INTRODUCTION

Author: Pastor Johan du Toit

Overview

Psalm 42:1,2 NKJV 
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  

When we look at Christianity today, it is obvious that Christians are, to a great extent, entangled in the spirit of the world that we live in. We have long forgotten our knowledge of God and focus on disputes about theological words and religious practices. We have forgotten how to be still before God, how to meditate and how to hear from God. People run from prophet to prophet to hear ‘a word from the Lord’ because they themselves have not mastered the ability to hear from Him for themselves.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

INTRODUCTION

Terms	Definitions
Discipline	Discipline is an action or inaction that is regulated to be in accordance with a particular system of governance.
Meditate	Think deeply about (Something).
Fasting	Abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.

THE REASON FOR THE DISCIPLINES

Too many Christians are confused and bewildered, running around frantically, hoping and groping for light to provide some direction for life.  Christians live like unbelievers, leaving the unbeliever with very little reason to be attracted to life in Christ.

There is no doubt that the shallowness of life in the world has found its way into the church. Superficiality has become the trademark of our age, to a large extent also of the church ‐ even Spirit‐filled churches. We live in a day when we expect things to happen fast. The world spoiled us with modern techniques which make all things quick and easy: fast foods, microwave ovens, pressure cookers, computers, pre‐prepared meals, air travel, etc.

The greatest need today is not for an easy way into the things of God, but for deep people.  The hunger and thirst after God cannot not be satisfied by anything else. Inside every human being there is a void that only God can fill. This is what sparked the uprising in the occult and the mystical ‐ a misguided search after the living God. We have been looking for easy ways to find Him, to hear from Him, to receive from Him, but failed.

Anything that comes at a price of time and effort has become too expensive. We would rather have someone with an anointing lay hands on us to instantly impart an anointing to us, than seek His face to receive directly from Him. It is much quicker and easier that way. The tragedy is that it is lost again just as quickly because we never received the underpinnings to successfully bear the weight of that treasure.

Proverbs 20:21 NKJV 
An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end. 

Instant satisfaction is that ever elusive dream of modern Christianity, but it is exercising discipline that will lead us from life on the surface to the deep places in God. If the hunger in us is strong enough, the price of time and effort will not be too high to pay. When nothing else is as important as spending time in His presence, we will find Him. But it will not be quick and it will not be easy ‐ we will have to break through the passions of the flesh and its demands for comfort and satisfaction. The flesh must be fully crucified.

In a sense the spiritual disciplines are not hard because they are within reach of anyone. They do not require learning or any other qualification or skill. Even new Christians can practise them. The only requirement is a longing after God. “Deep calls unto deep…” David says in Psalm 42:7.

In another sense exercising these disciplines is hard, because it requires us to put down of the flesh which is against the spirit of the world by which we have already been trapped. This spirit’s tentacles have reached into Christian homes to influence our lifestyles, our routines and the spiritual level of our families. But these things can be broken and brought under subjection to Christ as we reach deeper and deeper into the spiritual life. Exercising sound disciplines opens the door to real freedom because their purpose is to liberate us from the stifling slavery to self‐interest and fear. It is not hard to find God, but it is hard to put down the flesh.

These disciplines are for everyday Christians who have jobs, spouses and children. They are best exercised together with our daily activities. In fact, if they are to have any transforming effect, they must be practiced in the ordinary course of our daily lives.

Although we are not of this world anymore, we are still in this world, so the thought of a life withdrawn from the world would be totally wrong. Christianity was intended to be practiced in every area of our lives: in our relationships, marriages, businesses, social lives, etc. Practicing the spiritual disciplines is daily living in the presence of God.

Some believe the Christian life to be dull and void of pleasure and joy. Even some Christians hate the very word ‘discipline’ because they hear in it the absence of those things that make life pleasant.

Joy is the keynote of all the spiritual disciplines. When one’s inner man is set free from all that holds it down, it can hardly be described as dull drudgery. Singing, dancing, laughing, shouting, etc… characterize the disciplines of the spiritual life. We are spiritual beings, so we find our joy in spiritual things.

