| Releasing God's Power Through Fasting continued...
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
I strongly recommend that you consult your
doctor before fasting. Unfortunately, however, many
doctors have not been trained in this area, so their
understanding is limited.
In writing about fasting, the subject of doctors is
a chief concern. Author Lee Bueno, who conducts seminars
on the physical and spiritual benefits of fasting, makes
a strong statement about the attitude of doctors toward
fasting in his book Fast Your Way to Health:
All but one in a thousand doctors react negatively to
the subject of fasting. They have never fasted, know
little about the subject, and respond only to bizarre
stories that they've heard. Lack of understanding creates
unnecessary fear and results in unfounded, imaginary
dangers and the use of scare tactics by doctors to [make
you] avoid fasting.
My experience has been similar to Bueno's. Even so,
I encourage you to consult with your physician before
beginning an extended fast. And I strongly suggest that
you arrange for a physical exam to make sure you are
in good health. You may have a physical problem that
makes fasting dangerous and unwise. But be forewarned:
Even if you are in good health, your doctor may try
to discourage you from fasting. If this happens, you
may be faced with a dilemma similar to mine.
Over the years, I have fasted many times--often from
one to four weeks at a time--without consulting a physician.
Since my first forty-day fast was beyond anything I
had ever undertaken, I called several Christian and
secular doctors for their advice. They either knew nothing
about fasting or tried to discourage me altogether,
and I realized that I was on my own. Would I obey the
leading of the Holy Spirit or follow the counsel of
unbelieving doctors?
Most fasting authorities believe that if you know that
you are healthy and you fast properly, you will benefit
physically as well as spiritually.
These are certain persons who should never fast without
professional supervision:
- PERSONS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY EMACIATED.
- THOSE WHO SUFFER WEAKNESS OR ANEMIA.
- PERSONS WHO HAVE TUMORS, BLEEDING ULCERS, CANCER,
OR BLOOD DISEASES OR WHO HAVE RECENTLY SUFFERED MYOCARDIAL
INFARCTION.
- WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.
- THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF FASTING BECAUSE THEY DO
NOT UNDERSTAND ITS BENEFITS OR WHAT TO EXPECT AND
WHO MAY EVEN BELIEVE IT AMOUNTS TO STARVATION. Fasting
is not starvation, but if persons have genuine doubts
and negative emotions--which must be overcome--no
persuasion should cause them to fast until they become
knowledgeable about fasting.
- There may be persons with other conditions who should
not fast. The rule of thumb is this: If you have serious
questions about your health, or if you are under a
physician's care, you should consult your doctor before
you abstain from food or change your diet.
HOW TO FAST
"In Scripture the normal means of fasting
involves abstaining from all food, solid or liquid,
but not from water," says Richard Foster in his book
Celebration of Discipline. "From a physical point,
this is usually what is involved in a fast."
The partial fast is described in the book of
Daniel. Although the water fast seemed to be the custom
of the prophet, there was a three-week period in which
he abstained only from delicacies: meat and wine (Dan.
10:3).
Richard Foster describes two other biblical fasts, the
absolute and the supernatural absolute.
These are total fasts, meaning no food--solid or liquid--and
no water.
Paul went on an absolute fast for three days following
his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts
9:9). Esther called for a an absolute fast for three
days when the Jews faced annihilation in the Persian
Empire (Esther 4:16).
Moses and Elijah engaged in what must be considered
supernatural absolute fasts of forty days (Deut. 9:9;
1 Kings 19:8).
But because of dehydration, I do not recommend the absolute
or supernatural fasts. They can be dangerous to your
health. I strongly advise you to drink plenty of liquids,
including pure water (preferably distilled) and vegetable
and fruit juices. Obviously, if God leads you to undertake
an absolute or supernatural absolute fast, you must
obey. However, I strongly encourage you to be certain,
without doubt, that God is leading you.
HOW TO BEGIN AND CONDUCT YOUR FAST
How you begin and conduct your fast will
largely determine your success. Permit me to suggest
steps to take that will help make your time with the
Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding, while
at the same time enhancing your physical health.
Set an Objective
The first step is to set a specific objective. Why are
you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance,
for healing, for the resolution of problems, for special
grace to handle a difficult situation? Keeping your
goal in focus will help you sustain your fast when physical
desires and life's pressures tempt you to abandon it.
I personally believe the Holy Spirit has given all
believers an urgent call to humble ourselves through
fasting and prayer so that He may stir our souls, awaken
our churches, and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles
7:14. I urge you to make personal, local, national,
and world revival and the fulfillment of the Great Commission
your primary purpose for fasting.
Lay a Spiritual Foundation
The second step is to prepare yourself spiritually.
The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance.
Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers. In Scripture,
God always requires His people to repent of their sins
before He will hear their prayers.
As you begin your fast, I encourage you to confess every
sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance.
Include the obvious sins and those not so apparent,
such as leaving your first love for the Lord, worldly-mindedness,
self-centeredness, and spiritual indifference--being
unwilling to share your faith in Christ with others,
unwilling to help at church, unwilling to spend time
in God's Word and prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal
anything in your heart that is not pleasing to God and
claim the promise of 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (NKJV).
