12:16-17)"He said, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:22-23)"Offer right sacrifices,and put your trust in the Lord." (Psalms 4:5)"But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:17-18)When we fast we drink from the cup where our Lord drank.We share in his sufferings."And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.' " (Matthew 26:39)"Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:54)Do not love the world."For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world."(1 John 2:16)

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matthew 6:25-27)"Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ " (Luke 10:4-9)"Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?" (Matthew 7:9-10)

If you have things to do that require energy, you should eatlest you become lazy. Eat bitter foods (not delicious)."They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8)

The flesh is at war with the spirit. If our flesh is strong,the spirit is weak, if our flesh is weak, the spirit isstrong."Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."(Matthew 4:1-2)"For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God."(2 Corinthians 13:4)"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)Church of Love in Jesus Christhttp://christiansite.multiply.com/journal

Does anyone have any good literature on fasting? I'd be interested in reading more about this subject. Thanks!

This is a personal choice there is no real rules here.This is not about going without food or drink it is not required by God. We are saved by Grace not fasting.It is about the spirit sincerity of your prayers. Example: If one goes without food all day in order to spend the day praying to the Lord the hunger pains serve as a reminder of why you are doing this it is also symbolic of you suffering for the Lord. But this can be done in a million ways, If one is a doughnut junkie and just gives up doughnuts for the day it is equally done in the same spirit. This could be a fast of video games or music or Soda pop it is the spirit in which you sacrafice of the fast. that matters to God not what you fast from. It just must be something that truly matters to your heart.That you are giving up to honor him.

Brother lorenski44Fasting consists of two parts, the flesh part and the spiritual part. The flesh part is simply not eating and drinking. I will only refer to the people of Nineveh: “And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:” - Jonah 3:7 Of course it is up to you if you can manage not to eat nor drink at all. There are sicknesses involved, people have to take pills or other sort of hindrances. But during the fasting you are not supposed to eat or drink at all. Again I repeat it is up to you. No one can tell you that if you drink or eat something during your fasting, it is not accepted. Not at all. God sees your intention and will to fast and answers your petition. But I think by doing it as it is supposed, you offer yourself more committed to doing it right before the eyes of God. And let me tell you something else, if you ask God to help you in your fasting, you might find yourself easily enduring the empty stomach, the thirsty mouth and the headache from missing the morning coffee, till the end of the day! The spiritual part is mentioned in detail by God Himself in Isaiah. As you can read there is no way that you will fast for a matter that God loathes and expect to receive your answer. “3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they , and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am . If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” – Isaiah 58:11 It is done as you correctly stated in private but more importantly following all the above God instructs us through Isaiah. Fasting is a mean to ‘force’ God in a way to answer your prayers for a matter but it is also the way to humble yourself before God showing Him you have repented for something bad you have done, like the people of Nineveh or like David who says “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” (Ps. 35:13) . It is also a way to keep your flesh low and be able to counter the temptations, as Paul writes to Corinthians “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. “ – 1 Cor. 9:27 and as Jesus our Lord, having fasted for 40 days, He was able to repel devil’s temptations. In other words it strengthens your defense against evil. It is part of christian life, as it was part of Anna, the prophetess’ life “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” – Mat. 2:37May God bless you and help you lead a holy life with Him in you! Praise God!