Is Fasting For Today?
Some months ago, I was really unwell for about three weeks. It’s rather personal so I’ll not go into too much details, 
but the only time I got a little comfort was during the night whilst lying down. In the morning, I’d always feel better and then start thanking God for my healing but I would know within an hour that this pain hadn’t gone away so, what did I do?
I would try to concentrate on my work and each time I felt pain, I tried to just keep thanking God for my healing. But, I have to say there were times when I just felt too weak. And I’m not going to lie to you, all the negative thoughts surfaced and all the “what if” questions that weren’t supportive surfaced but I asked anyway.
The one thing I did was read the four Gospels in the Bible - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Now, why did I do that?
I knew this is where the stories of faith were. The stories of Jesus healing the sick and performing other miracles and so I wanted to encourage myself and focus on these stories. And, the one prevailing element that was so clear in all of these stories was that of faith.
In the book of Luke, Jesus asked “who touched me?” And the woman with the issue of blood had to confess it was her. Jesus told her, “your faith has made you whole.”
And then there was the story of the blind man and Jesus asked him “do you believe I can do this for you?” “Yes I believe,” answered the blind man and, Jesus healed him.
But remember the situation when the disciples tried to cast out the demons out of the little boy and in the end, Jesus had to come on the scene and do the job himself. We read later where the disciples were questioning why they were unable to cast out the demon and Jesus told them … “these things come only through prayer and fasting.”
What he was saying was that it wasn’t the fast that would bring about the result, but the building of their faith by denying the flesh to focus on HIM.
I read an article lately from a Christian Women’s magazine suggesting that fasting was an old testament act and so no more relevant today.
Well, I’m certainly not going to get myself all emotional about whether you agree with fasting or not, but I will quote the scripture that Jesus relayed to his disciples …
“When You Fast …” (Matthew 6:16)
Not “if” but “when” and, we read in the Acts of the Apostles about the great miracles following their many fasts.
But here’s my point … if you’ve got faith to move mountains then mountains will move. If you don’t have faith, you’re going to have to get it and in my view … it’s whatever it takes!
Read your Bible, pray, fast, read faith inspired books, listen to other people’s testimonies … but get that faith!
The Bible tells us that:
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”
My own personal experience is that during a fast, my focus is more on the things of God and so therefore, I “hear” a lot better.
Did you know that you can read your Bible and still not “hear” what it’s saying. You can listen to testimonies of others and read inspiring books and still not “hear” the message behind the message?
This is just one of the many reasons to fast – to hear.
If you knew that you only had days to live and yet you knew that locking yourself away and being in God’s presence for those two days and fasting was the only hope you had, would you do it? I bet if you knew for sure you would! And yet, the stories in the Gospel are filled with stories of faith.
You could even argue that in Jesus’ time, many saw the miracles with their own eyes and others heard about the miralces as the stories spread like wildfire which, contributed to their faith. We don’t have the human Jesus with us any longer and there is an absense of miracles in the Body of Christ and so it can become a little harder to believe.
God hasn’t abdicated from performing miracles and so if we’re not seeing results, it’s a faith issue, a belief issue. Therefore, you have to do whatever it takes to get that faith!
My suggestion is that you begin in the Word of God and get the Word inside of you … it (the Word) can’t act until it’s internalised.
This time last year, we were in a desperate situation and we so badly needed God’s help. I was in the car just driving around and basically not knowing what to do and I litterally cried out “God what am I supposed to do … I’m reading your Word, praying your Word and believing your Word and yet nothing seems to be happening!” And I’m telling you, the other motorist passing by may have thought I was arguing with someone on my mobile or just going mad because I was shouting in desperation at the top of my voice. And then, in a still small voice, the Holy Spirit said “Ah but Trish, these things only come through prayer and fasting.”
Have you ever seen a baby get into a temper and then for no unknown reason just stop almost as though they’ve worn themselves out? Well, this was me. I was silent after hearing this. I pulled up on Frenchay Common, near to where we live, and I literally sat there for about 40 minutes staring at a tree.
