I had a lot of emails asking about how to fast according to the Bible after I posted the Word Study on Fasting.  This is a good question and on top of the heart reason for fasting this may be the second most important point of fasting.  Both will be addressed in this study along with soe other subjects as well.

We want to see how people in the Bible fasted but at the same time we will have to answer why they were fasting as well.  To understand the reason why persons in the Bile fasted will help us to understand their purpose in fasting.  The purpose of fasting is more important than the fast itself.  True fasting in the Bible is of a true heart condition and not for any physical benefit.

Because there are connecting and interlacing teachings of men we will look at the following during this study.

I.       Cleansing of the Body Temple
II.      What Constitutes a Fast
III.      Fasting to be Filled with the Spirit
IV.      Defiling of your Physical Body
V.    Diet and The Body
        A)   Did men live longer before the flood because of their diet?
        B)   Daniel’s Diet
VI.    Fasts In the Bible
        A)   Affliction of the Soul
        B)   Grief
            1. Sickness or Illness
            2.  For Safety of ones life and/or the life of others
            3.  For Expelling a Devil
        C.   Hearing the word of God or getting an answer from God        
            1. Hearing to turn from their sinfulness
            2. Hearing God’s decision and/or purpose
                

I.  Cleansing The Body Temple
                                                
I was involved in modern forms of Hinduism, Buddhism and the New Age movement from 1979-1991 when I got saved.  And I had a lot of spiritual garbage to throw out.  And over the years as I my self sought to find the Biblical fasting I soon discovered this one truth.  Fasting for cleansing the Body is not found in the Bible.

Does that mean I am against fasting to cleans ones body of toxin and chemicals that have accumulated via the processed food, medications and alcoholic beverages we take in?  No.  I would consider that under good stewardship of your body.  We should all care for our health by putting it at risk medical problems by the things we put into our bodies.

Having said that I will reiterate, The Bible does not teach fasting for cleansing the body.  And I would like to state that if anyone claims that we need to fast to cleans our “Body Temple” they should first  that this is promoted in the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and the New Age movement.  The term and its teaching are strongly connected with the practices of the New Age meditation’s and chanting techniques where one can achieve a place where they can receive a spirit guide, and attain their christ consciousness, this teachings is by and large promoted and taught by the Church Universal and Triumphant cult, under the teaching of the self proclaimed prophetess Elizabeth Clair Prophet and her adherents.  I was deeply involved with this group in the 1980′s visiting and having some various experiences at their facility in Malibu California during that time.  I had read, practiced and believed at that time the teachings of this group. I met weekly in a group in Riverside California with others for meditations, chanting and teaching.  I mention this only as proof of my knowledge of what I am talking of.  At that time I tried to practice many of their dietary and spiritual exercises to achieve oneness with my inner self and my christ consciousness.

These so called spirit guides are what the Bible refers to as Devils.  So a Christian does not want to start out fasting for the purpose of cleansing ones Body Temple so that you may achieve a deeper relationship with Jesus through the spirit.  Mainly because it is not Biblical.  As mentioned in my  study Fasting/Fast/Fasted there is nothing a Christian can do to get closer to Jesus than he has brought you via his blood  Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  The Holy Ghost dwells in us but not on a condition of body health or even the body itself.   The Holy Ghost indwells us not because of the condition of our body, nor because of any work we do.  The indwelling of the Holy Ghost is solely on the condition of what Christ did for us and our personal choice to make him our saviour.

Also, the whole body temple issues is a misunderstanding of a few scriptures that need to be looked at so that we can simply understand them correctly.

1Cor 3:16, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. This scriptures is often abused to make eating, drinking and taking medications defilement of the body as defiling the temple and in so doing the spirit is hindered or quenched.  That is because it is somewhat disconnected from the main body teaching that one will face judgement for how he builds on the foundation of Christ.  But it is actually not disconnected.  For the temple of God is your soul that resides in your physical body and if you are taught by someone a false teaching and follow their heretical practices therefor building on the foundation of Christ with the wrong materials, then God would be the one to judge and destroy that man.  See below for further understanding of what defiles a man.
 
1Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  Again this is part of the doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the believer.  We are not our own because he bought us with his own blood.   Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. See also Eph 1:14 below.

2Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.   The context of these two verses is obvious and has to do with two things physical fornication and spiritual fornication.  Here the temple is defiled by spiritual and physical actions.  These physical actions represented their spiritual condition those actions were immoral sexua| and eating of foods sacrificed to idols both of them first take place in ones soul, mind or heart.

The real purpose behind all the verses above is to establish the doctrine of the indwelling of God the Holy Ghost (1John 5:7 AV, NKJV) in the believer.  And that a believer though having liberty should be aware of his actions as they affect the testimony of God who lives in them. It simply means that God lives in the believer.  He comes to live in us when we first believed on the Gospel of Christ Eph 1:13, 14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.  The indwelling is the seal and has nothing to do with our fleshly bodies. Except to guarantee that we are redeemed.

The temple of the body is not an issue of physical defilement that hinders communion with the Holy Ghost but rather one of a spiritual condition represented in physical actions.  So fasting to purify the body is not a Christian doctrine, it is not found in the Old Testament for Israel, and no one pre or post flood before Israel ever practice fasting that we know of for the scriptures are silent.
II. What Constitutes a Fast

At this point I would like to address some other issues.  The first being, if one is going without food and water it does not always mean they are fasting.  Some men will see in scripture where it says some one went without eating or that they had not food for a certain time period, as a fast but this is looking at the scriptures with fasting colored glasses so they can see fasting in places it is not taught. This is incorrect and erroneous understanding of Scripture because it is called pretexting the scriptures or in other words coming to the scriptures with a preconceived idea seeking to prove that idea as Biblical.  This is a major practice of all cult groups and churches today.  I will give one example of this  Exodus 34:27, 28 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.   And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.  And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.  When a person is trying to promote fasting for forty days and nights they will often use this one as proof that Moses did it in the Old Testament.  However the word fast is nowhere 30 verse in each direction.  It simply means he did not eat or drink.  Now if you try and make it fasting you would be wrong because as we will see later what the purpose of fasting is for and how it was to be done as according to God’s own word.  It is better to believe that God supernaturally sustained him during that time than to believe he fasted.

Here is something that further proves that not eating is not necessarily a fast.  Under the testimony of Paul he lists out some things that he suffered and it is interesting to look at because if God by inspiration of the Word of God, via the Holy Ghost separates things we should not wrongly join them.  Look here at this verse 2Cor 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  Now let me give you the context of this verse.  Paul is questioned by some that he is not a true apostle and that he is taking advantage of the people he is ministering too.  This chapter is some what of a defense of himself explaning that there are those who are not of Christ deceiving the church, and also gives his testimony.  In this testimony God has given us an understanding that hunger or going with out food is separate from fasting by mentioning them separately.  So when a person is said not to eat or drink it does not mean they were fasting it meas they are not eating or drinking.

III. Fasting to be filled with the Spirit

Another point is the error that if someone wants to be filled with the Spirit they need to fast.  Again anyone would be hard pressed to prove that fasting will cause anyone to be filled with the Spirit as a practice for the church because there are no scriptures to support it.  So that would mean it is the doctrine of man.  It is clear in chapter five of Ephesians how to be filled with the Spirit.  Eph 5:17, 18 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; What we see here is we can know what the will of the Lord is, it is being filled with the Spirit.  But how do we determine how to achieve his will that we may have the product of that filling which is Eph 5:19, 20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;  It is clear and easy, if you want to be filled then follow this, go to Eph 5:1-4 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;  Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.  Yep, you got it,  if you want to be filled with the Spirit don’t walk in your flesh.  By not walking in the flesh you will not only walk in the Sprit but you will be filled with the Spirit.  Fasting for any amount of time will not fill you with the Spirit, only by not walking in your flesh will you be filled with the Spirit.  

