Prayer | FastingThis prayer and fasting series will be in the following parts:- 1) What it is; and what it isn’t. What is a fast? A definition of FastingA fast is a conscious, intentional, deliberate decision to abstain for a time from the pleasure of eating in order to gain vital benefits. These benefits may be spiritual hence a spiritual fast or health wise hence a non-spiritual fast.Our Focus here is the spiritual or biblical fast. More specifically, prayer and fasting. We will however mention slightly about the non-spiritual fast. Great Saints - Men and Women of Prayer and FastingWhen one starts to study the fathers of faith, prophets and great saints, one will not fail to notice the fact that they were not only men and women of prayer; but that they also took time to fast. Daniel says I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks." Daniel 10:3 Talking of David, the Bible record "David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground." 2 Samuel 12:16 Ezra led the whole congregation of Israel in prayer and fasting. Ezra 8:23 "So we fasted and besought our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty."Jesus, before starting His ministry fasted forty days and forty nights. It is recorded in Mathew 4:2 talking of Jesus "And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry." Once Jesus was asked why John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasted regularly and not those of Jesus. Jesus answered by saying ""Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." Mathew 9:15 Once also Jesus found His disciples having difficulty casting a demon out of a possessed child; He told them "this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" Mark 9:29. In the Book of Acts, we read the following "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing" Acts 10:30. We see angelic attention to prayer and fasting. This is the same as what happened to Daniel after the 21 days of prayer and fasting. We also read in Acts 13:2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" The early disciples believed in prayer and fasting. End of Part I - Part 2 to 5 to continue. Look at these Excellent Materials on Prayer and FastingPrayer and Fasting - An asset for Intercessors
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