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John Chrysostom on
Fasting
Do you fast? Give me
proof of it by your works.
If you see a poor
man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend
being honored, do not envy him.
Do not let only your
mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands
and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast,
by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast,
by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast,
by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by
not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast
from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it
if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our
brothers?
May HE who came to
the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the fast with
humility, have mercy on us and save us
Fasting has, in all
ages, and among all nations, been much in use in times of mourning,
sorrow, and afflictions.
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The only fast set up
under the Mosaic law was for the Day of Atonement.
Lev. 23:27-29
Lev. 16:29
Acts 27:9
Josh. 7:6
Joshua and the elders remained prostrate before the ark of the Lord
from morning until evening, without eating, after Israel had been
defeated at Ai.
Judges 20:26 The
eleven tribes fasted when they were defeated by the tribe of
Benjamin.
I Sam. 7:6
Israel fasted when they turned from their strange gods to seek the
Lord.
II Sam. 12:16
David fasted while his first child was sick unto death.
Luke 5:33-35
Jesus expected his followers to fast.
Matt. 6:16-18 Be
sincere when you fast.
Luke 18:9-14 It
is to be done in a manner of humility and secrecy.
Fasting is closely
related to prayer and reading of the Word
I Sam. 1:6-8, Hannah poured out her heart unto the Lord
during her fast.
:17-18
Neh. 1:4 Nehemiah prayed and fasted over the
situation in Jerusalem
Neh. 9:1-3 The Jews were fasting, confessing their
sins, reading God’s word, and worshipping him
Dan. 9:3,20 Daniel fasting and praying for the Jews to
return to their homeland.
Joel 2:12 A call to turn unto the Lord with fasting
and praying.
Jonah 3:8 The entire city of Ninevah fasted and
prayed for God’s mercy.
Luke 2:37 The 84-year old Ana was always in the
temple fasting and praying.
Acts 9:9, 11 Saul fasted and prayed when he was struck
with blindness.
Acts 10:30 Cornelius was fasting and praying when an
angel appeared to him.
Acts 13:2 Fasting and praying before ordaining
Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 14:23 Fasting and praying before ordaining
elders.
I Cor. 7:5 ". . . give yourselves to fasting and
prayer . . ."
Absolute (Complete)
Fasts – No food or water
Deut. 9:9,18
Moses on Mt. Horeb (40 days).
Ezra 10:6
Ezra mourning for the transgression of them that had been carried
away.
Esther 4:16 All
the Jews in Sushan fasted for Esther. (3 days)
Acts 9:9
Saul fasted until the Lord restored his sight. (3 days)
The Lord had
already showed Paul that Ananias would restore his sight (v.12), and
yet he still fasted (v.9) and prayed (v.11) anyway.
Acts 27:33 The
sailors and soldiers fasted and prayed during the terrible storm.
(14 days)
Corporate (Group)
Fasts
I Sam. 7:5-6 All Israel gathered to fast.
II Chron. 20:3-4 Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout
all Judah for deliverance from their enemies.
Ezra 8:21-23 All the Jews fasted before beginning their
journey back to Israel.
Neh. 9:1-3 The children of Israel fasting with
sackcloth.
Joel 2:15-16 Gathering the people of Zion for a fast.
Jonah 3:5-10 The entire city of Ninevah fasting for
their sin.
Acts 13:1-4 The whole church fasted for God’s will
before ordaining Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 27:33-37 All the sailors and soldiers fasted and
prayed during the terrible storm.
Individual (Personal)
Fasts
II Sam. 12:15-16,22-23 David fasting for the life of his
child.
I Kings 21:27-29 Even wicked King Ahab fasted.
Psalms 35:13 David even fasted for his enemies
when they were sick.
Dan. 9”3 Daniel fasting for the return
of the Jews to their homeland.
Acts 9:9 Saul fasting for his eyesight
to be restored.
Right Motives
Isaiah 58 "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and
thou seest not? ... Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure
... ye fast for strife debate ... ye shall not fast as ye do this
day ... Is it such a fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands ...
to undo the heavy burdens ... to deal thy bread to the hungry, and
that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou
seest the naked, that thou cover him ..."
Jer. 14:12
I Cor. 8:8 "that which is of the flesh is flesh,"
John 3:6 It is the attitude of a heart sincerely
seeking Him to which God responds with blessing.
Joel 2:12, 13 "Rend your heart, and not your garments
..."
