WHY FAST? · means to lose weight or to effect political change: The Fast Diet pushes intermittent...
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Room To Pray 2018: A Call to Pray and Fast Bible Study #1: WHY FAST? Page 1 of 4 WHY FAST? Introduction Over the past few decades, we’ve heard or read about fasting in two contexts – as a means to lose weight or to effect political change: The Fast Diet pushes intermittent fasting as a way to eat well while getting slim and healthy and some reviewers bill this diet as the “health phenomenon of our times.” (www.bookrepository.com) At the other extreme, we know hunger strikes have been staged for political reasons throughout history. According to the BBC, hunger strikes were part of the legal system in pre-Christian Ireland. If a man felt wronged by you and starved himself to death on your doorstep, you had to bear the burden of his debts! In more recent history, hunger as political protest has been revived – used by everyone from the suffragettes to Gandhi. Biblical fasting The tradition of biblical fasting that we read in Scripture tells a different story. A biblical fast is never done to lose weight (though that may happen depending on your type of fast). Nor does fasting guarantee your desired outcome, political or otherwise. Fasting was regularly practiced throughout biblical times. Indeed, the list of biblical fasters reads like a “who’s who” of Scripture says Richard Foster. They include Moses, David, Elijah after his victory over Jezebel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Hannah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Jesus (at the start of his ministry) and Paul, to name a few. Communities fasted as well: Jehosophat called Judah to fast when faced with certain annihilation at the hands of a vast army. Returning to Jerusalem, Ezra directed the hundreds of Jews with him to fast and pray for God’s protection. Esther called all Jews to fast with her for three days and nights before she went before King Xerxes. Jews were commanded to fast on the Day of Atonement. Pharisees fasted twice a week. (Luke 18:12). One of the earliest church-discipline texts that exists outside of Scripture, the Didache, instructs that Christians were also to fast twice a week. Why should we fast today?
Transcript of WHY FAST? · means to lose weight or to effect political change: The Fast Diet pushes intermittent...
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WHYFAST?IntroductionOverthepastfewdecades,we’veheardorreadaboutfastingintwocontexts–asameanstoloseweightortoeffectpoliticalchange:TheFastDietpushesintermittentfastingasawaytoeatwellwhilegettingslimandhealthyandsomereviewersbillthisdietasthe“healthphenomenonofourtimes.”(www.bookrepository.com)Attheotherextreme,weknowhungerstrikeshavebeenstagedforpoliticalreasonsthroughouthistory.AccordingtotheBBC,hungerstrikeswerepartofthelegalsysteminpre-ChristianIreland.Ifamanfeltwrongedbyyouandstarvedhimselftodeathonyourdoorstep,youhadtobeartheburdenofhisdebts!Inmorerecenthistory,hungeraspoliticalprotesthasbeenrevived–usedbyeveryonefromthesuffragettestoGandhi.BiblicalfastingThetraditionofbiblicalfastingthatwereadinScripturetellsadifferentstory.Abiblicalfastisneverdonetoloseweight(thoughthatmayhappendependingonyourtypeoffast).Nordoesfastingguaranteeyourdesiredoutcome,politicalorotherwise.Fastingwasregularlypracticedthroughoutbiblicaltimes.Indeed,thelistofbiblicalfastersreadslikea“who’swho”ofScripturesaysRichardFoster.TheyincludeMoses,David,ElijahafterhisvictoryoverJezebel,Ezra,Nehemiah,Hannah,Esther,Daniel,Anna,Jesus(atthestartofhisministry)andPaul,tonameafew.Communitiesfastedaswell:JehosophatcalledJudahtofastwhenfacedwithcertainannihilationatthehandsofavastarmy.ReturningtoJerusalem,EzradirectedthehundredsofJewswithhimtofastandprayforGod’sprotection.EsthercalledallJewstofastwithherforthreedaysandnightsbeforeshewentbeforeKingXerxes.JewswerecommandedtofastontheDayofAtonement.Phariseesfastedtwiceaweek.(Luke18:12).Oneoftheearliestchurch-disciplinetextsthatexistsoutsideofScripture,theDidache,instructsthatChristianswerealsotofasttwiceaweek.Whyshouldwefasttoday?
