BASICSSample

We know what it means to give up something physical to gain something physical. You give up time with your boys to hang out with a girl. You give up the donuts to get that summer bod. You endure running all the drills at practice to be ready to play in the game. Today we’re talking about something a little different… giving up something physical to gain something spiritual. This spiritual practice is known as “fasting”.

What does that mean? Let me give you a few quick examples… You might fast from music, so that you can clearly hear God speak to you. You might fast Instagram or Snapchat so you can stop worrying about everyone else’s life and start enjoying the life God has given you. You might give up video games so you can spend time in the Word of God. You can fast from basically anything. The primary biblical example is fasting from food. Why food? One of the basic substances for human nourishment, you can’t live without food. And yet Jesus says in the book of Matthew that “man can not live on bread alone”. Fasting from food reminds us that God is our sustainer, and our provider. In the same way you can’t physically live without food, you cannot spiritually live without God.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus himself fasted (Matthew 4:2) and that He expects us to fast as well (Matthew 6:16). But why? Why do we fast? We fast for 3 main reasons. It’s simple as ABC.

A-ALIGNMENT.

Fasting serves as an internal evaluation to assess our heart’s alignment with God’s heart. Where you can ask yourself, do my desires line up with God’s desires? Does my will line up with God’s will? The things that I am thinking and feeling - are they aligned with the heart of God? 

B- BREAKTHROUGH. 

Mark 9:29 teaches us that sometimes spiritual freedom can only come through intentional prayer and fasting. So maybe there is a sin you’ve been struggling with. It seems that no matter what you do, you keep going back to that sin time and time again. Perhaps breakthrough will only come with fasting. Maybe you need God to do a miracle in your family. You’re praying for healing, or restoration, or a fresh start. Perhaps it only comes through fasting. This is not some kind of trick or some kind of guarantee. God is not a vending machine… Put in fasting, down drops your breakthrough. But if you are up against something spiritual, and it feels like there is no way to overcome it or move beyond where you are, you can fast for breakthrough. 

C- CLARITY.

Have ever had to make a hard decision? Have ever had to make a decision where you feel like you needed God’s wisdom or direction? Fasting can help us get clarity about how to move forward. Fasting is a great way to make spiritual decisions. 

Ask yourself:

1. What physical thing do I need to give up for a time? 

2. What spiritual gain am I believing God for? Alignment, breakthrough or clarity?