THE OBSTACLES WE HAVE TO OVERCOME

One obstacle that we often encounter is the reality of the spiritual world. Western Christianity is so brain‐ washed by the world that it only believes in what it can see, and Christians have a hard time entering into the world of the spirit. The spiritual world is as real as the natural, and we should enter into it.  It is the dwelling place of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Word and the angels.

There is also a suspicion and a skepticism, even fear, when it comes to spiritual things. Philosophy closes the door to the spiritual world ‐ arguing and reasoning, using physical means to explain away spiritual things. Spiritual things are not of the mind but of the heart; it is an experience rather than something tangible.

The second problem is simply our ignorance, for we do not know how to explore the spiritual. This was not always the case, as early believers knew these secrets very well and practiced them regularly. It was so general that the Bible does not give much instruction on these things. Fasting was so common that no one had to ask what to eat before a fast, how to break a fast or how to avoid dizziness during a fast.

Knowing the mechanics does not mean exercising the spiritual disciplines; it is the inner attitude of the heart and experiencing  the reality of entering into His presence that brings the difference.

THE SLAVERY OF INGRAINED HABITS

The expression “old habits die hard” is true. Many people find it impossible to change a habit or routine, even if they know it is harmful to them. A road that has been travelled many times is cut out in the dirt, and is difficult to leave.  One is almost forced to stay in that furrow or rut.  The only difference between a rut and a grave is only the length of it; it is a place of spiritual stagnation; a road that leads nowhere. Lack of progress is a form of death.

Many Christians fight against things that bind them and inhibit their spiritual growth. They either brought them over from their old lives before they were born again, or they opened the door to things that they should not have looked into. Many opened the door to something that looked insignificant at the time, but it grew and became strong ‐ too strong for them to break.

Our ordinary, carnal method of dealing with habitual sin is to launch a frontal attack against it. It is an application of willpower and determination. Whatever it may be, we determine never to do it again, pray against it, fight against it and set our will against it, only to find that our victory is temporary.

Paul teaches us how to overcome the desires of the flesh:

Galatians 5:16,17 NKJV 
I say then: Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  

Constantly walking in the spirit is the way to overcome the weaknesses and failures of yielding to the flesh. Human willpower is simply not strong enough ‐ we need to go deeper and live the spiritual life, and the spiritual disciplines will take us there. It is the righteousness that comes as a gift from God to the new creation, as opposed to the righteousness that comes by our own efforts.

While righteousness is a gift of God, received by grace and not works on our part, the spiritual disciplines will bring us to that place where we can exercise the benefits of righteousness. Righteousness is the ability to stand in His presence without feelings of guilt and shame; it is a place that we occupy in His presence, and the spiritual disciplines will take us there. It will not give us that ability, but it will bring us to that place.

The spiritual disciplines will allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us by His Holy Spirit from glory to glory.

Galatians 6:8 NKJV 
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit, will of the spirit reap everlasting life.  

This is the purpose of the spiritual disciplines ‐ they provide practical ways of sowing to the spirit.

The disciplines can do nothing of themselves, for that would be works of the flesh ‐ they can only get us to the place where something can take place.

THE LAW KILLS

Exercising the spiritual disciplines should never be turned into laws, for the law brings a carnal righteousness equal to that of the Pharisees. They followed harsh laws to be seen, but their hearts were far removed from

God. God looks on the heart; Jesus told them to be more concerned with the cleanness of the inside of their cups than the outside. The Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out, so our hearts have to change first of all.

Rules and laws don’t change hearts ‐ it just drives the sin underground. Laws and rules abound where there is no love.

There is a constant temptation for disciplines to be turned in to laws and rules, and we need to be aware of it, for they can easily be used to control and manipulate. Exercising the spiritual disciplines should be a personal thing.

Lastly, whatever we may hear in our spirit‐man must always be in line with the Word. We build our spiritual house on the Word, and no spiritual experience should ever go beyond what is written; no vision, no dream, no voice ‐ nothing.