IV.  Defiling of your Physical Body

Lastly, some teach that what you put into your body will defile your body temple and that would grieve or hinder the Spirit.  But again the Bible does not teach such.  As a matter of fact Jesus said,  Mt 15:11, 18-20 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. . . But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.  Now line that up with what Galatians 5 teaches on the works of the flesh and you can get a better idea on what to deny so that you may be filled with the Spirit. Gal 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  It is not food, drink or any other consumables that defiles a mans body, it is what proceeds from the mans heart that defiles him.  Your diet does not regulate the Holy Ghosts activity unless it causes someone to stumble.  But what clearly will hinder the Spirit is walking in your flesh not the physical body flesh but the fleshly mind.

V.  Diet and The Body
                                    
My study on this topic has led me to find that there were a few specific reasons for fasting and they can be found in our previous word study Fasting/Fast/Fasted verse lists.  And it is those reasons we will look at and in them we will see what a Biblical Fast is.  Before I go on lets address the issue of diets.  

There are some Christian resources that are available to people on nutrition promoting responsible eating but when those resources begin to promote that the eating of meat is something that should be avoided one should remember two important Biblical facts.  1) God ordained the eating of animals and insects for mankind after the flood. Genesis 9:3, 4 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.  But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.  A condition is placed on when man eats animal meat no raw blood is to be in it.   And 2) those who teach such are said to be teaching that of seducing spirits and doctrine of devils.  1Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.  Meat was ok’d by God as food for men if anyone teaches other than that it is not of God.

A)  Did men live longer before the flood because of their diet?

This is an erroneous teaching of the Seventh Day Adventist, a Christian cult.  They teach and claim that men before the flood lived longer because they ate only vegetables.  The problem is no one was living longer they were living shorter and shorter lives as time progressed.  A simple reading of the lineages list our in Genesis 5 will reveal this truth.  There was occasionally one who lived longer than his predecessor but on the average they were living shorter and shorter lives and their diet had nothing to do with it.  I will just list out the names in Genesis Five and their ages

Adam 935    Seth 912    Enos 905    Cainan 910    Mahalaleel 895    Jared 962
Enoch lived 365 years and God took him into heaven.  Methuselah 969    Lemech 777    
Noah was born before the flood and died after and lived to be  950

So it is easy to see men were living shorter lives and not longer while being commanded to eat only herbs, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables.  To teach that they lived longer because of their diet is a pretext or a preconceived idea for their teaching of abstaining from meats.  There is no proof that the record of men who lived before the flood’s diet had anything to do with the length of their lives.  This is a false teaching and an heretical practice of the Seventh Day Adventist.

B)   Daniels Diet

There are two teachings that come out of the story of Daniel and his companions when they were taken into captivity.  One, that Daniel and his friends were on a special fasting diet. And Two, that Daniel was a vegetarian all the days of his life.  Neither of these two teachings can be proven from scripture however both ideas use the same Bible text as proof what they teach is Biblical.  But in reality they are both incorrect.

Let’s look at the scripture and see why if was Daniel wanted to have a certain diet during that time.  Daniel 1:8-16 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.   God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.  And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.  Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.  Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.  So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.  And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.  Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

First, this is not a physical defilement that Daniel is worried about it is a spiritual defilement.  The meat was sacrificed and the wine an offering to the king’s idols before it was given.  Jews were forbidden to eat of foods offered to idols and in so doing it would defile them spiritually.  Second this is not a legume and water fast.  This was a simple diet that Daniel knew he could get for them to eat.  By trying to get them to bring him Kosher foods he would be rejected because he would be saying the King’s food was impure and they would either be killed or placed in prison.  So requesting commoner food was the best thing for him to ask for.  It was truly wisdom from God but it was not a special vegetarian diet they kept too all their days of their lives nor was it any type of Fast.  

The reason Daniel requests this food is that they may not be defiled spiritually so they can stay right before God and have his favor by keeping his word.  That was promised to the Jews if they kept Gods word he would bless them.
VI.   Fasts In the Bible

Fasting in the Bible was not for the purpose of cleansing the body.  Fasting was not for the purpose of getting more or filled with the Spirit.  Gods word is fairly clear on who was to fast and what was the purpose.

Fasting was for the people of Israel to afflict their souls because of their sins.  The fast was to be done on the day they were to make a sacrifice.

