Why Fast?

Fasting has been around for centuries. It is not a trend. It has been practiced by various groups both for spiritual health and for physical cleansing. Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine believed fasting enabled the body to heal itself. Paracelsus, another great physician wrote centuries ago; “Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within.”

Benefits of fasting

Fasting done the right way with the right motives:

• Encourages spending quality time with God as we pray, study and meditate on His Word
• Leads to a more intimate relationship with our loving Father God
• Stirs up and builds our faith in God and in Jesus’ accomplished work. Reminds us of who we are in Christ and of our ability through the Holy Spirit
• Helps us to listen to the Holy Spirit more intently, hear Him more clearly and follow His instructions more closely. Therefore fasting helps us to know the perfect will of God
• Reveals areas of weakness and compromise, helps us to submit to God and resist the devil, it helps us to reshape our private life and change direction.
• Helps eliminates bad habits like smoking and drug or drinking addictions

Since our main motive is to glorify God in our spirit and with our soul and body, we incorporate our fast with a nutrition program that teaches the effect of various types of fast on the body and how we can utilize the fasting discipline to maximize on its benefits for our spiritual life, our minds and our bodies the temples of God. As we dedicate our lives to studying the Word of God so that we may accomplish what is listed above, we also submit our bodies to God so that we may be good examples or ambassadors of His Kingdom here on earth. We remind ourselves of specific principles of nutrition, good eating habits and the right way to eat. Therefore, fasting also:

• Helps to improves dietary habits, Promotes awareness of healthy foods and healthy eating
• Reduces the stress on the digestive system and rests the body
• May improve the elimination system
• Rejuvenates health and slows aging
• May lower cholesterol and high blood pressure
• After 2^nd day reduces hunger pangs and need for binging
• Is easily adaptable to a busy life
• Gives the body internal cleansing if done right
• Some individuals report healing results after certain types of fast. Did you know that animals stop eating when they are hurt or when they are sick? Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine believed fasting enabled the body to heal itself. Paracelsus, another great physician wrote centuries ago; “Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within.”

Although some types of fast do not result in permanent weight loss, when adapted as a lifestyle, proper fasting can generate reasonable weight loss. For example, people who periodically first, one day a week, 3 days a month throughout the year or 21 days once year, are less likely to be troubled by weight management issues than those who never do. Periodic fasting will not only enhance your spiritual life, when combined with healthy eating habits, physical activity and proper rest, it will yield wonders in your physical and social life.

Do you have any concerns about fasting? We are here for you and if you want to share your experiences with us please don't hestate. Yours might change somebody's life!

Motives for a fasted lifestyle

Matthew 6:14-18

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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."

We have already learnt that fasting is one of the most important aspects of a Christian walk. In the scripture above, it is evident that Jesus expects us to live a fasted life. That alone tells us that there is a secrete in fasting. Jesus does not want us to waste our time and effort fasting without reaping the benefits. Our motive when fasting matter and Andrew has summarized it very well in the devotional of 4/07/12

http://www.awmi.net/devotion/jesus/mar_07

I have done a lot of fasting and I encounter many people who use fasting as a means of cleansing. Many isolate physical fasting from fasting for spiritual benefits, which neglects the soul. What I have learnt through experience is that you reap more when you combine the two because we are spirit with a soul, living in a body. A physical fast without renewing your mind with the Word of God does not produce lasting results. It is always best to feed your spirit and renew your mind as you train your flesh.

Even when cleansing, the main motive should be to honor God with my body and soul. In other words when I fast, my first and most important motive should be to humble myself before the Lord, get more sensitive to Him; sharpen my ear so that I may hear His Word and the voice of the Holy Spirit; hearken and do!!!!!! That really means let the Holy Spirit take over every area of my life. This brings my body under subjection to the Word and will of God.

As Andrew advises us, we should glorify and exalt Jesus in everything we do.

Please share your experience or concern on fasting.

Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit

Psalms 119:105

Oh how we need to stay focused on the Word and be sensitive to the voice of God! He speaks to our hearts all the time and if we pay attention to our conscience we will not miss it. On Wed. 4/4/12 around 8 pm., I almost lost my life in the heavy rain as I drove from Jonesboro to Alpharetta. There was no sign of rain in Jonesboro before I left. But due to a warning in a small voice, I called my son in Alpharetta to check if it was raining over there; he said there was no sign of rain.

It normally takes me about 45 minutes so I set off to go (without checking the weather forecast for downtown). 20 minutes later, it was raining cats and dogs as I drove into Atlanta. It was so dark and raining so hard I could not see anything and it was dangerous to pull to the side. I kept on calling  on the name of Jesus and commanding the rain to subside as I drove blindly following the rear lights of the car ahead of me. This heavy rain contued for a good 40 minutes.

I praise God for His protection and love. If this warning had come from man, he would have said; "I warned you and you didn't listen." But not our compassionate Father. He kept me safe and surprisingly there were no accidents on the road. When I reached Alpharetta, it was dry and just cloudy.

God knows best. Everything He does, everything He says, is for our good because He loves us. We must learn to renew our minds so we may hear His voice more clearly and follow His instructions more closely. The lesson I learnt on Wednesday will last me a lifetime. It is vital that we practice listening and following the voice of God, even in what seems to be a small thing.

Please listen to Andrew Wommack on "Discover the keys to staying full of God" especially this week which is on hardness of heart.

http://www.awmi.net/tv/this_week

http://www.awmi.net/devotion/jesus/apr_06