Tolstoy once wrote: “Everybody thinks of changing humanity, but nobody thinks of changing himself.” This is worth thinking about!

THE DISCIPLINE OF MEDITATION

Although the word ‘meditation’ is found twenty times in the Bible from Genesis to first Timothy, it is a practice that has become stigmatized through the counterfeits of eastern religions. Most westerners today know of meditation through its relation to these eastern religions rather than through the Bible, which in itself is proof of our ignorance about this well-established Biblical practice. These eastern forms of meditations are nothing else than truth perverted by the devil.

By definition, meditation is to chew over, contemplate, mull over, muse, ponder, reflect, think over, consider etc. It also means to be amazed, to analyze or argue with oneself. It is to think about something at length and in depth.

Psalm 143:5 NKJV
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

The purpose of meditation is to hear God more clearly. It is listening with the spiritual ears and seeing with the spiritual eyes. The Christian life is not a set of religious duties ‐ it is to hear His voice and to obey His Word. It is an invitation to the Holy Spirit to work in us ‐ teaching, showing, comforting, cleansing and guiding us.

In society today our enemy majors in three things: noise, haste and crowds. There is a lot of clutter in our lives and in our heads. As long as he can keep us busy ‐ many times with good things ‐ he will be successful in robbing us from intimacy with God and the life that flows from it. He successfully made us believe that success is measured in terms of busyness.

Christian meditation is to set some time apart to give ourselves wholly to God. It is to set aside those things that demand our attention to listen to the voice of God. There are many voices that speak into our lives these days, but we have to redeem some time to hear and see the Father. Jesus never spoke anything that He didn’t hear from the Father, and never did anything He hadn’t seen the Father do.

Read John 5:19 and John 12:50.

Where did He see the Father? In His spirit. Meditation is to focus on the spirit‐world rather than the natural surroundings.

Meditation is to discipline our thoughts and train our minds to be quiet, understanding that waiting on God is not a waste of time. Jesus had the habit of withdrawing to a solitary place on the mountain to pray, sometimes in the night or early in the morning (Mark 1:35‐37; 14:32‐40). Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening (Gen. 24:63). David remembered God on his bed and meditated on Him in the night watches (Ps. 63:6).

Psalm 119:148 NKJV 
My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word. 

If we are constantly being swept off our feet with frantic activity, we will be unable to be attentive at the moment of inward silence. A mind that is harassed and fragmented by external affairs is not ready for meditation. There is a place of spiritual leisure ‐ a moment of peace and rest in His presence.

Isaiah 26:3 NKJV 
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 

Although meditation is something we do best in quietness, we can also do so during the day, going about the affairs of the day. In Psalm 1:2 David says “And in His law he meditates day and night”.

Psalm 119:97 NKJV 
Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 

We have no trouble at all concentrating on our daily work and worry at the same time ‐ giving attention to some problem we may be facing, so we do have the capacity to meditate while we are busy with something else. We are always meditating on something, mostly on mundane, unproductive things, if not on earthly, worldly, negative things that poison our minds and send our lives us orbiting in the same circle all the time.

When we meditate on the Word we will often receive insights that are practical for daily living, relationships and other matters in life. There will also come revelation of the Word by the Holy Spirit, even wisdom.

Read Psalm 119:97‐104.

Paul teaches us to set our minds on things that are above, where Christ is, not on things that are on the earth. We have a choice, we can discipline our minds and steer our thoughts in the direction we want. All we need is discipline of our thought‐lives (Col. 3:1,2).

Read Philippians 4:4‐8.

As we meditate on the Lord and things above, where Christ is, the Holy Spirit will speak to us and show us things He wants us to do.

Read John 14:25,26 and 16:12‐15.

