How to fast.

Wednesday, January 11th.
How to fast.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24

In fasting, you deny the flesh. There must be sacrifice involved. But sadly, what most people call a fast is just a rest of their flesh until a certain time. They keep all their food that they would have eaten from morning till later in the day when they break their fast. That is not the kind of fast God wants us to fast.

When you fast, you ought to be expecting and longing for an encounter with God, and not for food. In your fast, your attention should be on God and His Word and not on food. You ought to give time to prayer and the study of the Word of God because you want to hear God's voice. There ought to be a strong desire to receive revelations from God's Spirit. So, when you fast, you ought to separate yourself from all distractions so that your heart will be more attentive to God's voice.

In Matthew 6:16, Jesus shows us how to fast, He said, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” In other words, the reason why you do something decides your reward for that thing.

So, if you fast so that people would know that you are fasting, you get your reward the moment they know. But if you fast because of a strong passion to have an encounter with God and to be transformed, you will get it.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:17-18, “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” This is different from the way they fasted in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, when they fasted, they wore sack cloth and ashes. We don't fast like that anymore. Instead of putting ashes on your head, Jesus tells you to anoint your head with oil. He tells you to look good during your fast. Wash your face. Knowing that God who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that as I fast the Word way, I ask for an encounter with you that will completely transform my life and adequately prepare me for all that you have in store for me this year, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Colossians 3:23-24, Acts 10:30-33, Acts 13:1-3.

Doing the Word.
Write down a definite expectation for your fast.    Also, as part of prayer during your fast, read and pray with Colossians 1:9, Colossians 4:12, 1 Chronicles 12:32 and Psalm 90:12 that God will give you clarity in His will for your life this year.