1998-03-22 - Fasting

Fasting is not something many of us think or talk about often, but the Bible, and Jesus Himself, have some things to say about it.

(Neh 9:1-2 NNAS) "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. ² The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers."

(Est 9:31 NNAS) "to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations."

(Dan 9:3 NNAS) "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes."

(Mat 6:16-18 NNAS) ""Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷ "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸ so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

(Mat 9:14-15 NNAS) "Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."

(Mat 17:18-21 NNAS) "And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" ²⁰ And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. ²¹ "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.""

(Acts 13:2 NNAS) "While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.""

(Acts 14:23 NNAS) "When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed."

Jan

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