Fasting

Fasting is something I finally was able to experience; the first thing everyone has to know about fasting is that it’s not about you, it is about God and the time you spend with Him.

You don’t just choose what your going to stay away from, God tells you what He needs you to avoid until your fast is over.

That means you cannot just choose the one thing u rarely do and say that is what your going to fast. God usually chooses the one thing you can’t stand to give up.

For me it was the Internet, I had spent so much time Online that I almost forgot my Real Life goals and purposes. The most important was that I had forgotten to spend time with God.

Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some, or all food, drink, or both for a period of time.

An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular foods or substance. The fast may also be intermittent in nature (see: Intermittent fasting). Fasting practices may preclude sexual and other activities as well as food.

In a physiological context, fasting may refer to (1) the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight, and (2) to the metabolic state achieved after complete digestion and absorption of a meal. Several metabolic adjustments occur during fasting, and some diagnostic tests are used to determine a fasting state. For example, a person is assumed to be fasting after 8–12 hours. Metabolic changes toward the fasting state begin after absorption of a meal (typically 3–5 hours after a meal); "post-absorptive state" is synonymous with this usage, in contrast to the "post-prandial" state of ongoing digestion. A diagnostic fast refers to prolonged fasting (from 8–72 hours depending on age) conducted under observation for investigation of a problem, usually hypoglycemia. Finally, health professionals of most cultures, throughout history, have recommended extended fasting as therapy for various conditions from ancient to modern.

When Followers of the Lord fast, they are suppose to put aside their worldly ways (things that have been put before God) and spend as much time with God as they can, so that he can tell them all that he needs to tell them.

In Joel 2:12 it says, “That is why the LORD says, "Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

It isn’t easy to fast, one reason being it is very hard giving up what you are so accustom to doing. But the main reason is because the Devil will try and stop you from fasting by tempting you at certain moments when you are most vulnerable.

I was tempted to use my phone to get online; it took a lot of prayer and God’s strength not to get online.

Don’t be ashamed if you feel tempted to walk astray from your fast, even Jesus was tempted.

If you read Matthew 4:1-11 it has the full story of Jesus being tempted during his fast.

And now the last thing you should know is, do not fast to make other people like you, respect or adore you more, because that is not what fasting is for.

Matthew 6:16-18

"When you fast, don't make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites do that. Don't be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth; those hypocrites already have their full reward. So when you fast, make yourself look nice. Wash your face. Then people will not know that you are fasting. But your Father that you cannot see will see you. Your Father sees the things that are done in secret. And he will reward you."

We do not pursue the spiritual disciplines to gain us notoriety and respect. They are of value when we offer them to God and go about our daily routine as if nothing were different, except our character. Our character is to be transformed to be more like our Father in Heaven. A fast to God is not about looking like we're fasting on the outside, but that we're being transformed on the inside. That transformation will show itself over time, and in the meantime, the fruit of fasting will be its own reward.