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5. Hungry for God

"There are simply no shortcuts to His presence, and the surest path to holiness, purity and power is found in the powerhouse combination of prayer with fasting."

So writes Mahesh Chavda in his dynamic book 'The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting.' Chavda, a respected evangelist, contends that fasting boosts the intensity and effectiveness of our prayer at least tenfold, and often a hundredfold. He sees it as a key to releasing

  • Victory in the midst of difficulty

  • The miraculous invading the impossible

  • Supernatural intervention changing human intention

This sheet is only a very brief introduction and will certainly not answer all your questions but hopefully it will give some pointers. It is strongly recommended that you read one of the listed books if you intend to fast regularly – Chavda's, in particular, is excellent.

WHAT IS FASTING?

Fasting is the voluntary giving up of something we normally do regularly (Watching TV, food, chocolate, surfing the web, alcohol) in order to increase our focus and time commitment for God.

Most commonly fasting is linked to food and can mean a normal fast from all food, a 'Daniel' fast (see Daniel 1:12) of a very simple diet or a group fast. Some 24-7 groups have set up a fasting rota to cover their prayer period. Fasting is not a legal requirement but a very flexible discipline and can be adapted to all sorts of situations.

A total fast of food and drink for any length of time or an extended fast of more than a couple of days should not be attempted without reading up a bit more and getting some advice. Also if you struggle with an eating disorder you probably need to chat to someone you respect before starting any sort of food fast.

WHY SHOULD WE FAST?

Because….

  • Jesus expects us to fast (Matt 6:16-18) and suggests that there are answers to prayer we will be unable to get without fasting (Matt 17:21)
  • The Bible is full of it – Esther, Anna, Cornelius, Paul, Daniel, Ezra and David all fasted
  • The early church practised it (Acts 13:3)
  • Breakthroughs in the past have been linked to it – Luther, Knox, Wesley, Spurgeon, Brainerd, Edwards all fasted. Whenever Charles Finney (who led about a million people to Jesus) felt the anointing of God receding in his life he would get away to pray and fast for several days.
  • Revival breakthroughs today, particularly in Latin America and Africa, see fasting as essential.
  • Roger Forster says that fasting drains away unbelief (and then the Word of God builds our faith).

    • If, in 24-7, we want to see the tide turn and the spiritual breakthroughs we hope for happen we need to take fasting seriously.

    WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE HAPPEN THROUGH FASTING?

  • It is not a 'cure all' for all our spiritual struggles or a short cut to a happy, problem-free life – it is a weapon in our walk and warfare as Christians.
  • Fasting is not a competition and we do not fast to earn answers or twist God's arm.
  • We fast to intensify our connection with God and improve our communication so prayer is more effective
  • It humbles us and brings us to an awareness of our need of God
  • It renews the sense of balance and priority in our walk with God
  • It heightens our spiritual sensitivity and clears the channels of communication with God
  • It hits at our deep-seated selfishness and strengthens our self control.
  • It clears the ground for greater spiritual breakthrough in our lives and the lives of those we come into contact with.

    • Recommended for further reading:

    • "The hidden power of prayer and fasting" Mahesh Chavda  Destiny Image
      An inspiring, instructive handbook on fasting – full of stories linked to prayer and fasting as well as wise principles to help you.
       

    • "Into The Fire" Che Ahn Renew
      A story of a church movement in California which has also been inspired by the Moravians and committed itself to pray and fast around the clock until the gospel has reached all people.
       

    • "God's Chosen Fast" Arthur Wallis
      Around for quite a while now so probably qualifies as a classic; very practical coming from a guy who wrote and lived passionately for revival

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