Many Christians are continually looking for someone who will hear from God for them. This was the cry of the Israelites in the desert when they spoke with Moses:

Exodus 20:19 NKJV
Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

 Even today Christians prefer to have a word from the Lord from someone else, a mediator, a priest, a go‐ between. They are happy to have a second‐hand message.  In this way we do not have to go to God ourselves, for to be in His presence is to change. It brings a kind of religious respectability without a moral change. But the Holy Spirit lives right inside every born‐again believer, and speaks and reveals to us the heart of God.

Meditation calls on us to enter into His presence ourselves, to have our own relationship with Him. God is speaking to His own. If He is alive and intervening in the affairs of human beings, why can’t His voice be heard today? Meditation is God speaking to us in prayer, it is the monologue turning into dialogue.

God speaks to us through the inner witness, that still, whispering voice, but also through dreams and visions. Of course not all dreams are from God, so we need spiritual insight and discernment to know when He spoke with us. Dr. Yonggi Cho of Korea says the language of the Holy Spirit is visions and dreams. We need to know when it is God who spoke. If we run after dreams and visions we may very easily get deceived, so we should not be gullible.

Read Joel 2:28‐29 (also quoted in Acts 2:16‐18).

Just as He did with Jesus, God will speak or show us something in our spirit. When we know it is Him who has spoken to us, we need to obey in faith.

Meditation and Worship

In times of worship, see Him in the glory that we sing about, His splendor and power.  We see Him on His throne and worship Him there. Let His image fill your heart and then proceed to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Psalm 17:15 AMP 
As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with you].  

Read II Corinthians 3:17‐18, Revelation 1:9‐17, Isaiah 6:1‐8 and Ezekiel 1:23‐28.

We can see Him with our spiritual eyes; the eyes of faith.  The Word gives us enough of His image to meditate on. Picture in your heart the image that John saw on Patmos. See yourself dancing for joy, lifting your hands in His presence, then prostrate at His feet. Let the Holy Spirit take you into high places with Him.

Read Psalm 16:7‐11.

Meditation and Faith

The definition of discipline is to train, condition, correct, adapt, adjust, conform, habituate, subdue, tame.

We have to train ourselves to make time to effectively meditate: to set the time apart and to train our thoughts to focus on the object of our meditation.

Let’s look at the definition of meditation again: it is to chew over, contemplate, mull over, muse, ponder, reflect, think over, consider, etc. It also means to be amazed, to analyze or argue with oneself. It is to think about something at length and in depth.

Meditating on the work of God; past victories and miracles ‐ whether in our own lives or someone else’s ‐ raises our faith level and increases the anointing on our lives. It brings to our remembrance that the Lord is with us. The Psalms are full of examples of David’s meditations on the wonders of God, and how it strengthened him.

Meditating on the power and authority and wisdom and the supernatural works of God will remind us of these things and cause our faith to rise.

Read: Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 4:20‐23, Psalm 8:3‐5, 42:6‐8 and136 and Judges 5.

Meditate on His promises, His laws, statutes and principles. See the Lord saving, delivering, healing, cleansing, baptizing with the Holy Spirit. See Him fulfilling His promises.

See yourself healed, free, filled with the Holy Spirit, operating in the gifts of the Spirit. See yourself being blessed financially according to His promise.

See yourself laying hands on the sick and how they recover. Meditate on the promise and see the fulfilment in heart, rejoicing in it by faith.

Meditation and Revelation

Meditation is waiting on God; waiting on Him to speak by His Spirit with revelation of the Word. We ponder the truth while we wait on Him; the truth of the Word and of His character.

Revelation comes when we wait on the Holy Spirit to turn the logos into a rhema. Rhema is the specific now‐ word that God speaks into the heart of the one who waits upon Him. Logos is the said word of God while rhema is the saying word of God.

Romans 10:17 NKJV 
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word (rhema) of God. 

Faith doesn’t come by hearing the logos ‐ the said Word of God ‐ but by the spoken Word of God, the rhema. The rhema is the Word we hear in our heart with our spiritual ears. It is the Word made alive in our hearts, quickened by the Holy Spirit.

