Sermon Series: Prayer and Fasting

Week #1: The Discipline of Fasting

Matthew 6:16, Ezra 8:21

January 21, 2018

Power Point

 

 

We learn several things about fasting from this passage in             Matthew 6:16 and Ezra 8:21:

 

  1. The Practice of Fasting.

 

  • In a study on fasting, Andy Anderson observed fasting is found 75 times in the Scriptures, 44 times in the Old Testament and 31 times in the New Testament.
  • The word fast literally means to go without food.
  • In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for fast means to cover the mouth.
  • In the New Testament, the Greek word for fast means to abstain from food.
  • Whenever fasting is mentioned in the Bible it refers to abstaining from food for the purpose of seeking God and growing spiritually.
  • Food is the most common item to fast.
  • Biblical Definition for Fasting: Fasting is a voluntary abstaining from food for a specified period of time to specifically seek God and to grow spiritually.
  • Evangelical Christians have expanded fasting to include what is called a Worldly fast.
  • A Worldly fast is giving up anything that takes time from you spending time with God and seeking Him.
  • A Worldly Fast is abstaining or giving up worldly influences like food, drinks (water, sweet tea, soft drinks, alcohol, etc.), sleep, comforts, pleasures, cigarettes, cigars, tv, secular music, video games, all time-consuming hobbies, all social media, cell phones and other devices, sex and anything else that takes time from God for a specified period of time to specifically seek God and to grow spiritually.
  • 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.
  • Fastingis a scriptural way of seeking God’s Presence.
  • Fasting is a way to seek God by denying the physical in order to focus on the spiritual.
  • Fasting, Prayer and Repentance must always go together.

 

  1. The Attitude of Fasting.

 

  • Fasting is not an announcement of our spirituality, but it is an admission of our need.
  • Our attitude must show an attitude of humility and repentance towards God.
  • Fasting is not an opportunity to “build up our spiritual resume”; but is a means of humbling ourselves and asking God to do what only He can do for us.

 

  1. The Object of Fasting.

 

  • God is the object of our fasting.
  • When we fast we are to seek God and Him only.
  • Fasting always begins by repenting of our sins, praying and seeking God.