For me, this wasn’t the first time I was told to fast and in fact for about three weeks prior to this event, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to fast on more than one occasion and either I didn’t bother or, I’d start and then give up.
In fact the previous day, I started fasting and felt a couple of tummy twinges and “decided” I shouldn’t be fasting since it was “that time of the month” (sorry if there are men reading this but this is a woman’s blog and I’m not dressing anything up!).
Well, after this incident in the car I knew what I had to do. I hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning and so I decided three days was how long I would fast for. It was hot, I came on, I had a headache which meant I had to take a painkiller on an empty stomach – somthing I never do - but I was desperate and couldn’t allow allow ANY excuses to get in the way.
I returned home after about 40 minutes of sitting in silence in the car and I collected my Bible, notebook, a book I began reading in 2005 by Mahesh Chavda, The Hidden Power of Praying and Fasting, and I returned to my beauty spot on Frenchay Common and read my Bible, read my book, talked to the Lord, slept and woke before leaving to collect my daughter from School.
For the three days I fasted, I still prepared dinner for Chris and Elodie and in fact, on the second day, nothing touched my lips apart from when Chris and I took communion in the evening.
And the truth is, there were times when I wanted to give up – especially since I wasn’t really doing much work. I just felt it necessary though to get into God’s presence and now felt right. But what was surprising was that the second day into the fast, I was feeling gloomy. I was still reading my book by Mahesh Chavda and whilst I was learning some things from the book, it had lost it’s sparkle from the previous day because I was struggling with this fast, doubts started surfacing and I was just desperate for God to move but nothing seemed to be happening.
And then, out of the blue, one of the men from our Church who, was an elder, called me on the telephone and said “Trish, I have been trying to email you for however long and having trouble, but Father tells me you’re crying out to Him and he wants you to just trust him implicitly.” Basically, I couldn’t say a word and I just started crying. And, he said to me, I don’t need you to tell me what’s going on, I just needed to tell you what Father has to say about this.
He sent me the email of what he had told me over the phone and here it is:
This is what I was about to text you, but could not find your mobile
number in contacts for some reason:
“…..but ALL things do work together for good for those who love the Lord.
I know Lord, but it can get awfully tough without respite for long periods. (me)
Take the “BUT” away and just believe unreservedly Trish”.
I want to tell you, the only person outside our house I told whilst I was fasting was my closest friend. I told no one else and one of the things I’d specifically said to God was “I just need some respite,” the exact words this man used in his message to me.
In terms of where we are today financially, I can not tell you what has happended over the past year since I’d need a book to write it all. And I won’t lie, it hasn’t been a bed of roses but we’ve seen The Blessing at work .
I do want to make this one thing clear though and I’m teaching my daughter this at 7 …
God is not impressed with your fasting!
I don’t fast to get approval from God or to earn brownie points to get into heaven because neither of these will take me there.
Religious people fast to get recognition from God and earn points to get into heaven. I on the other hand am Redeemed! Jesus has already paid the price and I’m grateful to God that I don’t have to earn my way into heaven. I fast to build my faith, get closer to God and to hear from him so that I can believe that what he says about me in his Word is true and what he says in his Word that I can have, are mine already! This is when miracles happen … when I believe!
By deniying the flesh, you’re forced to focus on Him. Don’t believe me? Try it just for one meal or two or 24 hours if you can and take note of the difference in how you think, even if you struggle to read your Bible and pray.
In Isaiah 58 God rebukes Judah for their mechanical fasts. He asks them “Is this the fast I’ve required of you ….” And then he sets out the peramters for the fast he does require.
So, like I said, I’m not going to get all emotional about whether fasting is for today or not, all I know is that for me, fasting builds the faith I need to get The Blessings God promised me and when I want that thing so bad, I’ll do whatever it takes! Even deny myself of food for three days.
Blessings,
Related posts:
About Trish Jones
I don’t want to add anything to your eloquent words… just wanted you to know that I enjoyed reading your perspective!
God Bless!
Shannon