The rhema comes when we dwell on the logos in faith until the Holy Spirit makes it alive in our hearts. This is meditating on the Word ‐ rolling it over in the mind, thinking about it, chewing on it, ‘picturizing’ it until it is quickened in our hearts. When victory fills our inner man, the manifestation is not far off.

Rhema is produced out of logos ‐ the written Word. When we hear the Word preached or taught, we receive the logos. Now we need to meditate on that Word ‐ ponder it in our heart like Mary did ‐ until it is turned into wonderful rhema in our hearts.

Therefore, we need to listen with our natural ears but also with our spiritual ears. With our natural ears we may hear the voice of the preacher, but with our spiritual ears we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts.

Romans 10:8 NKJV
But what does it say? The Word (rhema) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word (rhema) of faith which we preach) 

The rhema is in our hearts and is released through our mouths! Its not coming from outside, but from the inside where the Spirit dwells. But then the confession must follow through our mouths!

By meditating on Scripture, the Word is established deep in our hearts, giving the Holy Spirit something with which to mould and shape us.  As we submit ourselves to this discipline ‐ setting time apart to hear from God ‐ He is able to teach us through that implanted Word.

It’s good discipline to go to church prepared and ready to receive rhema ‐ to hear from God. We should go prayed up and with a praying attitude. When we wait prayerfully for the service to start, and create a spiritual atmosphere in which God can speak and work, we will receive more.   It’s a matter of discipline ‐ setting aside the urge to socialize and catch up with everybody’s news, and come before the Lord. There is a time for fellowship and there is a time for prayer. It is a worshipful attitude; it is manifesting the fear of the Lord, bringing it into the service.

When we arrive at church late or in a hurry we will not be as receptive as when we come prepared to receive. A ‘good’ service begins the night before by going to bed early enough to be able to get up early enough to be relaxed and rested, and spend time with the Lord before the service starts. This is a powerful and wise discipline.

Read Isaiah 40:28‐31.

THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

Prayer thrusts us to the cutting edge of the spiritual life; it is pioneering in unexplored territory. Meditation introduces us to the spiritual world, fasting is an aid in our approach to God, but it is the discipline of prayer itself that is the deepest and highest work that we can do. Real prayer is life‐creating and life‐changing.

Prayer in itself is a life‐changing force in the life of the believer. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a part of our lifestyle. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God, the stronger will be our desire to conform to the image of Christ.

James 4:3 NKJV
You ask and you do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

To ask rightly involves transformed passions and pleasures. It is thinking the thoughts of God, having His joy and His passions.

Philippians 1:21 NKJV 
For me, to live is Christ... 

Galatians 2:20 NKJV 
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

When Christ comes to live in us, He comes with His desires into our lives. As we die to ourselves and our carnal desires, we progressively see things from His point of view. Prayer is the force that shapes us in these things; as we spend time close to God, we become more like Him.

Psalm 139:23,24 NKJV 
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Effective, productive prayer requires discipline. Even Jesus exercised discipline in His prayer‐life.

Mark 1:35 NKJV 
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  

Psalm 63:1 NKJV
O God, You are my God; early I will seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You...

But it is not only in setting apart time to pray that we require discipline, but in prioritizing the demands on our lives. The world system allows no time for God, and so we have to go against the momentum of life to make room for Him. Even good things can rob us from spending time with Him!

Luke 10:38‐42 NKJV 
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” 

Serving the Lord can become a distraction. The apostles knew that:

Acts 6:4 NKJV 
“... but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” 

Many of us are discouraged when we see the place prayer should have in our lives, but it is something we need to cultivate one step at a time. Growth is a process that takes place over time. Discipline begins with a quality decision followed up by taking the first practical steps.

We are fellow workers with God (I Cor. 3:9); we are His covenant partners on the earth. As legitimate citizens of the earth we have the right to call on Him to intervene in the affairs of the world.   Through prayer we can change the course of events like nothing else can.

Read Exodus 32:1‐14 and Jonah 3:1‐10.

