# What is the purpose of fasting?



## shackleton (Feb 7, 2008)

In my Pentecostal days they used to believe in fasting, a lot, and they would push for fasting marathons where one would give up food for up to 40 days. We were told that if we could do this, for every ten days fasted great strongholds in heaven were being broken down and the forces of Satan were being weakened. For them everything was about spiritual warfare. There were demons who ruled all the major cities and had minions under them that ran the day to day life. (Like mayors and city council men under them) They got this from Daniel when he was praying and the angel was delayed because of what was going on. They said that Michael was the angel in charge of Israel and that all countries had one. 

Anyway, I was wondering what the real propose of fasting was.


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## calgal (Feb 7, 2008)

A fast is not supposed to be a common occurrence is it?  I would love to hear yjr purpose of fasting.


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## KMK (Feb 7, 2008)

Fasting is a good way to train your flesh to behave. If you can have power over your appetite, it will go a long way in helping you with other besetting sins.

I suppose fasting is more helpful for those of us who have glutonous tendancies.


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## Dr Mike Kear (Feb 7, 2008)

I set aside the first three days of this year for fasting and prayer. The purpose of fasting isn't to change God or to whip "great strongholds in heaven," but to "discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." (1 Cor 9:27).


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## Dr Mike Kear (Feb 7, 2008)

Also...

"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." (Ezra 8:21)


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## Contra_Mundum (Feb 7, 2008)

Think of fasting as a discipline.

Fasting constitutes teaching yourself something: that the spiritual (which is more often neglected) is overall _as_ important, perhaps _more_ important (some--not including myself--would accuse that stance of having a Gnostic flavor), and definitely on occasion more important than the physical.

You don't fast for nothing. That's a waste of time, and loss of energy. Think of your day as having only 24 hours. 8 you sleep. 8 you work. 8 you divide between devotions, eating, and whatever. That's just a make-believe breakdown, but it is illustrative.

Now, suppose you want to devote additional time to spiritual devotion. You have to give something up, true? So you give up something necessary (2 Sam 24:24) for something *more* necessary. You sacrifice physical "maintenance" for spiritual commitment. You take the time and energy you would otherwise be giving to eating and drinking, and commit that time to spiritual work.

Don't simply "sacrifice the body." That's a waste of time (Col. 2:23). DO something with the soul by means of your devotional fast.

Fasts aren't "common" because most people recognize that the body IS important, and we have a duty to maintain it, and work with it, and those activities require sustenance.

The other business about spiritual warfare?: mostly nonsense. The stuff about demons is simply speculation, and anyway, we have neither the knowledge nor authority to do any "binding demons" or whatnot. We pray for God do do that, going on the offensive for us in realms we have no power of our own to combat. He is our ally, and so we are "attacking strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4) by prayer, the Word of God, etc. But not the way so many assert. We are attacking the hold Satan has upon people and their minds, not some ethereal fortress.

The folks mentioned have also misinterpreted Daniel too.  Read Calvin on Dan. ch10, that's all I have to say...

Reactions: Like 1


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## ChristopherPaul (Feb 7, 2008)

By definition must fasting constitute a certain amount of time such as at least 24 hours in order to be considered a true, Biblical fast?

During our eight hours or so of sleep we all "fast" and thus every morning we break the fast (aka Breakfast). But I would not ever consider myself as fasting daily even though I go eight hours without food everyday.


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## Augusta (Feb 7, 2008)

I recently fasted for the very first time. I wasn't sure quite how to do it correctly. I wanted to do it because I needed strength and help to talk to my niece about some bad behavior and present the gospel to her. I was really uplifted and it did seem that while I was weakened, God was stronger and that was really awesome. When we are weak he is strong. I think that must at least be one of the principles at work in fasting. I will be reading to learn more.


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## Sonoftheday (Feb 7, 2008)

I would recomend John Piper's series on fasting. I gotta head to work so I cant post the link but it can be found at his website. Desiring God :: God-centered resources from the ministry of John Piper


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## PastorTim (Feb 7, 2008)

A good book to aid on this topic is

A Hunger For God by John Piper. You can get it desiringgod.com


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## KMK (Feb 7, 2008)

ChristopherPaul said:


> By definition must fasting constitute a certain amount of time such as at least 24 hours in order to be considered a true, Biblical fast?
> 
> During our eight hours or so of sleep we all "fast" and thus every morning we break the fast (aka Breakfast). But I would not ever consider myself as fasting daily even though I go eight hours without food everyday.



I don't see anything wrong with skipping meals as a way of disciplining your flesh or, as Rev Buchanon pointed out, making more time for devotions. Maybe it is not fasting by definition, but it is still beneficial.

Some, not myself, might have actual physiological probems with fasting for 24 hours.


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## larryjf (Feb 7, 2008)

The following seem to be valid reasons for fasting...


Strengthening us in spiritual duty
Desiring a special act of God's grace
Repenting as a community of God's people in sincere sorrow for offending the glory of our Lord

The important thing to remember is that the fasting does not make God a debtor to us. Rather it helps us to be more fertile soil for God's word and more sincere in our prayers.


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## KMK (Feb 7, 2008)

larryjf said:


> *The important thing to remember is that the fasting does not make God a debtor to us.* Rather it helps us to be more fertile soil for God's word and more sincere in our prayers.



 Are there people out there who really preach that fasting indebts God to us?


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## larryjf (Feb 7, 2008)

KMK said:


> larryjf said:
> 
> 
> > *The important thing to remember is that the fasting does not make God a debtor to us.* Rather it helps us to be more fertile soil for God's word and more sincere in our prayers.
> ...



I certainly deal with some folks that have that mindset. They fast to make God move in a particular way. For instance they may fast so that God will remove demons from their neighborhood, or perhaps so God will provide a spouse for them. It's like the vending machine prayers...but with higher octane to them.


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## Sonoftheday (Feb 7, 2008)

Isaiah 58 (ESV)


> 6"Is not this the fast that I choose:
> to loose the bonds of wickedness,
> to undo the straps of the yoke,
> to let the oppressed go free,
> ...


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## MW (Feb 7, 2008)

Henry Scudder's Christian's Daily Walk has an instructive section "of religious fasting." He makes the fundamental point that the outward chastening of the body serves to help the person in the more important task of afflicting and humbling the soul before God. Mere abstinence from food is indifferent, but when joined with extraordinary humiliation "it is a great assistance to a man's spiritual and reasonable service of God, giving a stronger and speedier wing to prayer."


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## shackleton (Feb 7, 2008)

KMK said:


> larryjf said:
> 
> 
> > * Are there people out there who really preach that fasting indebts God to us?*
> ...


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Feb 7, 2008)

To echo some of the good counsel already given, see some of the comments by Henry Scudder, John Calvin, Wilhelmus a'Brakel, the Westminster Assembly and others on the nature, duty, and right performance of biblical fasting in these threads:

http://www.puritanboard.com/f15/how-fast-22431/
http://www.puritanboard.com/f67/fasting-16824/
http://www.puritanboard.com/f64/fasting-2130/
http://www.puritanboard.com/f22/question-19907/


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