 So let’s look at God’s word s Fasting.

A)   Affliction of the Soul

Fasting was for the purpose of afflicting one soul.  It was not for any physical benefit it was done for a spiritual benefit and that only for Israel or any stranger within her boarders.

In Leviticus the term “afflict” is what God used when he commanded a time of Fasting.  Fasting is an affliction of ones SOUL, this is not ones body.  The soul is what the body houses.  And it was done to bring about a condition whereby they, that is Israel, could then be sanctified, atoned and for spiritual cleansing.  During the fast there was to be no work or labour performed.   You will notice that the word soul is used and not person.  Well first the soul is the person, the soul is the spirit in the body, it is who you are in essence but not in the body.  It is this soul that had judgement laid on it when God said,  Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.  This should clearly lay the teaching of gnostic as a error to scriptures as they claimed physical sin does not hurt the soul or spirit.  But God’s word is clear it is the soul the person inside the body not the outward body.  Today Christ work of the cross keeps their sin from affecting their soul because he bore the judgement of death because of their sin for them on the cross.  1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.  No man who is saved is to sin because of this wonderful grace given us in Christ, he is to live unto righteousness.

Lev 16:29-31 ¶ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Lev 23:27-32 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.  And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.  Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.  It would seem here that any person not afflicting their soul was to be cut off from Israel.

Num 29:7-11 And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:  But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

This is a one day fast.  The average fast commanded of God was one day from sun up to sun up to sun down. They were not to eat or work that day.  But in the evening they were to eat of the sacrifice.  Which consisted of meat, bread and wine.  To afflict the soul was to bring hardship or a punishment to their soul for their sin.  This is why God calls it “to afflict your souls”

Now I hear some of you saying how do we know that the affliction of their soul was a fast.  Well again we can go to the word of God.

Isa 58:3-6 ¶ Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?   

It would seem the people knew and connected fasting with the affliction of their soul.  But in the context of this verse it would seem they were being outwardly religious by Fasting but inward they were not afflicting their souls.  

Fasting in the Bible is for afflicting the soul.  Placing hardship upon ones self is far better than god to do it.  And it doing it it comes down to the heart.  Is that person truly grieved for their sinfulness they have done?  When one is truly grieved and sorry for ones sin then the atonement sacrifice made would cover them until judgement day, where upon they would receive the grace of God because of their faith in his word through the work performed through the fast.

B) Grief

Some fasting was done because of Grief from fear of death, or the sickness or death of a family member or child.  Fasting is often accompanied in grieving over a persons physical condition.  This fast is done for two reasons one because of great sorrow and two, to possibly get favor of God to saved those that are stricken stricken.

1. Sickness or Illness

This fast is for one to be preserved unto life and not die from the illness.

2Sam 12:15-20 ¶ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.  David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.  And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.  Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.  This was a seven day fast.  By the wording he may have drank water but it is clear he ate no food.  We can conclude this by the fact that we are never told anything about drink.  The minimum of drink during a fast was water only.

This Fast was done in order to get favor from God on behalf of the one who is sick.

2.  For Safety of ones life and/or the life of others

Acts 27:21-38 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.  But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.  Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.  And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.  Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.  And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.  And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

Paul fasted alone but it is clear they all fasted for fourteen days.  Paul received assurance from God via and angel and he reassured the shipmates and crew they shall all be saved.  It is clear again and can be assumed based on the fact that food was all that was required for these who fasted.  They were on a fourteen day water fast.  This is one of the longest fasted taken by man found in Scriptures next to that of Jesus Christ.
3.  For Expelling a Devil

Mr 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.  Here the fasting is done with prayer for the casting out of a certain type of devil.  You will notice that God’s word is actually silent as to which type of devil it is.
4.  Prayer   

Not sure this is for a answered prayer I would assume it is  But fasting and prayer are connected together.  While Jesus said a certain devil can only come out through prayer and fasting.  But the order is reversed in Paul’s only guideline to a member in the church concerning fasting, but in their practice to ordain elders the prayer with fasting.  So it is not clear but seems they are separated in purpose as it one was done at different times than the other.  Here the fasting is done to get a favor from God for the prayer.  Where in expelling a Devil both were necessary for the task.

