Prayer and Fasting - 'When' and 'How'

By Steve Wickham  

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
~Acts 14:23 (NIV).

It was no informal thing that Paul and Barnabas did here. They "ordained" the elders or had them "elected," in response to the rampant growth the early church was experiencing at that time. It was clear more spiritual leaders were needed to cope with the disciplining process that was required for both new and existing converts to the Way.

And this is our clue when it comes to the analysis of prayer and fasting - used in unison. I have to say that this is not at any stretch an authoritative rendering of the 'when's' and 'how's' of prayer and fasting; my article merely seeks to open the issue up as one commended by the Spirit of God himself - as he leads us to do it.

The 'When' of Prayer and Fasting

It seems that prayer and fasting have been used since almost the earliest biblical times, and even for improper purposes (see, for instance, 1 Kings 21:9 when Jezebel and King Ahab collude over Naboth's vineyard).

When it is used appropriately it always seems to be associated with the direst seeking of the Lord God - whether to commend hopes and plans to God and seek his blessing over them, like Paul and Barnabas above, or in seeking God in repentance - make a word search of "sackcloth" in the Bible and you'll see what I mean.

There are times to fast in conjunction with our prayer and there are times not to (Luke 5:33-39). It comes back to the voice of God into our spirits, and finally to our motives for the activity itself.

Either way prayer and fasting together are entirely appropriate in desperate situations where we figuratively prostrate ourselves before the Sovereign Throne, beseeching the LORD and his fullest grace and mercy - according to his will, not ours.

The 'How' of Prayer and Fasting

There are many ways to the 'how' of fasting, but it is clearly not God's will for us to risk our short-term or long-term health in the activity of fasting. Our fasts should also honour God and Jesus addresses this perfectly in Matthew 6:16-18. We should not draw attention to ourselves as heroes - or even as being set apart - in our fasting.

It is sometimes good to fast by missing one meal and use that non-eating time as an opportunity to seek silence and solitude, coming to God in a mood of spiritual desire and repentance - and even onto adoration as we worship him in our prayer.

I've done 24-hour and 48-hour fasts and these can be done without any health impacts provided we get plenty of water and rest and we eat wisely first meal back. If there are health concerns it's best to consult an understanding physician. I've also done the 'Daniel diet' of vegetables and water for ten days. Unlike Daniel and his friends I found that a real challenge.

When we fast we certainly get to learn a lot about our bodies, their reactions and how these impact on us emotionally and spiritually. I used to find that fasting generally included many other tests too i.e. I'd be tested spiritually. This simply confirms somewhat that fasting and prayer do go together.

The Motive to Fast and Pray

The key is ensuring that the fasting aligns for the key purposes of prayer - the primary issue. Prayer comes before fasting in importance, not the other way around. Fasting merely helps us to communicate our fervour to God and how serious we are in seeking him at these times. It's self understanding as we live some quite uncharacteristic sacrifice. Not many of us in Western culture - comparative to our population - are used to going hungry.

There are many reasons to combine fasting with prayer - these are very often individualised, compounding the very personal nature of our relationships with God.

As with everything, we should always let the LORD lead us.

For Paul and Barnabas, the issue of raising and appointing elders was so crucial it demanded their fullest spiritual focus. They would also have used this opportunity to fast and pray to model what the most earnest form of prayer could look like. Of course, prayer would also have been a necessary pre-requisite to selecting the leaders in the first place.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Steve_Wickham/145110

Keys To Effective Christian Living - Prayer And Fasting

By Sheldon D. Newton  

Prayer is indeed a powerful thing, for it brings us into contact with God. But if you really desire to see your prayer life take a quantum leap, add fasting to it.
Those who spend time fasting and praying will attest to the fact that things which they had prayed about, actually manifested after they applied the spiritual principle of fasting. Fasting works.

Many religions of the world engage in fasting of varied sorts. However, fasting for the Christian is somewhat different. Religious people fast to try and get the attention of God. They fast trying to get a position with God. The fast of the Christian however, is to enforce our position, purchased for us through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fasting is abstinence from food for a specific period of time, while the attention is given to seeking God, through His Word and prayer. It is not just staying away from food, but rather, it is using the time we would have been engaged in the temporary to seek the eternal. In other words, fasting, God's way, is not just, not eating. It is using the time to pray.

There are various kinds of fast spoken of in The Holy Bible:

We can engage in a personal fast, which is a personal decision to seek God by this means.

Then again, we can engage in a proclaimed fast, which is fasting as a group, a local church body or even a nation before Almighty God.

Then there are varied manners we can use in fasting. We can do a total fast, which is no eating, and only the drinking of water. Or we can engage in a partial fast, which is the putting aside of certain foods of pleasure for a particular period of time.

As it pertains to the time and length of the fast, it is dependent upon what kind of fast you engage in. For instance, with a personal fast, the person fasting determines the length of the fast. When it comes to a proclaimed fast among others, the length of the fast may be decided by the pastor, if it is a local church body, or by the leader of the group.

In the Holy Bible, some people fasted from in the morning to six in the evening. Then there are those who fasted, like in the days of Queen Esther, for three days. The Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days. Daniel did a partial fast for twenty-one days. There is no strict rule as to how long you may fast. It depends upon how you seem led by the Holy Spirit.

The main thing about fasting is that the purpose of the fast must be established before you begin the fast. What is the reason you desire to fast before the Lord?

You can fast:
1. To simply spend more time drawing closer to the Lord.
2. To pray concerning a particular situation or circumstance.
3. To experience a breakthrough from an ungodly habit, addiction or problem.
4. To become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
5. To cast out demons.
6. To seek God for the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit.
7. To be filled with more of God.
8. To seek God's plan and purpose for your life.
9. To discipline the flesh, enforcing its spiritual position of mortification.
10. To change an atmosphere.
11. To get answers from the Lord concerning a particular situation.
12. To booster your faith in God for the miraculous.

Fasting is a powerful means of drawing closer to God. It is a great aid to the hungry Christian who desires to be filled with God. Jesus taught us that we are supposed to fast. It is an invaluable tool to assist us as we seek to get stronger and stronger in the Lord.

Personally I believe that the church should give more time to fasting and prayer before the Lord. Even if it is a partial fast, or only from six in the morning to six in the evening, we should engage in this spiritual activity called fasting. We can always work our way up.

But if the truth be known, we can come to a place of desperation, where we need God to give us an answer, or where we just get more hungry for His will, plan and purpose for our lives, that we literally abandon food for a period of time as we seek the Face of God until His power and presence fills and floods our lives. In times like these we need to fast and pray.

Do you really want God's will for your life? Are you praying about it? Then, if you are not hearing what He is saying to your spirit, maybe you should add the next part of the power-twins and begin to fast.

Juts a word of caution: If you are on medication, please seek your doctor concerning what kind of fast you may be able to practice.

Sheldon D. Newton is an inspirational and motivational speaker, teacher, pastor and seminar lecturer. He is the Founder and Senior pastor of Jesus Christ Centered Ministries International and the author of various books including, Diligence To The Things Of God, Refuse to Live the Common Life, The Positive Power of Biblical Affirmations, Humility and the Honor of God and True Spirituality. His burning purpose is to see lives transformed through the application of timeless and godly principles, which will enable them to live better lives of peace, wholeness and fulfillment. Visit his website at: http://www.sheldondnewton.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sheldon_D._Newton/729777