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Covaan_Meshuga -> Fasting (5/2/2008 10:40:15 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
Its about putting your carnal desires aside for just a few minutes a week to focus on God. . . . THAT...is why fasting is the issue as I have said before. Fasting is putting your carnal desires aside for a time to focus on God. Its the same thing. There MUST be a spiritual importance for doing this...putting aside carnal desires and focusing on God...or fasting would not be a part of our walk with God.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Covaan_Meshuga
Oh! This could be a huge difference! Our worship is not about fasting or deprivation but about rejoicing and making it a delight. This could be merely a difference in worship.


quote:

ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
I am not accusing you of anything here but...you never fast?


quote:

ORIGINAL: Covaan_Meshuga
Regarding fasting on our main day of worship, fasting happens very rarely on a Sabbath (I'm Messianic). Regarding what I do, I cannot fast anymore. I wanted desparately to fast last Yom Kippur, because I had not had a problem with it before, as long as I drank water. That time, however, I became ill and nearly passed out just a few hours into the fast. I have a few physical ailments which, when I think about it, I guess I am fortunate I made it this far.

After this, my fasting will have to be water and something more -- I don't know what yet.


quote:

ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
What was your experience with fasting when you were able to do it?

For me it opened my relationship with God. It truly focused it. Refined it.



Covaan_Meshuga -> RE: Fasting (5/2/2008 11:06:30 PM)

My favorite fasting time is Yom Kippur, so I really regret not having that special time, with all the elements, with the L-rd. However, certainly don't miss everything! The month and 10 days previous to this are very serious ones, when we (since it is done as a community) prepare our hearts for that day. This involves major soul-searching, looking into the hidden places of the heart, asking questions of ourselves, asking forgiveness of G-d and others, making the crooked straight, seeking G-d, cleaning out anything that is displeasing before the L-rd.

New Years Day comes, and it is observed with prayer and serious consideration of our standing before G-d but at the same time with apples, honey, and sweet challah. The day recognizes the kingship of G-d.

This is followed by 10 days of awe when we recognize the seriousness of standing before G-d, the Creator, the Judge. And Yom Kippur is a very serious fast. On that day (which begins at night and ends the next day), we wear white, praying all day. On the first evening, we go to the sea or a river and cast small pebbles into it, knowing we will never see those pebbles again. These represent our standing before G-d, who has cast our sins into the sea, never to charge us with them agaiin. The shofar is blown, then we go back to our place of worship to pray some more. Those who don't stay overnight there return in the morning to continue in prayer.

Of course, the money saved by fasting is used, with additional funds, to feed the poor.

I know that this is just one fast, but it is my favorite.



SonInMe1 -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 8:23:30 AM)

There is a spiritual aspect to fasting. There is something accomplished spiritually by giving up every thing...even food and drink....to focus on God.

We all know how powerful food is to us. Even the smell of food can change the way we think and our priorities. These things, though we need them, are all carnal flesh things.

To put aside the carnal, the flesh, to seek the Lord with your complete totality, mind, spirit and even the body, unlocks a deeper more intence relationship with the Lord.

Its the total submission to the Spirit. The spirit controls the mind and the mind, therefor, controls the body. Wjhat spirit has you, the world or God, determines the focus of your mind and the physical direction your body takes.

For instance, sexual addiction. This spirit controls your mind and you think of perversion. Since your thinking is perverse, eventually your body will follow your mind...you will act it out.

When your spirit is of God, the indwellment of the Holy Spirit, then your mind will be on the things of the Lord and your body will follow.

Obviously, as christians we know we are not perfect in this. Our free will gets in the way, we sin and we follow the body instead of our spirit in us.

So, to fast is to take the body out of the equation. To totally submit to the Lord. To not be challenged by the body to focus with everything we have on the Lord.

In the other discussion about bringing drinks into the sabctuary, I said my reasons against it linbe up with the reasons why we fast...a total giving over to the Lord for a short period of time.

I think its reasonable, medical reasons being exempt.



Little_1 -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 8:29:30 AM)

Here is a useful outline re: fasting

14 Different Biblical Fasts:

1. The Disciple's Fast - Fasting for freedom from demon oppression. Matthew 17:20,21.

2. The Ezra Fast - Fasting to solve problems, Ezra 8:21-23. If we fast for a specific purpose, we may solve a debilitating problem, e.g. to seek deliverance and protection from our enemies.

3. The Samuel Fast - Fasting to win people to Christ, 1 Samuel 7:1-8. If we fast and pray for revival, God will pour Himself on His people.

4. The Elijah Fast - Fasting to break crippling fears and other mental problems, 1 Kings 19:2-18. Through fasting, God will show us how to overcome negative emotional and personal habits.

