People used to fast unto the Lord more frequently
Fasting is mentioned several times in the bible,
in both the Old and New Testaments
Some have never even tried it
Some fast every week
When I was young, I fasted when I wanted to whip my flesh into submission
Self-control seems easier when you’re fasting
because your concentration is on the Lord, or at least should be
Fasting is a time of dedication, a break from the world to dedicate to Jesus
It is best not to sound the trumpet to let others know you are sacrificing
You don’t want to get your reward in that manner
Rather, let your reward come from knowing God has heard your petition and will answer your prayer
Then, one day, which will be long forgotten when we are before His throne on Judgment Day,
God will remind and reward each of us for all we have done
Whatever the reason is that you are fasting,
whether to cast out a demon like Jesus explained
or to stop the killing of people like when Queen Esther commanded a fast,
or when Daniel fasted to mourn and to seek the Lord and to humble himself before God
Fasting unto the Lord is a powerful weapon in the spiritual realm
It seems to give you a front position at the Throne of God
He honors those who dedicate their desires to Jesus instead of focusing on the flesh,
thereby denying the flesh to seek Him
Let all be done unto the Lord for His glory and with His concerns in mind:
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites,
of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces,
that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
That thou appear not unto men to fast,
but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father,
which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:16-18
As with every gift unto the Lord, it must be given with humility
God knows it is a sacrifice for us to give up important things in this world
for a designated amount of time
Fasting is often neglected in our servitude to the Lord
It is always a precious time with the Lord during a fast
Keeping Him at the center, remembering why you are giving up
what you chose to give up for Him and watching Him work
Fasting is a desperate plea to the Lord when you’ve already prayed
or when you don’t know the answer to a pressing question you have,
or perhaps when you care about someone or something (like our brothers and sisters being martyred) that is when it seems the most valuable time to fast and you know He’s listening
It’s like saying, You mean more to me than anything in this world
My time is dedicated to You and I withdraw from all the worldly distractions to seek Your face
so you will hear me and grant my petition and answer my cry
The heart must be right, not out of selfishness or to say, Look how great and spiritual I am,
but that I care about God’s will being done in a given situation
and wanting to see Jesus’ hand at work
that He might be glorified in our life and in the situation for which we pray
Motives must be right, not self righteousness, but humility before the Lord,
that He is worthy of seeking in a way that will move the flesh out of the way
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily:
and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am.
If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul;
then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones:
and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations;
and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;
and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him,
not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord;
and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth,
and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 58:6-14
As with everything we do, let us do it unto the Lord
Additional Scriptures:
When Jesus saw that the people came running together,
He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit,
I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him:
and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them,
This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Mark 9:25-29
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me,
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day:
I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king,
which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Esther 4:16
In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth,
neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Daniel 10:2-3
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Colossians 3:23