Hw Necessary Is FASTING In Christianity Of Today?

View this answer on Musing.io

Fasting is not just abstinence from food. It is a spiritual exercise that helps us conditions our spirits in reception to God. Fasting is an exercise. Just as physical exercises helps to keep us fit and in shape, so does spiritual exercises. While the bible does not command us to fast, it states explicitly the benefits that comes with it. While Jesus was teaching about fasting, he didn't say "if you fast". Rather he says "when you fast". When is an adverbial clause indicating time. Meaning that we are expected to fast. It is a culture, a habit to be imbibed. It isn't just fasting away from food but also away from distractions of the flesh and people around us. If Jesus Christ the son of God needed to fast, so do we Christians. Fasting has it's myriads of benefits I'd like to share with you.

1. Fasting helps to condition our spirit to hear from God easily. Most humans see God as one very big invisible being that cannot be related with. The truth is God wants to speak with us his children. He wants to let us in on his plans for mankind. God is a spirit. He speaks every time only that men are not listening because they are not on his realm. Fasting makes us sensitive to God's realm and hear not what we want to hear but what he wants us to hear. Acts 13:1-2 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. Not until they fasted, they couldn't get this instruction even though that was what God wanted them to do.

2. The spiritual is always at war with the physical. The flesh at war with the spirit. When we fast, we subdue our flesh and Its desires and bring it in subjection to our spirit. There are people whose spirit have become dull and blunt but when you fast, your spirit is sharpened. It becomes easy for you to say no to the flesh and yes to the spirit. It becomes easy to do what God wants. Romans 8:5-6 states it clearly. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. People look at fasting with the approach of what they would lose; food, drinks and other earthly pleasures. They forget the greater purpose of what we will gain when we fast. Life is spiritual. We cannot be living like all there is as related to physical things, what we can eat, wear, touch, drink, see or have to ourselves.

3. Fasting helps us to make very important decisions. Fasting doesn't change God but it helps us to align with God's will for our lives and those of others. Before Jesus began his ministry, the Bible recorded that he had to fast and pray. That was a very important decision for him. Sometimes we are faced with difficult decisions. Sometimes we find ourselves at a cross road , at the valley of decision and we are not sure what to do.That is the right time to fast and hear what God has to say about this decision, align with his will and purpose for us. This is not the time to consult people as regards our decisions. It's time to get away from people, from food and everything else. Shut the door, get on your knees, study Gods word, pray and when you're done, you'll sure get the answers you seek. You'll receive a clear direction in your spirit and you will know it.

4.Fasting reignites our passion for God and the things of the spirit. This is the more reason we should do it more often. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it becomes difficult to pray or even study God's word? A situation where you are so in a hurry to get out of the place of prayers to the world. Spiritual things no longer interests or excites you? That is the time to fast and pray. When the world competes for your attention, time and resources, who gets your attention, God or the world? If you find the world winning against God, that is not a place to be. You've got to fast and rekindle the flames of love for God's word in your heart. You have to be afire for God, not lagging in zeal but fervent in spirit in service to God. Romans 12:11-12 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. The only way to maintain that glow in your spirit is by fasting and praying. Jesus said in John 4:34 paraphrased my interest and desires is to do the will of my father and to finish his work.

5. Fasting is discipline. It's not so easy for us to get away from the things we love even for few minutes. Food, drinks, company of friends, family and much more. There are people who when they are not eating, are talking, if not, are sleeping. That's a low way to live life. Fasting helps us to learn spiritual discipline that is important for our lives. We don't eat, yet we don't die. It proves that our lives are not held together by food but by God's power and strength that he fills us with when we fast. When we become spiritually disciplined, it becomes easy to overcome sin, easy to express our love and devotion to God.

6. Fasting helps us to focus on what is most important. Its so very easy to get carried away by what we want, our desires, our focus on the ordinary and the material. We miss the giver and focus on his gifts. Fasting helps us to harness our focus, our attention, desires and wants to God and away from ourselves. more people are concerned about what they want to tell God and rarely cares about what he wants to tell them. A lot of people are doing the talking always. All they hear is their voices and those of others. Fasting changes the game. It conditions your spirit to hear God's voice. Jesus said in John 10: 29, my sheep hears my voice and they follow me. This is made possible when we fast.

It is not just enough to fast as a religious activity. It's important that we fast with understanding. With purpose and with intention. There are certain activities that comes with fasting. First of all, fasting is incomplete without prayers. They go hand in hand. Like bread with butter or jam. Fasting without prayers is undefined hunger. when you fast, you are supposed to set apart some time in the day to pray. You don't fast simply because you don't have food. Some people do that and that's wrong. Fasting is a deliberate decision to stay off food and other distractions for a while, pray and hear from God. Some Christians live the entire year without fasting. While it seem that nothing bad happened, in real essence, it prevented some things from happening.