1Cor7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed

Prayer and fasting are connected throughout scripture but in different ways and means.

5.  For a Child

1Sam 1:8-18 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?  So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

Hannah did not eat though she sat at the table.  We know this because she asks the Lord to look on her affliction and the fact that she ate after she got back from praying.  Hannah got the petition or answered prayer from God.

6.  Heart Motive

A correct heart is needed for fasting to be of any benefit for favor from God.  There are couple examples of this.

One, is seen above in 1 Samuel 1:13-16 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Obviously God wont hear a prayer form a drunk woman or Eli would not have rebuked her.  Maybe you are wonder why Eli, the High Priest did not discern the truth.  It is because he was in sin by not rebuking and correcting the wickedness of his sons.  But Hannah explains herself and reveals a true and pure heart motive in the fast (affliciton) and her prayer before God.  God answers a prayer that fulfilled his will and is from a pure motive.

The second example of from motive is found in Zec 7:1-7 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?  Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?  And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?  Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?

First it would seem they added an additional fast of the fifth month.  Men having their own fasts in not uncommon in scriptures we can find both kings, queens, priests and prophets all proclaiming fasts at different times for different reasons these are to numerous to list out here but can be observed in my word study Fast/Fasting/Fasted.

Second, as God revealed they did not do these fast for the sake of seeking god but for their own reasons which are not revealed other than to say, “For yourselves”.  They did not have the right heart motive for fasting which for God was so they could hear the word of God.  But they did not.

Here is another person who fasted for the wrong reason

C. Hearing the word of God or getting an answer from God

Fasting helps us to hear the word of God.

1. Hearing to turn from their sinfulness

God alluded to this truth when he rebuked those who had come seeking him on whether they should continue to fast at certain time.  Zec 7:7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?  You may look to the section above to see the full conversation but it seemed that the purpose of the fast while they were in captivity was for them to hear the word of God.  Hearing the word of God will bring about a conviction resulting in fasting to afflict their soul for th sorrow of their sin.  In Jeremiah as fast was proclaimed and at that time the word was spoken for them to hear.

Jer 36:4-10 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.  And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD:  Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.  It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.  And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’S house.  And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.  Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house, in the ears of all the people.

So God connected the people hearing the word of God with Fasting.  And if they be convicted they would afflict themselves and turn from their wicked ways.  

2. Hearing God’s decision and/or purpose.

There was fasting in conjunction with the sending calling out of Saul for the work of the ministry both at the time of his salvation and later in Antioch.

Acts 9:9-19 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.  And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

This was a three day fast with no food or water in this case it is a fast.  Saul later called Paul is the only one ever said to go three days and nights without water.  This was an afflicting fast as he had lost his sight and one of the reasons for the coming of Ananias was for him to receive his sight.  This is the first of a few fasts Paul did during his time on earth as the apostle to the Gentiles.

And then we find fasting in connection with Paul and Barnabas being sent to the Gentiles

Acts 13:1-3 ¶ Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  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.  And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away

Fasting was also a practice when Paul and the brethren ordained elders in every church.  It would seem they wanted God’s guidance on those they were to put hands on and fasting was one way they could hear God’s direction or purpose.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Under God’s leading through fasting they ordained elders in every church.  They heard God’s will as to who these elders to be were that they ordained after prayer with fasting.

Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive study on fasting but done to give the Christiam clear understanding on what Biblical fasting was about, what it was for and what it should produce if done with a right heart and according to God’ will.

We learned that the Bible does not have teaching that fasting so for cleansing the body.

Also we learned that Fasting was not to draw closer to God nor was it to be done to be filled with the Spirit.

Fasting is to be done with a right motive at certain times of ones life.  During times of trouble and grief, or when one needs to hear the word of God for obedience and direction.

Prayer:

Lord my prayer for those Christians who read this study is that they will grow in knowledge and wisdom of your word and your will.  That not every teaching of fasting is for you.  I pray that those who would fast will have a pure motive and heart for you and your word that they not only will grow but will be a blessing to others.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray,  Amen!