Rev. Marvin Gibson Jr.
UBC Manila
EMPHASIS: Fasting is not a means to impress God or man, nor does it earn our requests the right to be heard, rather fasting is an act of humility helping us to pray with intensity.
- UNDERSTANDING PRAYER AND FASTING
- Definition of Fasting
- “It is the voluntary and deliberate abstinence from food for the purpose of concentrated prayer.”
- Determination to Fast and Pray
- David Livingston said, “Fastings and vigils without a special object in view are time run to waste. They are made to minister to a sort of self-gratification instead of being turned to good account.”
- For Personal Encounter with the Living God.
- John 3:30
- 1 Peter 1:6
- Different Types of Fasting
- Twenty-four hour fast: This fast lasts from sunset to sunset. Abstain from solids.
- Partial fast: Abstain from pleasant foods. Partake only of clear soup, fruit juice, cereals or grain, or give up one meal a day for prayer. (Daniel 1:8-16; 10: 2,3.)
- Three-day fast: Total abstinence of food for three days ( Esther 4:16).
- Extended fast: Has two methods: both require preparation. Before an extended fast, it is recommended that you omit caffeine and rich foods from your diet.
- Total fast: Excludes all food but does include water.
- Definition of Fasting
- BLESSINGS OF PRAYER AND FASTING
- To Humble Ourselves Before God
- To Help Us in Times of Trouble
- To Hone Our Spiritual Faith
- CAUTIONS TO PRAYER AND FASTING
- Make a Personal Commitment
- Must Prepare Yourself
- Must Eliminate Excuses
Combining fasting with prayer can result in spiritual atomic bomb that pulls down spiritual strongholds and releases the power of God in your life and the life of your church, its pastors, its leaders, and its members. - Bill Bright