FOUR REASONS WHY WE FAST AS CHRISTIANS
- To say “have more of me God”
We often cry out “we want more of you God” as if He is holding out on us in some way. Scripture tells us otherwise though. We have been given EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness. He has given us EVERY blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. He’s poured out His Spirit in the FULL measure on the day of Pentecost and He has never taken Him back since. When we understand this, fasting becomes less begging and a more “yielding of ourselves” reality. We are trusting for our intimacy with Christ to become preeminent in our lives.
- To fast our natural cravings in order to feast on His supernatural provision
Many of us quote “Man does not live on bread alone” as an excuse to eat more KFC. But in reality the emphasis should be placed on the end of Jesus’ quote, “but on every word that precedes from the mouth of God”. Jesus wasn’t advocating a lifestyle of asceticism and of lack but rather one of ABUNDANCE and being FULL! Fasting helps us remember that we are of a different kingdom where our substance is not from what our hands produce. When our bodies turn away from natural satisfaction, our ears often are unblocked to hear his voice more clearly, and our eyes are opened to see His hand move more powerfully.
- To identify with the hunger of the broken
Isaiah 58 makes it scarily plain that God is not impressed by religious pomp and ceremony and is rather searching after a different kind of fast. One where the hungry are fed, the homeless are given shelter, and where clothes are given to those who need them. One where the chains of the oppressed are loosed, and not just the church’s waist-lines. I go hungry to remind me that others need to be filled.
In Malachi.6:8, God makes very clear what He requires of us. He doesn’t need our fasting, our ceremonies or our rain dances. He requires us to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly before Him. Fasting just helps remind us of these things.
- Because attention creates access
Our fasting doesn’t get God’s attention, it’s us giving Him ours. In Revelation.4, the writer says “So I looked and I saw before me a door standing open in heaven…” The door wasn’t opened when he looked as it had already been opened to him. But his ability to respond to the invitation came when he gave it his attention. As we fast and pray, it is us taking our eyes off of lesser pleasures and pursuits and placing them on Christ, knowing that as we do so we will have greater access to the vast resources of heaven.
HOW ARE WE FASTING AT THIS TIME AS A CHURCH?
We have called a three day water fast. Kicking off on the morning of Monday 30th January through to the evening of Wednesday 1st February we are asking you to only drink water. This is supposed to be a stretching time and we encourage you to push through. The point is to remember our hunger during the day and to use the time we would be eating to pray and seek God. In the evenings, we will be gathering together from 6:30-7:30pm at the Tableview facility to pray together and seek God, as well as to encourage each other to keep going.
- Drink lots and lots of water!
- If you have a medical condition, speak to your doctor before fasting
- Wean yourself off coffees and teas a couple of days before
- Remember to pray and read the Word (this isn’t a hunger strike, it’s a time to seek God!)
- Turn off distractions (maybe also choose to unplug the TV, the laptop and the cell-phone for this time to help you focus)
We will also be posting daily devotional guides to stir our affections for Jesus throughout the Fast and into the month of February, so get stuck into those as you pray.