Fasting and prayer belongs in the lives of Christians. Проте, there are not many Christians, who fast regularly. This is mainly due to wrong doctrines about fasting. Because of false doctrines, many Christians have a wrong perception of what fasting is. What does the Bible say about fasting in the New Covenant and the significance and purpose of fasting in the lives of Christians?
What did Jesus say about fasting?
У Матвія 9:16 Jesus spoke about fasting to the disciples of John, when they asked Jesus why they and the Pharisees had to fast but His disciples didn’t. Jesus answered the disciples of John, that as long as He (the Bridegroom) would be with them, His disciples wouldn’t have to fast. But when Jesus would depart from them, then His disciples would also have to fast.
Then came to Him the disciples of John, кажучи, Чому ми та фарисеї часто постимо, а учні Твої не постять? І Ісус сказав їм, Чи можуть діти весільної палати сумувати, поки з ними молодий? Але прийдуть дні, коли від них візьмуть нареченого, і тоді вони будуть постити. No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, бо те, що кладеться, щоб наповнити його, береться з одежі, і орендна плата погіршується. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved(Матвій 9:16-17)
Ісус сказав, that no man put a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, і орендна плата погіршується.
Jesus also said that men don’t put new wine into old bottles. Because else the bottles break and the wine runs out and the bottles perish. But they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved.
Only when a person repents and dies to the flesh and becomes born again in Christ and becomes a нове створення, the Holy Spirit can come, dwell, and work in a person.
The Holy Spirit can’t come into the life of the old man (the unregenerate man, who belongs to the generation of the old creation).
Therefore a person must be born again in Christ; born of water and of the Spirit After a person becomes born again and entered the Kingdom of God, fasting and prayer play an important role.
Don’t you need to fast because the Holy Spirit dwells in you?
Багато християн, в тому числі проповідників, сказати, that you don’t need to fast anymore, because the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Тому Ісус (the Bridegroom) is in you. Кажуть, that the disciples only needed to fast during the time that Jesus ascended to Heaven and the Holy Spirit descended. Але це правда?
Коли Ісус прийняв хрещення Духом Святим, He was led by the Spirit to the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 днів. If it would be true that the new creation doesn’t need to fast, why did Jesus fast?
Why did Jesus’ disciples fast after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit? (Акти 14:23)
В 1 Коринфянам 7:5, Paul wrote about fasting to the saints in Christ, who were the new creation. If fasting wasn’t part of the Christian life, why did Paul write about fasting? Why did the disciples fast?
What are the wrong reasons to fast?
There are many wrong reasons to fast. You don’t need to fast to be blessed and get things from God or get things done by God. You don’t need to fast for power, загоєння, breakthroughs, a partner, гроші, material things, destroying strongholds, тощо. Because that means that you starve yourself and force God to get your way and get something from God or to get things done.
But that is not what fasting is meant for according to the Bible. Fasting is not meant to get (матеріал) things or to get something from God. Пам'ятайте, ти сидиш у Христі. God has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing в Небесних Місцях. And you certainly don’t have to fast for money or material things.
Many Christians fast for material things and many times they receive the things they fast for. But they forget that the devil can also do wonders. (Читайте також: Я дам тобі багатства світу).
If you fast for material things and bless your flesh to fulfill the lusts and desires of your flesh, then your flesh has not died in Christ and you don’t know the Kingdom of God. You focus on the carnal things of this world instead of the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God and manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth.
Do you need to fast to cast out demons?
Ні, you do not need to fast to cast out demons. Fasting is not meant to cast out demons or heal the sick. You cast out demons and heal the sick by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ (у Його владі).
Many people refer to Matthew 17:21. У Матвія 17:21 the disciples were not able to cast out a demon and deliver the child. But if we look at the previous Bible verse Matthew 17:20 we read the real reason, why Jesus’ disciples were not able to cast out this demon. It was due to their unbelief. Because of their unbelief, the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out, and not because they didn’t pray and/or fast enough.
If Jesus really referred with ‘this kind’ to the demon, then Jesus would contradict His own words in Matthew 9:15. У Матвія 9:15, Jesus said to the disciples of John that His disciples didn’t need to fast because the Bridegroom was with them.
And then there is another thing, namely that demons are one kind; занепалі ангели. One demon can be more stubborn than the other demon and they can have different appearances and manifestations. But demons are fallen angels. They are of the same kind.