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Reason1:Wefastbecauseofanurgingorprompting,asenseofcallorasenseofrightness.READMatthew6:1–18Howmanywhensdoyoufindinthispassage?___________________________ListeverysentenceinwhichyoufindJesusbeginswithWhenorAndwhene.g.Whenyougivetosomeoneinneed...____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Whenisapowerfulword.Jesusdidn’tsayifyougive...ifyoupray...ifyoufast.WefastbecausewehaveheardthatcallfromYahweh,thevoiceoftheLordandwemustobey.Reason2:Wefastbecausefastingrevealsthethingsthatcontrolus.WefindJesus’directivesonprayerandfastinginhisteachingsknownasTheSermononTheMount.Let’snotforgetthoughthatJesusgivestheseteachingsafterHehasbeenbaptizedbyJohnandthen“ledbytheSpiritintothewildernesstobetemptedtherebythedevil.”READMatthew4:1-11WhatdoesJesusdointhewildernessandhowdoesHephysicallyfeel?(verse2)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________WhatisSatan’sfirstchallengetoJesus?(Therearetwopartstothisanswer.)(verse3)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________WhatisJesus’reply?(verse4)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________READDeuteronomy8:1-3.Then,ifyouhavetime,READPsalm78.
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JesusquotesDeuteronomy8:3torebuffSatan’stemptation.WhatisJesussayingtoSatan,andtous,aboutGod’sword?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________WhatisJesussayingtousaboutthemeaningandvalueofhunger?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________RE-READMatthew1–11thenREADJohn10:10Thedevil’schallenges/temptationstoJesusinthewilderness,andJesus’teachingsabouttheGoodShepherdinJohn10makeitclear:Satancomestokill,stealanddestroy.Andhedoessobytargetingthecorethingsthatcontrolus:ourappetite,ourneedforapprovalandourambitions.(BuildingaDisciplingCulturebyMikeBreen)Satanwillwantyou:
• toquestionanddisbelieveGod’sword(verse3)• testGod’spowerandfaithfulnessinyourlife(verses5-6)• doubtGod’stimingandplanforyou(verses8–9)
(sourcedfromFastFriends:TheAmazingPowerofFriendship,FastingandPrayerbySuzanneNilesandWendySimpsonLittle.BroadSheetPublishingGroup,Racine,WI)HowwouldJesus’experienceoffastinghavegivenHimthestrengthtoresist;tosaynotoSatan...threetimesoverandtotrustGodHisFather,HisWordandHiswayinstead?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Weoftencoverupwhat’sinsideofuswithfoodandwithotherthings,butinfasting,thosethingsthatcontrolusbegintosurface.AsyouthinkaboutjoiningBaptistWomenintheirmonthofprayerandfastingformoreofGodandofJesus,what’sbeguntosurfaceforyouasyou’veworkedthoughthisstudy?Whataresomeofthewaysinwhichyousatiateyourappetites,getapprovalfromothersandmanageyourdestiny?Listthemhere.
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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________GodknowsyourheartandHealreadyknowswhatyouneed(Matthew6:32)!HowcouldfastinghelpyouresistSatan’sliesandopposition?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Reason3:WefastasawayofcelebratingthegoodnessofGodwhilegrowingourtrustinHim.READMatthew6:19–20andverses25–34Therearefour“donot”commandsgivenbyJesusintheseverses.Whatarethey?Verse19:_____________________________________________________________________________________Verse25:_____________________________________________________________________________________Verse31:_____________________________________________________________________________________Verse34:_____________________________________________________________________________________HowcouldregularprayerandfastinghelpyougrowinyourabilitytoseekHimfirst(verse33)andtotrustHimmorewithallyourneeds?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________MayyourprayerandfastingthisAprilberichandsatisfyingasyouspendtimewithGodandlistentoHiswordsforyouandyourgroup.
