God And His Word - A Question And Answer Approach To Understanding The Bible

5. THERE IS MORE TO FASTING THAN JUST ABSTAINING FROM FOOD! Fasting is not some kind of an endurance contest. It is not a form of penance. Some feel that the more they fast the more power they will have to force God to do what they want of Him. The mere act of abstaining from food does not move the hand of God. We are not to be like a group of prisoners on a hunger strike who are determined to change the attitude of the warden. As a person fasts, he should endeavor to spend as much time in prayer as possible. If he is working, he should take the coffee breaks and lunch period for prayer. Often people feel that since they cannot eat that they should just go to bed. It does not hurt a person to fast for a day or two and work at the same time. If the mental attitude is right, a person will actually benefit from the experience. It is important to maintain physical exercise. On long fasts it is best not to work, but to retire somewhere for much prayer and Bible reading. Great results will come from periods of praying in the Spirit during a fast. During the time the fast is being broken, a fresh quickening will come to the body. The tendency will be to use up this new strength in eating, but if the person will hold his appetite to reasonable amounts of food and pray a great deal, God will answer prayer in a wonderful way. 6. DID ANY OF THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE CONSIDER FASTING IMPORTANT? Moses: Exodus 32:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 18. David: Psalms 35:13; 69:10; 109:24; 2 Samuel 12:16-23.

Nehemiah: Nehemiah 1:4 Daniel: Daniel 6:18, 9:3. 241