Therefore with ‘this kind’, Jesus didn’t refer to the demon, who held the child in bondage. I will tell you in a minute, what Jesus really was referring to with ‘this kind’. But first, let’s have a look at what the word fasting means.
What does fasting mean?
Fasting means not eating. Sometimes people fast by skipping one meal, or snacks, or people fast by not watching television or putting away their mobile phone or tablet for a few hours. But that’s not what fasting is about.
Skipping a meal, or a snack, or not watching television, or putting away your mobile phone or table for a few hours is not fasting. People can invent all sorts of methods of fasting, but the truth is that fasting means not eating.
What is fasting according to the Bible?
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?» (Ісая 58:6)
God spoke these words to His people, who were still the old creation and bound by their flesh.
У Старому Завіті, we read many times about people, who fasted, because of their evil deeds; їхні гріхи, і беззаконня.
They repented of their actions and humbled their soul for the Lord through fasting.
Through means of fasting they ‘punished’ their flesh, for what they and/or their ancestors, had done. They repented and asked, and sought forgiveness of the Lord.
By fasting, they mourned, humbled themselves, and repented, and turned back to God.
By fasting, they loosed the bands of wickedness, in which they were taken captive, and undone the burdens. They were freed, because they broke every yoke that was upon them, because of their sin and iniquity.
Why did David fast?
David fasted after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah. When Bathsheba was expecting his child, Nathan went to David and told Him that because of what he had done, the Lord would take his son.
When David heard the words of Nathan, David humbled his soul with fasting for the Lord. David hoped that through fasting, he had ‘punished’ his flesh (chastened his soul) sufficiently and that the Lord would spare his son and live. But the Lord punished David for his adultery and murder. David’s adultery and murder cost him his son (2 Самуїл 12:1-23).
I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayers returned into mine own bosom (Псалом 35:13)
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach (Псалом 69:10)
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness (Псалом 109:24)
In the Book of Nehemiah (Неемія 9:1) and Esther (Esther 4:3), we also read about fasting.
Should Christians fast?
Так, Christians should fast. When you become born again in Christ, you have become a new creation in Christ in the spiritual realm with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. The old you has passed away and doesn’t exist anymore. A new life after the Spirit has come.
Although you have become a new creation in the spiritual realm, in the natural realm many times the flesh still reigns as king у вашому житті.
Therefore it’s time for the процес освячення, which is the transformation in the flesh to become like Jesus and walk after the Spirit. The transformation means that your spirit takes over and reigns in your life. It means that you lay down the works of the flesh and put off the old man and put on the new man. Так що, you will continuously be led by the Spirit and walk holy and righteous before the Lord.
Це, тому, time to fast. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh. When you fast, you make your flesh subject to the spirit. Your spirit shall become strong and shall reign over your flesh.
Why did Jesus fast for 40 днів?
Jesus is the Firstborn of the new creation and our example. Therefore let’s look at Jesus and how He made His flesh completely submissive to the Spirit.
When Jesus was baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit from the Father, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The purpose of the wilderness was to make His flesh submissive to the Spirit. Так що, during Jesus’ міністерство, the flesh wouldn’t play any role anymore but would be submissive to the Spirit.
During those 40 днів, Jesus was being prepared for the task that God gave Jesus to accomplish on earth. Through fasting and prayer, Jesus killed His flesh and His Spirit became strong and reigned over His flesh. Now Jesus could walk fully after the Spirit.
During those 40 днів, the devil tempted Jesus constantly. But Jesus didn’t give in to the temptations of the devil.
Коли 40 days came to an end, Jesus was almost ready to go and preach and bring the Kingdom of God to the people of Israel. The only thing Jesus had to do, was to pass the final test.
God didn’t prevent this test from happening. God could have, but God allowed the devil to test Jesus
Jesus was tested by the devil
Після 40 днів, Ісус’ flesh became hungry (just like any other human being). At this moment of weakness, Ісус’ adversary; the devil came and tried to tempt Jesus to sin. How did the devil tempt Jesus? By using the words of God and His position to still His carnal hunger.
The devil tried to tempt Jesus by twisting the Word of God. So that Jesus would give into the craving of His flesh and obey His flesh.
If Jesus had done what the devil suggested, then Jesus would have given into the flesh. Плоть, which is the territory, where the devil works, would have gotten the victory. The devil would reign as king in His life and the Spirit would be subjected to the flesh and the devil.