Through its own evil ways, the world is heading for destruction; the wrath of God is upon the disobedience of the ungodly, but through prayer we can change the course of events and cause the grace of God to abound more than the sin of man (Rom. 5:20).  We can change the direction of the lives of people and cities and countries from walking towards destruction, to the fulfilling of the declared purposes of God. It is not His will that anyone should perish, but for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4).

Psalm 139:17 NKJV 
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Prayer is doing Kingdom business with God; it is taking responsibility for some things as His covenant partners on the earth. It is enforcing the will of God against the will of the ruler of darkness.

Meditation is the necessary prelude to intercession. Meditating on the Word and the Father will bring revelation of the will of God to us many a time. We must know the will of God before we approach Him. Faith begins where the will of God is known.

We must never wait until we feel like praying before we go to pray. Prayer is like any other work; we do not always feel like doing it, but once we have been at it for a while, we begin to enjoy it and become productive.

Don’t be too concerned that it will take up too much of your time; it takes no time, yet occupies all of our time. It is not prayer in addition to work, but prayer simultaneously with work.  We can  precede, enfold and follow our work with prayer.

There is a way of disciplining our mental life on more than one level at a time. On one level we may be thinking, discussing, seeing, calculating ‐ meeting all the demands of life.   But deep within, behind the scenes, we may also be in prayer, interceding, worshipping, and remain gently receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

THE DISCIPLINE OF FASTING

With the decline of the inward reality of the Christian faith, there developed an increased tendency to stress the outward life of the flesh. Eating has become a major problem in our day. The traditional understanding is that we need to eat several times a day to keep our bodies well nourished. While this may be true to some extent, it is also true that we sometimes need to fast a day or more to give our digestive tracks time to rest and to allow our bodies to be cleaned of the toxins in modern day food.

But we are not discussing fasting for health reasons here. When we fast for spiritual reasons, we do not try to gain some health benefits at the same time. Fasting is drawing close to God, so we want to give Him all our time and attention. Our focus is therefore entirely on Him when we fast.

We can stay without food for quite a long time before starvation sets in. We do not advise anybody to stay without water for any reason whatsoever, even though we do read in Scripture of times when even water was set aside during a fast (Jonah 3:7). Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert after His baptism.

Throughout Scripture, fasting refers to abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. When Jesus fasted during those forty days, we read that He ate nothing, and after forty days He was hungry.

Daniel once had a kind of partial fast, abstaining only from pleasant food (Dan. 10:2,3) for three weeks.

Scripture also mentions a total fast. When the Jews were in a desperate situation in the time of Esther, she instructed Mordecai:

Esther 4:16 NKJV 
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” 

After Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9), “…he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor  drank. “

We recommend that you only engage in a total fast ‐ going without food and water ‐ upon clear instructions from God.

In most cases fasting is a private matter between the individual and God, but there is place for a corporate fast too.   A church‐wide fast can be a wonderful experience provided there are prepared people who are of one mind in the purpose of the fast.

In 1756 the king of Britain called for a national day of fasting because of a threat of invasion by the French. John Wesley recorded it in his journal on February 6^th, 1756:

“The fast was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the Restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face.  Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquility.”

In a footnote he wrote: “Humility was turned into a national rejoicing, for the threatened invasion by the French was averted.”

We do not have a direct command from the Lord to fast; it is understood that fasting was a regular practice in those days. The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12), and the disciples of John complained about the disciples of Jesus who did not fast while they themselves did (Matt. 9:14).

The only strong direction from the Lord concerning fasting is recorded by Matthew:

Matthew 6:16‐18 NKJV
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

First, note that Jesus said “when you fast”, not if you fast. It was clearly a regular practice amongst the people of that day.

Secondly, it should be a matter between man and God and not to be boasted about like the Pharisees did. They made sure everyone saw their ‘dedication’ ‐ but it became their only reward.

Thirdly, there is a reward on fasting when we do so with pure motivations.

Fourthly, fasting means going to the secret place with God; it is a sacrificial drawing closer to God ‐ setting some time and pleasures apart to give our full attention to the Lord.