Make Physical Preparations
The third step is to prepare yourself physically. Do
not rush into a fast. If you plan to go without food
for several days, you find it helpful to begin by eating
smaller meals before you abstain altogether. This sends
your mind a signal that you have entered the time of
the fast, and it helps to "shrink" your stomach and
appetite.
Some health professionals suggest eating only raw foods
for two days before starting a fast.
Preparing yourself physically makes a drastic change
in your eating routine a little easier. Then you can
turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
Ask God for Guidance
The fourth step is to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal
the kind of fast God wants you to undertake. Does He
want you to go completely without food, consuming only
water? Or only water and juices? Is He asking you to
fast one meal a day, one day a week, or several days
or weeks at a time? Is God leading you to undertake
a forty-day fast? Inviting the Holy Spirit's guidance
in this matter will make your time with God more meaningful.
Token fasting, such as giving up chocolates or lemon
pie or some other favorite food, may be commendable,
but it does not allow the Holy Spirit to do the inner
work necessary to bring about real changes in your spiritual
life. Nor does it persuade God that you are serious
about revival for America and the world and the fulfillment
of the Great Commission.
As I pointed out earlier, the biblical fast usually
calls for water. I have conducted many strictly water
fasts for a day or several days at a time with special
blessings. However I strongly suggest adding vegetable
and fruit juices to your intake, although some advice
against orange or tomato juice because of acid content.
Once you know how to fast, short fasts of one to three
days require no more than water. Christians who fast
regularly often go ten days or longer on water--even
up to forty days--with beneficial effects, both spiritually
and physically, under the daily supervision of one who
is knowledgeable about water fasting. You have more
food reserves stored in body fat than you realize, and
most of us would be more than happy to give up the fat.
However, until you build up your "fasting muscles,"
or if your are undertaking a long fast, you may want
to add vegetable or fruit juices (preferably without
sugar or sweeteners) to your intake.
Limit Activity
The fifth step is to limit your activity level. Exercise
moderately. Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
Short naps are very helpful. "Resting is not a sin,"
Dr. Ruidbal explains. "Fasting in the strictest sense
is physiological rest. Your body rests from the processes
involved in digestion and the assimilation of food to
concentrate on excretion."
That is why during the fast you may experience side
effects. "Some people experience headaches, stomach
aches, nausea, foul tastes in their mouth, or a pasty
tongue," Dr. Ruibal says. "Their urine may become darker,
and even their perspiration may smell worse than usual.
Vomiting may occur. This is not normal but should not
be cause for alarm. In a prolonged fast, it is not unusual
to experience slight fever. Basically, the body is taking
advantage of the fast to clean and heal itself."
Consider Your Medications
The sixth step is to consider your medications. It is
particularly important that you consult with your doctor
before going on a fast if you are on any prescribed
medication.
Plan Your Prayer Time
The seventh step is to set aside ample time to be alone
with the Lord during your fast. The more time you spend
with Him in fellowship, worship, and adoration and the
more you read and meditate on His Word during your fast,
the greater your effectiveness will be in prayer and
the more meaningful your fast will be.
Seek God in prayer and as you meditate on His Word each
morning before you leave home or go about your daily
routine. Return to prayer at lunch, and come before
Him again in the evening for unhurried times seeking
His face. Of course, you should practice His presence
and continue to have fellowship with Him constantly
as your pray without ceasing throughout the day.
There is not set formula for how to pray when you fast.
You may wish to pray aloud or silently, asking the Lord
to grant specific requests. I suggest you make a list
and add to it daily as needs come to mind. Pray earnestly
for your family, your pastor, your church, your community,
and our nation. Pray for revival in our land and a great
worldwide spiritual harvest. Pray for the fulfillment
of the Great Commission.
You may wait before God in quiet meditation as you invite
the Holy Spirit to minister to you and bring to mind
those things He wants you to pray about.
You should go about your daily activities mindful that
your are still fasting and seeking the Lord. Some of
my deepest spiritual insights have come as I continue
my ministry responsibilities while seeking His face
and practicing His presence.
If you do not know what to pray for, or you feel "prayed
out," wait quietly before Him. Turn to the psalms or
other favorite passages of Scripture and pray the Word
of God back to Him. For example, pray each verse of
Psalm 23 aloud, thanking Him for performing each of
those promises in your life. Worship and praise the
Lord. Tell God how much you love Him and want to serve
Him. Invite His presence into your life in a fresh way.
You may wish to approach God with the Lord's Prayer
recorded in Matthew 6:9-13. Generally, this prayer covers
everything we could possibly ask or say to God. As an
introduction to this prayer, Jesus reminded His disciples
that "your Father knows the things that you need of
before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8 NKJV).
Now that you have an idea of how to go about fasting,
it is time to fix your gaze upon the One who sees you
and knows you--the One who delights in you and is waiting
for you to come before Him.
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