5. The Widow's Fast - Fasting to provide for the needy, 1 Kings 17:12. When we sacrifice our own physical needs, God enables us to focus on and provide for the needs of others.

6. The St Paul Fast - Fasting for insight and decision making, Acts 9:9-19. If we fast to subject our will to God's, He will reveal His will in us.

7. The Daniel Fast - Fasting for health and physical healing, Daniel 1:12-20. When we fast for physical well-being, God will touch our bodies and enrich our souls.

8. The John the Baptist Fast - Fasting for an influential testimony, Matthew 3:4; Luke 1:15. If we fast for the influence of our testimonies, God will use us.

9. The Esther Fast - Fasting for protection from the evil one, Esther 4:16. If we fast for protection and deliverance from satan, God will deliver us from evil.

10. The Judges Fast - Fast to gain clarity regarding God's timing and promises concerning the way He is leading. Judges Chapter 20:26-28 (best to read whole chapter however to gain picture).

11. The Ninivite Fast - Fast to express repentance from wickedness and to seek God's mercy and salvation. Jonah 3:5-8

12. The Isaiah Fast - Fast to loose the chains of injustice and to minister to the deepest needs of the poor in society. Isaiah 58:6-7

13. The Prophetess Anna Fast - A fast of complete dedication of love, worship and seeking God's glory. Fasting for the expectation of Biblical prophecy being fulfilled. Luke 2:37

14. The Wilderness Fast - To prepare for ministry / missions. Matthew 4:1-9
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Hope this is useful for anyone comtemplating a study on the subject.



visus -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 3:56:53 PM)

As shown above, fasting is very important to the Christian walk as there is a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit. Fasting with pray help the spiritual aspect to over come the flesh.

Here is an article to add to what was mentioned above with scriptual verses relating to fasting. It is called Fasting the Ins and Outs

It mentions the why, when who and how to fast.



Covaan_Meshuga -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 6:00:29 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
So, to fast is to take the body out of the equation. To totally submit to the Lord. To not be challenged by the body to focus with everything we have on the Lord.

In the other discussion about bringing drinks into the sabctuary, I said my reasons against it linbe up with the reasons why we fast...a total giving over to the Lord for a short period of time.

I think its reasonable, medical reasons being exempt.

Indeed, that is reasonable in many places of worship to fast before the L-rd, but when one is worshiping on the Sabbath because it is Sabbath, this changes, in my opinion. Sabbath is biblically the weekly festival before the L-rd, so to deliberately fast on Sabbath, when Yom Kippur (for instance) does not fall on the Sabbath, goes against the idea of Sabbath. We just worship differently -- that's all.

I have actually rarely fasted on days that are not specifically declared fast days. For me to just fast for the sake of fasting, even when I was physically capable, did not work as it apparently does for you. I am not happy about that, but it is a fact I must face. For one thing, as an overweight person, no matter how hard I fought it, my thoughts would immediately go toward, "I wonder how much weight I lost!" This, for me, just does not work. A further problem is that before I had physical problems, I would just not eat for fairly long periods of time. Therefore, a short fast was not a big deal. That was just life. Because of this, I learned to only fast at declared fasts, and I found that I could actually fast with a right intention before the L-rd.

I have, however, done short and long partial fasts. Of course, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a partial fast, just going without any breads/cakes/etc. that are raised. And when my daughter was going through a difficult time during her teen years, I did a partial fast of giving up chocolate and breakfast.



SonInMe1 -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 7:35:30 PM)

quote:

For one thing, as an overweight person, no matter how hard I fought it, my thoughts would immediately go toward, "I wonder how much weight I lost!"


Ya just hafta think this is a side benefit from fasting....[:D]

quote:

Sabbath


I respect your understanding of the Sabbath but I think mine is different. I am not sure but I would think many christian faiths don't have specific days for fasting. Not saying either way is bad or good.

quote:

I did a partial fast of giving up chocolate and breakfast.


No, no no. Giving up chocolate is a lie from satan.

[;)]



sunshine4God -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 10:29:00 PM)

I hate fasting but fasted an whole six hrs a couple months ago when God called me to.I felt alot closer to the Lord afterwards also.



Covaan_Meshuga -> RE: Fasting (5/3/2008 10:46:14 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
I respect your understanding of the Sabbath but I think mine is different. I am not sure but I would think many christian faiths don't have specific days for fasting. Not saying either way is bad or good.

quote:

I did a partial fast of giving up chocolate and breakfast.


No, no no. Giving up chocolate is a lie from satan.

[;)]

We must have been writing at the same time (posts 6 & 7)!

Just to explain, we follow the biblical calendar for our fast days.

And that chocolate thing -- I could almost agree! [:D]



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