Introduction: Three purposes of tonight’s study
1. To examine how God meets even unbelievers as they attempt to seek him in the discipline of prayer and fasting
2. The practice of the early church regarding fasting
3. The Specific benefits of fasting revealed in Scripture
I. The fast of Unbelievers in Scripture
A. Consider the following passages:
1. Daniel 6:1-28 King Darius
2. Jonah 3:5-9 The city of Nineveh
3. Acts 10:1-48 Cornelius What happens when the three when’s of Matthew 6 are observed?
B. A Unique understanding of the Textual concerns of Mark 9:29 and Acts 10:30:
II The Early Church Practice:
A. Fasting was a regular
observance of the New Testament Church in the first century.. Clement
of Rome writes in 96 A.D. that the early church fasted twice a week on
Wednesdays and Fridays, differing from the Pharisees fasting on Mondays
and Thursdays.
B. The Didache, the
teaching of the Apostles, mentions this discipline as a regular
observance in the early part of the Second century.
C. The Shepherd of Hermas,
Chapter Five; The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 3:1; Polycarp and Justin
mention that Fasting was a regular observance in the Second Century,
Dialogue 15:1
D. By the Third century
some early church fathers teach that fasting has some powerful
meritorious work. Though this is not true it does indicate that the
early church believed fasting had some significant means of grace for
those who observed this principle.
III. Specific Benefits of Prayer Accompanied with Fasting
a. Supernatural Protection Daniel 6
b. Supernatural Breakthrough Acts 10
c. Strength to Defeat Temptation Matthew 4:1-10
d. A look at Isaiah 58
a. To loose chains of injustice Isaiah 58:6
b. To set the oppressed free Isaiah 58:6
c. To break every stronghold Isaiah 58:6
d. To share your food with the hungry Isaiah 58:7
e. To share your home with the homeless Isaiah 58:7
f. To clothe the naked Isaiah 58:7
g. To powerfully affect your own families Isaiah 58:7
h. Your life will be lit up with the presence of God Isaiah 58:8
i. You will experience healing in your body and soul
Isaiah 58:8
j. Your righteousness will be evident to others. Isaiah 58:9
k. The glory of God will be on you in some visible way
Isaiah 58:9
l. Your prayers will be answered in powerful ways.
Isaiah 58:9
m. You will experience great light even when others are in the midst of darkness, gloom and despair. Isaiah 58:10
n. God will meet your needs in even very difficult circumstances Isaiah 58:11
o. You will have a continual feast, even in times of great drought Isaiah 58:11
p. You will have an ability to repair broken relationships you did not think were possible Isaiah 58:12
q. You will find your joy in the Lord to be realized Isaiah 58:14
IV. Some concluding thoughts from your pastor
What did the early church
do? What was the result? Great fear of the Lord and great rejoicing
and great and lasting conversions.
As we learn to fast we will
grow in our personal discipline of keeping the things of this life in
check. There are many good things we need to fast from regularly so
the things of this world that are not bad in and of themselves do not
grow to have such power over us.
V. How do you know if you need to fast and pray?
If your family hasn't all yet come to Christ. You need to If all your friends haven't yet come to Christ. You need to. If you're not coping with pressure well. You need to If your marriage is a little bumpy. You need to If your children are not living like they should. You need to If your parents are having difficulties. You need to If your relationships aren't working well. You need to If you feel emotionally stretched. You need to If you're anxious about a situation. You need to If your friends are backsliding. You need to If your own fire for God has cooled. You need to If you're not in love with the Bible and God like you used to be. You need to If the devil is obviously and easily attacking you. You need to If God seems afar off. You need to If your gifts and calling are not functioning like they used to or like they could be. You need to If you're about to start a new venture. You need to If you're about to make a big decision. You need to If you're about to finish something or change something. You need to. If you think there is things the Church needs you need to do. You need to. If you think people in our church could be more blessed. You need to. If you think the people of Carbondale need to become hungry for God. You need to. If you have gone a long time without being seriously convicted about sin in your life. You need to. If you want more of God and less of yourself. You need to. If you desire Christ is magnified in this city and in this church. You need to.
The question to answer is not, “Do you need to? but, “Will you?”
VI. Quotes from saints of old about prayer and fasting.
"Have you any days of
fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein,
and mercy will come down." — John Wesley
"O brother, pray; in spite of Satan,
pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray;
rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper—and sleep
too—than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in
right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgin
slumbers." — Andrew A. Bonar
"Quit playing, start praying. Quit
feasting, start fasting. Talk less with men, talk more with God. Listen
less to men, listen to the words of God. Skip travel, start travail." —
Leonard Ravenhill
"The devil is not put to flight by a
courteous request. He meets us at every turn, contends for every inch,
and our progress has to be registered in heart's blood and tears." —
Charles E. Cowman
"Prayer is reaching out and after the
unseen; fasting, letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting
helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to
sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the
kingdom of God." — Andrew Murray
VII. Those of the Church who regularly practiced Fasting as a discipline of Grace:
Andrew Fuller, Andrew Murray,
Augustine, Luther, Wesley, Brainerd, Finney, Jesus, Paul, David, most
of the third world church practices this regularly. Ronnie Floyd, Bill
Bright.
Next week’s session is on how to go about a fast and some things you need to be aware of as you begin and end your fast.