About Fasting

[Willie T]

7 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Seeking Him in His Word is not a ritual. We don't find God in nature, only His fingerprints or a few mosquito bites, floods and ferocious bears, also a reflection of the Fall.

Wow!  No wonder you are usually so negative... if you cannot find God in almost everything around us.

[Neighbor]

Fasting on an empty stomach can make one grouchy- Be sure to eat first then fast.

 

 

 

[Neighbor]

7 minutes ago, Yowm said:

pfft, I'm not a pantheist or a panentheist.

I'll fast to that.

[Neighbor]

3 hours ago, Willie T said:

Several people trashed a certain book. So, of course, I immediately had to grab myself a copy. (Bless all the "Haters" who open so much of the word of God to me.... while trying their best to destroy it.)

What do you think of these words in the book?

Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it. — JOHN WESLEY

In a culture where the landscape is dotted with shrines to the Golden Arches and an assortment of Pizza Temples, fasting seems out of place, out of step with the times. In fact, fasting has been in general disrepute both in and outside the Church for many years. For example, in my research I could not find a single book published on the subject of Christian fasting from 1861 to 1954, a period of nearly one hundred years. More recently a renewed interest in fasting has developed, but we have far to go to recover a biblical balance. What would account for this almost total disregard of a subject so frequently mentioned in Scripture and so ardently practiced by Christians through the centuries?

Any thoughts?

Any thoughts? Fasting has it's place, but not at the dinner table. 

Seriously folks, I don't know the why of not fasting's popularity as Christian practice at any particular time period of history. I do know much about fasting, it's extremes and the various motivations for fasting, and even for not fasting.

 I know of individuals that take such obedience to the extremes including how they eat, what they eat, and when they don't eat, nearly making a legalism of it all. And, I know of gluttony in all circumstances, perhaps having practiced both to  minor extremes myself.

So I think as of this day,  while I am in a fast myself motivated by both spirit need and also physical betterment, a nice combination  I think it best left between the Holy Spirit and  the hearer of the Spirit. I suggest each individual saint read the word of God, the Bible, pray and think on the word, then commit to asking the Holy Spirit for counsel, and not rely on the anadotal sharings of men and women so much for guidance, only perhaps as encouragement.

[appy]

As has already been mentioned, fasting is not a requirement or expectation on anyone's part. Scripture does not demand it of us. Rather it is a voluntary response of the heart and attitude towards God. If there is a serious need in our hearts or lives, a fast serves to show us the reality of our own insufficiency in ourselves and redirect the focus onto God and our reliance on him. Away from other things and the hubbub of our daily routines and activities in our lives.

There are individuals that due to health reason's should not do a food fast. We can demonstrate privately to God in other ways the humility and humbleness in our hearts. Prayer is a greater need than fasting, and is far more important than fasting. Fasting then, becomes legalistic and shows self righteousness when we as individuals require and/ or demand others emulate. Nor should we view it as some sort of special feat or demonstration of our ability to forego food. It should be a private activity between a person and God. Without a real serious need or spiritual purpose, it becomes nothing more than a ritual that one practices to make themselves feel good.

[OneLight]

Isaiah 58 gives us the reasons why we should fast. 

[john1]

11 hours ago, Willie T said:

In fact, fasting has been in general disrepute both in and outside the Church for many years.

I rather help someone than fast.

Isaiah chapter 58 verse 6

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

[Willie T]

28 minutes ago, john1 said:

I rather help someone than fast.

Isaiah chapter 58 verse 6

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

I'm pretty sure you can do anything in the world you want while you are fasting.  In fact everyone who fasts, does.

[Neighbor]

11 hours ago, Willie T said:

I'm pretty sure you can do anything in the world you want while you are fasting.  In fact everyone who fasts, does.

hmm, I don't know about that one.  Fasting is physically debilitating. I think a major reason for a time of fasting is to cleanse the physical body while engaging in building up the spiritual body within the fleshly one  concentrating on food for the eternal soul.

 Trying to fast while doing hard work,  over hot commercial kitchen grills for a 10 hour shift as a fry cook for example, may be a bit of a hard trial  for the physical body without benefiting the spirit at all.

A fast for a day while going about one's work  mostly tends to make me think about food for my body while  I should be thinking  about doing my work.

If I am to fast I will like to make that time a dedication to reading God's word, seeking  the guidance of the Holy Spirit for understanding of the Bible as it may be applied by me personally, praising God and asking of Him for intercession for others and myself, in the name of Jesus who is my lord God and savior.

Now a health fast is yet another thing, and I don't know that I can endorse it's supposed value. The longest one I endured was twelve days. While I may have temporarily cleansed my physical body, I don't think I benefited my spirit, and the physical body soon returned to what it wanted  or demanded to be anyway. And truly I don't think it benefitted my health, just gave me a temporary allusion that I had done some responsible thing regarding my physical health. I don't think it added nor subtracted a moment from my allotted time. My soul may have required of me at any moment then after all that fasting, just as it may be at any moment now.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Neighbor

[Neighbor]

12 hours ago, john1 said:

I rather help someone than fast.

Isaiah chapter 58 verse 6

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Hi, A very very interesting take on the subject of fasting! Perhaps deserves a thread of it's own. At least a reading of the entirety  of Isaiah 58 should be beneficial  for here too.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Neighbor