The reason for fasting

by Pastor Wilson teo

What does the bible says about.....

Big idea:
We pray and we fast in response to something sacred that God is doing

What is fasting?

Luke 5:33-35
They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” 34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”


The pious Jews fasted at least twice a week

The lord replied using a wedding illustration. Aka The lord coming to earth is a joyous occasion, we don't fast.

However, a day will come when our lord is no longer with us on earth physically. Fasting is a solemn act..

Matthew 3:16-17
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”


We need to be water baptise as part of a commandment from our lord Jesus Christ

Water Baptism is an act where God the father affirm jesus to the world.

Our lord fasted 40 days and night... He find an alignment to God's will

# Fasting is a natural response to a serious, or grievous, sacred moment to seek God's Will to find alignment

Theology shapes behaviour, whether good or bad

What is the correct understanding of fasting as seen in the scriptures?

Example 1:
Corporate sacred moment
Leviticus 16:29-31
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves[a] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.


Priest offered animal sacrifices to have sins atone for, from any form of pleasure, a response to a yearly sacred moment of coming before a holy God to have a fresh start with Him. The fasting prepared them to come before YW in humility, it is a physical act of humility before God.

# Fasting was a physical act that showed the heart's response - a heart of repentance and humility before God

@@ The Process of Fasting:
Step 1: A sacred moment had occurred
Step 2: The sacred moment triggered a fast to seek God for alignment with His heart

Christ had become the perfect sacrifice in today's context, bring my physical and spiritual body to align with God

God, as I enter into this new year, What is the will and purpose? Myself, my family and my career?

Example 2:
Corporate deliverance (purim)
Esther 4:15-16
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”


Step 3: The alignment with God's heart led to a divine intervention

Step 3 happens when God choose to do so

We must never think we can control God's hands through our fasting. We're seeking alignment with God's heart and mind through fasting

Example 3:
Personal sacred moment
Acts 9:4-9
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.


This describes Saul transformation encounter with jesus from persecutor to a builder. It was through blindness that Saul encounter jesus

In Saul case, Step 1-3 occurred

Allows God to download His heart into our heart

Example 4:
Personal request
2 Samuel 12:15-23
After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[a] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” 19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” 20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. 21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” 22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”


In David's case, only Step 1&2 occurred

Even though his fasting and prayers not answered, David washed up and ate and continued life as normal. David understood the purpose of fasting.

# Fasting is a natural response to a sacred moment that leads us to seek God's heart and mind and find alignment with His Will

Fasting is not about what we want from God. It is about what God wants for us. We must seek God's will.