On Fasting

As some of us will be entering into this 3-day fast in just a few weeks I thought I would take this opportunity to share my notes from a study I did on fasting a couple of years ago.Reading Isaiah 58Improper reasons for fasting1) Fasting just to get God's attention (v. 3a)2) Fasting without focusing on the Lord, fasting had become a mere physical excercise with no affliction of soul or seeking after God.(v.3b)3) Fasting without accompanying humility of heart. Fasting is not a way of impressing God, it is a way to humble ourselves before Him.(v.4)4) Fasting for a brief external show of religion.Israel fasted merely for outward show.(v. 5)Proper reasons for fasting1) To bring liberation from the bonds of wickedness and to set the oppressed free. Fasting prepares our hearts to hear what God has to say about issues in our life where we need victory.(v.6)2) To relieve us of heavy burdens, replacing our burdens of every-day life with His burdens.(v.6)(see Matt 11:28-30)3) To increase our sensitivity towards the needs of others, remember not to stay focused on self, but love one another as Jesus loves you.(v. 7)4) To invest ourselves into our physical and spiritual families, becoming more responsive to the needs of brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.(v.7)God's promises to those who fast1) Insight and understanding(v.8). God will give wisdom to solve problems and behave with discretion. (see Jer 33:3)2) Positive changes in physical well-being (v.8)3) A deep sense of what is right (v.8 "your righteousness will go before you")4) A sense of immediate accesss to God in your prayer life(v.9). We do not pray to get God's attention we pray becasue we have His attention. Sometimes the world and sin can disrupt our fellowship with God, Setting aside time to pray and fast can bring us face to face with whatever has crept into our lives.(see Psalm 66:18 & 1 John 1:9)5) Release from spiritual oppression (v.10) and a return to being strengthened by the joy of the Lord.6) Moment by moment guidance from the Lord (v.11). Prayer and fasting will heighten our awareness of God's presence and guidance.7) Peace through difficult times (v.11)In Christ,Ron

RonI used to teach methods of Bible Study and used this chapter to encourage the students to build their understanding verse by verse.Your notes would have served as a model answer.many thanks for this nugget. Is in now in my notebook.

used to teach methods of Bible Study and used this chapter to encourage the students to build their understanding verse by verse.Ron, I would venture to say that you were probably a great teacher on methods of Bible study. Have you written anything on study methods?I read a book that revolutionized the way I study the Bible, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in deeper Bible study. It is titled Living By The Book and was written by Howard Hendricks. It focuses first and foremost on observation methods followed by interpretation and then application. His ideas on observation in particular really helped me to get beneath the surface and search for those hidden treasures. Good stuff! You can get it with a good workbook also.In Christ,Ron

Hi Ron.I have that book.Thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten all about it. Never really dug into it.Mike