Rom. 14:6, 17
I Cor. 15:50
Zechariah 7:5-6 "... When ye fasted and mourned ... those 70
years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"
Matt. 6:16-18 "The hypocrites ... disfigure their faces,
that they may appear unto men to fast."
Luke 18:9-14 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, God, I am not as other men are ... I fast twice in the week
..."
Length of Fasts
Bible personalities fasted and sought God diligently until
they obtained from God what they desired (see the examples of
Hannah, I Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18; and Paul, Acts 9:9,17-19) – or until
the Lord made it evident that what they requested simply not be
obtained (as in the case of David, II Samuel 12:15-23).
One night
Daniel 6:18
One day
I Sam. 7:6
II Sam. 1:12
II Sam. 3:35
Judges 20:26
Three days and
three nights
Esther 4:16
Acts 9:9, 17-19
Seven days
I Sam. 31:13
II Sam. 12:16-23
Fourteen days
Acts 27:33-34
Twenty-one days
Daniel 10:3-13
Forty days
a. Moses (at two different times).
Exod. 24:18; 34:28
Deut. 9:9, 18, 25-29; 10:10
b. Elijah.
I Kings 19:8
c. Jesus.
Matt. 4:2 (Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2)
Occasions to Fast
Ordination of
Ministers
Acts 13:1-4
It is almost impossible to overstate the historical
importance of this moment in Antioch in the history of the world.
Before this word from the Holy Spirit there seems to have been no
organized mission of the church beyond the eastern seacoast of the
Mediterranean.
This moment of
prayer and fasting resulted in a missions movement that would make
Christianity the dominant religion of the Roman empire within two
and a half centuries and would yield 1.3 billion adherents of the
Christian religion today with a Christian witness in virtually every
country of the world. And 13 our of the 29 books of the New
Testament were the result of the ministry that was launched in this
moment of prayer and fasting.
Acts 14:23
Intercession for
the People of God
Exod. 24:18
Deut. 9:8-9, 12-20, 23-27
Ezra 10:6
Daniel 9:3-4
Joel 2:12-14, 17-18
Jonah 3:5-10
Humbling &
Chastening Yourself
I Kings 21:27-29 "... Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself
before me?"
Psalms 35:13 "... I humbled myself with fasting ..."
Psalms 69:10 "I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting
..."
Seeking the Lord
and His way
Judges 20:26-28"Then all the children of Israel, and all the
people,
went up, and came unto the house of God,
and wept, and sat there before
the Lord, and fasted that day until
evening, and ... inquired of the Lord ...
(whether to) go out to battle ... And the
Lord said, Go up ..."
II Chron. 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to
seek the
Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all
Judah."
Ezra 8:21-23 "Then I proclaimed a fast ... that we might
afflict ourselves
before our God, to seek of him a right way
for us, and for our little ones,
and for all our substance. For I was
ashamed to ask the king ... to help us
against the enemy in the way: because we
had spoken unto the king, saying,
The hand of our god is upon all them for
good that seek him ... So we
fasted and besought our God for this: and
he was intreated of us."
Repentance and
Confession of Sin
I Sam.l 7:6
I Kgs 21:27-29
Ezra 10:6 "... he ate no bread, nor drank water: for
he mourned because
of the transgression ..."
Neh. 1:4-7 "...when I heard these words, I sat down
and wept,
and mourned certain days, and fasted, and
prayed..."
Neh. 9:1-3 "... the children of Israel were assembled
with fasting ...
and stood and confessed their sins ... one
fourth part of the day ... they confessed ..."
Jer. 36:6-10
Dan.l 9:3-5, 20 "... confessing my sin and the sin of my
people ..."
Jonah 3:5-10
Healings
I Sam. 1:5-11, 18-20
II Sam. 12:15-16, 22-23
Isaiah 58:8
Acts 9:9, 17-19
Mercy
Deut. 9:18, 25 "And I fell down before the Lord ... I did
neither eat bread, nor drink water, because
of all your sins ... because
the Lord had said he would destroy you."
Isaiah 58:9
Preparation to
receive word from God
Deut. 9:18, 25
Isaiah 58:9
Spiritual
Deliverance
Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I have chose?
To loose the bands ... to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the
oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"
Mark 9:29 "And he said unto them, This kind can come
forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Matt. 17:21)
Seeking Assistance
II Chron. 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself
to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast ..."
Mourning
II Sam. 1:12
II Sam. 3:35
Daniel 6:18 Concern for another's safety.
Esther 4:3 When faced with threats on one's own life.
Esther 9:1-3
Seeking Protection
Ezra 8:21-23
Material Needs
II Cor. 11:27 "... in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often ..."
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