It should be understood very clearly that fasting is not a means to put pressure on God to perform. This is done in the world when people have political ends in mind; they go on a hunger strike to force the government into action on their behalf. Fasting to draw closer to God is a sacrifice that we make in order to give ourselves wholly to Him.

Fasting must always center on God. Anna the prophetess worshipped God with fasting (Luke 2:37), as did the believers in Acts 13:2 when Paul and Barnabas were sent out to do the work to which the Lord had called them. Fasting and worship should always be mentioned in the same breath.

Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Our seasons of fasting and prayer at the Tabernacle have been high days indeed; never has heaven’s gate stood wider; never have our hearts been nearer the central glory.”

God questioned the people in Zechariah 7:5 “Say to all the people of the land and to all the priests: ‘When you fasted … did you really fast for Me?…” If our fasting is not unto God, we have failed.  Any physical benefits should not feature at all. John Wesley wrote:  “First, let fasting be done unto the Lord with our eye singly fixed on Him. Let our intention be in this, and in this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven. That is the only way we will be saved from loving the blessing more than the Blesser”.

More than any other discipline, fasting reveals those things that control us. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things come to the surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately because fasting is to humble oneself before the Lord.

Practical Guidance for Fasting

Since ignorance about the practical aspects of fasting can be harmful to our health, we provide some helpful information.

It is always helpful to precede a fast with a day or two eating just fresh fruit and drink fruit juices and/or water only. This will clean the body of the toxins that cause headaches and dizziness. Headaches usually accompany a fast and may distract from the purpose of the fast. After that, on the day of the fast, drink water only, but do so regularly during the day. If the taste of the water bothers you, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

It is also important to choose a day on which you won’t have too much to do, as too much business will also be a distraction from the purpose of the fast. Hard work with no food make a bad combination.

While we are fasting we should check our heart as we go through the day. Maintain a worshipful and prayerful attitude with songs of worship and adoration in your heart. Do every task as a way of worshipping the Lord. If you continue to work through the fast, spend at least the times of meals in the Word and prayer. Be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit at all times.

Break the fast with a light meal. Too heavy a meal after a time of fasting can be dangerous to one’s health, especially if the fast lasted for several days or weeks.

It is wise to begin a long fast with several single days of fasting first. Like everything else spiritual, fasting is something one has to grow into. After several one‐day fasts, you may attempt a fast of three to seven days. A fast that long should have a substantial impact on your life.

• The temptation to eat will usually come during mealtimes, which does not mean you are really hungry, but rather that you are caught in the routine of eating.

• The first three days are usually the most difficult days.  The body is beginning to rid itself of the toxins that have built up over years of poor eating habits, and it is not a comfortable process. This is the reason for the coating of the tongue, bad breath and headaches. Heavy coffee and tea drinkers may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, which can be very unpleasant.

• By the fourth day the hunger pains will begin to subside but you may feel weak and dizzy at times. There is a tendency to feel cold. After that, strength is restored as well as the ability to concentrate, and you will feel good for up to twenty to forty days before hunger returns. The fast should be broken at this time.
• People who are not healthy, diabetics, expecting mothers, etc. should not fast. If there is any doubt whatsoever, seek medical advice first.

• A long fast should be broken with the utmost care. The first day, only fruit‐ and vegetable juices should be taken, in small amounts. By the second day you should be able to eat small amounts of fruit and drink milk or yogurt. Next you may take fresh salads and cooked vegetables. Avoid salad dressings, grease or starch. Extreme care should be taken not to overeat.

This is a good time to consider future eating habits to see if you need more discipline and control in your appetite.

While there are physical benefits to a fast, it should never be forgotten that we do it for spiritual reasons. There may be a spiritual battle, but there will also be an increase in the anointing and awareness of the closeness of God, and much joy in His presence.  A fast can bring spiritual breakthroughs that could not be obtained easily any other way.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foster, R. (n.d.). The Celebration of Discipline.

Nelson, T. (1982). The New King James Version Bible. Thomas Nelson.