Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
1. Enter into fasting with positive faith.
God requires faith of this kind in all who seek Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). If you determine to seek God diligently by fasting, you have a scriptural right to expect that God will reward you. In Matthew 6:18, Jesus gave this promise to the believer who fasts with the right motives: "Thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
2. Remember: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Your fasting should be based upon the conviction that God's Word enjoins this as a part of normal Christian discipline.
3. Do not wait for some emergency to drive you to fasting.
It is better to begin fasting when you are spiritually up, rather than when you are down. The law of progress in God's kingdom is "from strength to strength" (Psalm 84:7); "from faith to faith" (Romans 1:17); "from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
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4. In the beginning, do not set yourself too long a period of fasting.
If you are fasting for the first time, omit one or two meals. Then move on gradually to longer periods, such as a day or two days. It is better to begin by setting a short period as your objective and achieving it. If you set too long a time at the outset and fail to meet it, you may become discouraged and give up.
5. During your fast, give plenty of time to Bible study.
Where possible, read a portion of Scripture before each period of prayer. The Psalms are particularly helpful. Read them aloud, identifying yourself with the prayers, the praises, and the confessions contained in them.
6. It is often helpful to set certain specific objectives in your fasting and to make a written list of these.
If you keep the lists that you make and turn back to them after an interval of time, your faith will be strengthened when you see how many of your objectives have been achieved.
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7. Avoid religious ostentation and boastfulness.
Apart from special periods of prayer or other spiritual activity, your life and conduct while fasting should be as normal and unpretentious as possible. This is the essence of the warnings given by Jesus in Matthew 6:16-18. Remember that boasting is excluded by "the law of faith" (Romans 3:27).
Fasting does not earn you any merit badges from God. It is part of your duty as a committed Christian. Bear in mind the warning of Jesus in Luke 17:10: "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we
have done that which was our duty to do."
8. Each time you fast, keep a watchful check on your motives.
Take time to read Isaiah 58:1-12 once again. Note the motives and attitudes that are unpleasing to God. Study the motives and objectives that are pleasing to God. Your
own motives and objectives should line up with these.
By Derek Prince
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William James Roop
