Fast ForwardSample

Day 1: Fasting Does Not Have Power

I began fasting when I was 14 years old. It was a weekly practice at my church; every Wednesday, for 24 hours, my pastor, parents and other church members would meet in the evening for prayer at someone’s living room. I was moved by their vision and decided to join them.

Fasting every Wednesday became an important practice in my Christian life over the years and I experienced the Lord move in powerful ways. When I was addicted to pornography, fasting helped put my flesh under control. At age 16 I became the youth pastor and continued fasting every Wednesday. The Lord called me in to full-time ministry and touched me powerfully one of those Wednesdays. When I started dating Lana, the woman who would become my wife, I struggled with decision-making so much that I broke up with her. During a congregational 21-day fast, the Lord delivered me from these mental strongholds. I reconnected with Lana, and we were married eight months later.

Fasting has many benefits, and brings about miraculous results, but I want to make this clear: fasting does not have power in and of itself, nor does it produce power. All power belongs to God. God designed our bodies to fast–stop and rest. In fact, when you sleep you are fasting; that is why the first meal of the day is called breakfast.

Jesus taught about fasting, and said, “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” He expects us to willingly fast as a part of our normal lives, like He and other men and women of God did in the Bible.

Fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual reasons – to draw closer to God. There are different types of fasts we can practice: the absolute fast, the full fast, the partial fast, and in certain cases we can do a non-food fast.

Fasting does not move God; it moves us closer to Him. Keep this in mind as you begin this fast.

Let's Pray:

God, I pray that You would give me grace and strength as I embark into this fast. I pray that as I submit to You, You would align my motives to Your will.