Sermon Series: Fasting and Prayer
Week #3: Guidelines for Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18
February 4, 2018
Last week I gave you 3 points about What is Fasting:
- Fasting is voluntarily giving something up to spend time with God.
- Fasting is submitting your will to God’s will.
- Fasting is giving up your rights for God’s rights.
Guidelines for Fasting:
Matthew 6:16-18
Definition for fasting for our series: Fasting is a voluntary abstaining from something for a specified period of time to specifically seek God and to grow spiritually.
- Fasting is not to be done Hypocritically.
Arthur Wallis said that “when the Pharisees fasted heaven looked the other way.”
- Fasting is to be done Privately.
- Fasting is to be done Purposefully.
Kingsley Fletcher said: “Fasting is not a tool to twist the arm of God so that He will give you exactly what you want. Fasting has a spiritual purpose, and that purpose is to get the flesh out of the way so that the Spirit of God can move in your life.”
Fast Challenge: Give up something that you like this week (favorite drink, favorite food, favorite tv show, etc).
- As you pray and seek God’s face and will in your life this week, ask God to move in your life and grow you spiritually.
- This week live in such a way that there is no question you are a child of God (not living hypocritical), fast with a real purpose in seeking God’s face and His will in your life and His church.