禁食和禱告屬於基督徒的生活. 然而, 基督徒不多, 誰會定期禁食. 這主要是由於關於禁食的錯誤教義. 因為錯誤的教義, 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?
在馬太福音中 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, 說, 為什麼我們和法利賽人很快, but thy disciples fast not? 耶穌對他們說, Bridechamber的孩子們哀悼嗎, 只要新郎與他們在一起? 但是日子會來, 當新郎從他們那裡帶走時, 然後他們快. No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, 因為將其從衣服上填滿的東西, 租金變得更糟. 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(馬修 9:16-17)
耶穌說, 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, 租金變得更糟.
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 新創作, 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?
許多基督徒, 包括傳教士, 說, that you don’t need to fast anymore, because the Holy Spirit dwells in you. 因此耶穌 (the Bridegroom) is in you. 他們說, that the disciples only needed to fast during the time that Jesus ascended to Heaven and the Holy Spirit descended. 但是那是真的?
當耶穌受聖靈的洗禮時, He was led by the Spirit to the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 天. 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? (使徒行傳 14:23)
在 1 哥林多前書 7:5, Paul wrote about fasting to the saints in Christ, 誰是新造的人. 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, 治癒, breakthroughs, a partner, 錢, material things, destroying strongholds, ETC. 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 (材料) things or to get something from God. 記住, 你坐在基督裡. God has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing 在天上. 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. (另請閱讀: 我會給你全世界的財富).
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?
不, 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 (他的權威).
Many people refer to Matthew 17:21. 在馬太福音中 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. 在馬太福音中 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; 秋天的天使. 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?」 (以賽亞 58:6)
God spoke these words to His people, who were still the old creation and bound by their flesh.
在舊約中, we read many times about people, who fasted, because of their evil deeds; 他們的罪孽, 和罪孽.
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, 並悔改了, 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 撒母耳 12:1-23).
I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayers returned into mine own bosom (詩篇 35:13)
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach (詩篇 69:10)
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness (詩篇 109:24)
In the Book of Nehemiah (尼希米 9:1) and Esther (Esther 4:3), we also read about fasting.
Should Christians fast?
是的, Christians should fast. 當你重生在基督裡, 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.
儘管您已經成為精神領域的新創造, in the natural realm many times the flesh still reigns as king 在你的生活中.
Therefore it’s time for the 成聖過程, 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. 以便, you will continuously be led by the Spirit and walk holy and righteous before the Lord.
這是, 所以, 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 天?
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. 以便, during Jesus’ 部, the flesh wouldn’t play any role anymore but would be submissive to the Spirit.
During those 40 天, 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 天, the devil tempted Jesus constantly. But Jesus didn’t give in to the temptations of the devil.
當。 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
後 40 天, 耶穌’ flesh became hungry (just like any other human being). At this moment of weakness, 耶穌’ 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. 肉, 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, 通過在正確的背景下使用上帝的話.
Then the devil tempted Jesus again, by proving who Jesus was. But Jesus resisted the devil again with the Word.
最後, 魔鬼試圖誘惑耶穌, 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, 一陣子
Jesus passed the test. The Spirit had full reign in Jesus’ 生活. Then the angels came and ministered to Jesus.
雖然耶穌是 (並且是) 上帝的兒子, Jesus fasted regularly. Prayer and fasting were part of Jesus’ 生活.
What is the purpose of fasting in the New Testament?
當你重生時, the flesh can still play a major role in your life. 一開始, you can still be carnally oriented and led and ruled by your senses, 情緒, 感情, 想法, 將要, 情慾, 慾望, ETC. instead of being spiritually oriented and led by the Word and the Spirit. Instead of seeking those things, 上面有哪些, 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, 喝, sleep, and be pampered.
當你接受了聖靈, 通過聖靈的洗禮, then you have received everything you need to walk as a son of God (這適用於男性和女性).
The only thing that stands in your way is your flesh, your carnal mind, and your unbelief (肉中存在).
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, 耶穌做了什麼.
Fasting means killing your flesh; 肉體男人
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 (身體和靈魂) becomes submissive to the Spirit.
When you fast, you don’t feed your flesh anymore. 正因為如此, you silence your flesh. When you feed your spirit, 與神的話語, 禱告, 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, 你應該認真地問自己, 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, 魔術師, 巫醫, ETC. They also do signs, 奇蹟, 奇蹟, and healings. But they do these signs and wonders out of the flesh and the spirits of darkness empower them.
耶穌說, 那個在 the last 天, many false prophets and false Christs shall come, who will perform great, 神蹟奇事, and deceive many. They’ll do such great signs and wonders, 失望, 如果可能的話, 他們會欺騙選民 (馬修 24, 馬克 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. (另請閱讀: 跟隨耶穌行神蹟奇事)
僅通過單詞, you will be able to discern the truth from the lie and what is real (what is from God), 什麼是錯誤的 (what is from the devil), and stay faithful to God. (另請閱讀: 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 “這種情況下的不是祈禱和禁食」 (馬修 17:21, 馬克 9:29)
當耶穌說, ‘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 (上帝的話) 並成為聖言的實踐者, 你要穿上新人. 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, 講道, and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth; 給人民, without the flesh interfering. You will walk after the Spirit and fulfill 神對你一生的計劃, 這樣他將被崇高.
‘成為地球之鹽’
