All About Prayer and Fasting

Fasting is a practice that can be read about in various parts of the bible, and it is important to do it in a way that God approves; otherwise, it would be a waste of our efforts. So let us explore how to fast and how not to fast.  What to do and not to do during a fast 1. Lessons from Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus gave us specific instructions on what not to do when we fast. We should not act like hypocrites: We should not look sad or miserable while we are fasting. We should not do things that are out of the ordinary. For example, we should take a bath/shower and look neat. We should not tell others that we are fasting, but we should fast in secret. 2. Lessons from Isaiah 58:1-12 We read of other other instructions in the book of Isaiah. We learn the following lessons in various verses: Verse 3  -   We should not be doing what pleases us, but what pleases God. Verse 4  - We should not engage in arguments, conflict, or violence. Verse 6  - We should stop sinning and op...

  Various parts of the bible talk about how God's people prayed and fasted for multiple reasons. However, the importance of fasting is not always emphasized in the church, which is why few Christians do it and do not see it as a vital component of their Christian walk. 1. Does God expect Christians to fast? God expects us to fast. Fasting is not given as an option in the bible. Based on the above verses, it is evident that Jesus said Christians should fast when Christ was no longer on earth. 2. Seven Benefits of Fasting and Prayer A. Old Testament reasons why believers fasted 1. For deliverance from enemies 2.   It is a sign that we are serious about turning to God. Sin causes us to have a broken relationship with God, and when we both pray and fast, it shows that we are truly repentant of our sin and are serious about turning to Him. When God sees that we are serious about repentance, He returns to us. 3. It is a sign of revival and resulted in the judgment of God reversed ag...