Benefits of Fasting
FASTING AND PRAYER. IS IT BENEFICIAL AT ALL?
Fasting. This is one of the subjects most believers are reluctant to bring up. I had always thought of fasting to be for very spiritual people or when I had a nightmare and needed to pray against it. Little did I know that there are lots of spiritual blessings a believer gains each time he or she fasts.
In the Bible, several persons and cities obtained good results from fasting. They include Esther, Daniel, Elijah, Jesus Christ, the city of Nineveh, and others.
What Fasting is not
Biblical fasting is not a hunger strike or avoiding food to lose some pounds. When you fast, it’s compulsory to pray. Fasting without prayer is a complete waste of time. You must pray and meditate on God’s word throughout the process of fasting. This is because it’s a spiritual exercise. You must maintain a prayerful disposition from start till finish, even if you are at work.
Jesus fasted
Luke 4:1-2 “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.”
Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” after He was baptized by John the Baptist. Yet, it’s only after He fasted in the desert for 40 days that He was “filled with the Holy Spirit’s power” (Luke 4:14), which is even greater and more exciting!
Fasting brings God’s mercy
Fasting is not only a new testament activity. Look at the story of Jonah. When God sent Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh to repent from their evil deed and he finally did, a fast was proclaimed in the city. The fast pleased God and He refrained from destroying the city.
Jonah 3:5 & 10 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
The major benefit of fasting
Fasting produces power! Paul had the kind of results he had because he fasted often. 2 Corinthians 11:27. Consequently, You become filled with the Holy Spirit so much so that everything you do is inspired by Him and you actually get results. This experience is what will energize you to live a glorious life in which you will heal the sick, preach the gospel, stand firm against principalities and enjoy all the good things Christ has said concerning you.
As a human, you are a spirit living in a body and having a soul. The spirit is supposed to be the head of these three parts of the body. Thus, another benefit of fasting is that it helps you to discipline your body which in turn has an effect on the discipline of your soul. Then, the body and soul will be subjected to the dictates of the spirit man.
You must fast. When you fast, the time you would usually spend eating and being hyper because you are satisfied is spent with the Lord instead. You may feel weak physically but on the other hand, your spirit is strengthened and the Holy Spirit helps you to enter into another realm of revelation and glory.