But Jesus resisted the devil with the Word of God, використовуючи слова Бога в правильному контексті.
Then the devil tempted Jesus again, by proving who Jesus was. But Jesus resisted the devil again with the Word.
Нарешті, the devil tried to tempt Jesus, by showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offering the kingdoms to Him.
The only thing Jesus had to do, was to bow down and worship the devil. But Jesus didn’t give into the lusts and desires of the flesh and resisted the devil with the Word. Jesus commanded the devil to go, and the devil left Jesus alone, на деякий час
Jesus passed the test. The Spirit had full reign in Jesus’ життя. Then the angels came and ministered to Jesus.
Хоча Ісус був (і є) Син Божий, Jesus fasted regularly. Prayer and fasting were part of Jesus’ життя.
What is the purpose of fasting in the New Testament?
Коли ти народишся знову, the flesh can still play a major role in your life. На початку, you can still be carnally oriented and led and ruled by your senses, емоції, почуття, думки, воля, хіть, бажання, тощо. instead of being spiritually oriented and led by the Word and the Spirit. Instead of seeking those things, які вище, you seek those things which are on earth.
But if you want to grow up into the image of Jesus Christ and walk as a new creation after the Spirit, then you have to change your life.
If you don’t change your life, then you will always stay a baby. Babies can’t walk and talk, but they only cry and scream if they need something, don’t get attention, something bothers them, or if they don’t get their way. Babies only want to eat, пити, sleep, and be pampered.
Коли ви отримали Святого Духа, через хрещення Святим Духом, then you have received everything you need to walk as a son of God (це стосується як чоловіків, так і жінок).
The only thing that stands in your way is your flesh, your carnal mind, and your unbelief (що присутній у плоті).
Jesus fasted before He began His ministry and walked after the Spirit. If you want to walk after the Spirit and do what Jesus did, then you also have to live like Jesus lived and do, Що зробив Ісус.
Fasting means killing your flesh; плотська людина
When you fast, you make your flesh submissive and you ‘kill’ your flesh, by not eating. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh so that your flesh (Тілом і душею) becomes submissive to the Spirit.
When you fast, you don’t feed your flesh anymore. Через це, you silence your flesh. When you feed your spirit, зі словом Божим, молитва, and speaking in tongues, your spirit becomes strong.
Therefore fasting definitely belongs in the lives of Christians.
If Christians never fast and live like the world, but prophecy and do signs and wonders, ви повинні серйозно запитати себе, if they do these works from the Spirit or the flesh.
Fortune-tellers also prophecy over people’s lives and the future for money. And a lot of those prophecies come to pass. And what about illusionists, маги, medicine men, тощо. They also do signs, чудеса, чудеса, and healings. But they do these signs and wonders out of the flesh and the spirits of darkness empower them.
Ісус сказав, that in the last днів, many false prophets and false Christs shall come, who will perform great, знамення і чудеса, and deceive many. They’ll do such great signs and wonders, Нагадати, що, Якби це було можливо, вони б обдурили самих обраних (Матвій 24, Марк 13).
Therefore it’s important not to focus on signs and wonders, they’re just side issues. You must focus on Jesus Christ; the Word of God and keep His commandments and walk after the Spirit. (Читайте також: Слідом за Ісусом за знаками та чудесами)
Тільки через Слово, you will be able to discern the truth from the lie and what is real (what is from God), а що неправда (what is from the devil), and stay faithful to God. (Читайте також: A counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit christians).
What is the power of fasting and prayer in the lives of Christians?
The adversary works through the flesh, that is his territory. Therefore it is important to silence and ‘kill’ the flesh. The only way to do that is through fasting and prayer.
Jesus told His disciples «Але цей рід не виходить, як тільки молитвою і постом» (Матвій 17:21, Марк 9:29)
When Jesus said, ‘this kind’, Jesus wasn’t referring to the demon. But Jesus was referring to the generation of the old creation. Jesus referred to the old man, who is carnal and trapped in his sinful nature and his unbelief. The old man walks after the flesh and led his senses. The only way to kill this old carnal man is through prayer and fasting.
When you also renew your mind with the Bible (Слово Боже) і стати виконавцем цього слова, you shall put on the new man. You shall grow up into a mature son of God. And you shall walk after the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
You will represent, проповідувати, and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth; до людей, without the flesh interfering. You will walk after the Spirit and fulfill Божий план для вашого життя, щоб Він був піднесений.
Будьте сіллю землі’
