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Answer:
There are many who have seriously
considered addin g
fasting to their prayer life; but were
not quite sure how to go about it.
How you begin and conduct your fast will
largely determine your success. By
following these basic steps to fasting,
you will make your time with the Lord
more meaningful and spiritually
rewarding.
#1: State Your Reason.
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual
renewal, for guidance... etc. Ask the
Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and
objectives for your prayer fast. He will
enable you to pray more specifically and
strategically. Remember, through fasting
and prayer we humble ourselves before
God so that the Holy Spirit will stir
our souls, awaken our churches.
#2: Start Reasonably
A. Physical Preparation -
Fasting requires reasonable precautions
physically. If you take prescription
medications or have a chronic ailment,
you should consult your physician before
engaging a fast. Physical
preparation will make the drastic change
in your eating routine easier to cope
with so that you can turn your full
attention to the Lord in prayer.
If fasting is not a consistent
routine for you... start slowly:
Fasting a meal and eventually working up
to a 48 hour fast. The ideal
routine, is to maintain one 24 hour fast
every week. Ideally, fasting should
begin in the evening.
1.
Do not rush into your fast.
2. Prepare your body. Eat
lighter meals before starting your fast.
Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
3. Eat raw fruit and vegetables and
drink plenty of water (half your body
weight in ounces each day) for
two days before starting a fast.
B.
Spiritual Preparation - The key to
fasting and prayer is repentance.
Un-confessed sin will hinder your
prayers. Here are several things
you can do to prepare spiritually:
1. Ask God
to search your heart (Psalm
139:23).
2. Confess every sin that the Holy
Spirit calls to your attention and
accept God's forgiveness (1
John 1:9).
3. Seek Forgiveness from all you
have knowingly offended and forgive all
who have hurt you.
4. Make restitution as the Holy
Spirit leads you.
5. Ask God to fill you with
His Holy Spirit.
6. Yield your mind and body
and spirit to the Lordship and
leadership of Christ (Romans
12:1,2).
7. Meditate on the attributes
of God: His love, sovereignty,
power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, and
holiness.
8. Begin your time of fasting
and prayer with an expectant heart
(Heb.
11:6).
9. Do not underestimate
spiritual opposition (Galatians
5:16,17)
#3: Stay Resolved
Jesus instructed that all of His
followers should fast (Mt.
6:16-18;
9:14,15).
For Christ, it was a matter of when
believers would fast, not if they would.
#4: Starting Your Fast
Your time of fasting and prayer has
come. You are abstaining from all
solid foods and have begun to seek the
Lord. Here are some helpful
suggestions to consider:
1.
Avoid medication, even natural
herbal drugs and homeopathic remedies.
2. Limit your
physical activities.
3. Rest as much as your schedule will
allow.
4. Prepare yourself for temporary mental
discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and
anxiety.
5. Remember to ALWAYS
keep your Bible open. An open
Bible leads to an open heart. This is the
whole purpose of fasting and prayer.
#5: Stopping Your Fast
When your designated time for fasting is
finished, you will begin to eat again.
But how you end your fast is extremely
important for your physical and
spiritual well-being. Begin eating
gradually. Do not eat solid foods
immediately. Try several smaller
meals or snacks to start. If you
end your fast gradually, the beneficial
physical and spiritual effects will
result in continued good health both
physically and spiritually.
Finally, If you
sincerely humble yourself before the
Lord, repent, pray, and meditate on
God's Word; you will experience a
heightened awareness of His presence (John
14:21).
You will find yourself to be mentally,
physically, and spiritually renewed (Romans
12:1,2).
Ultimately, the key to prayer and
fasting is a sound confidence in the
Word of God. Making the study
of God's Word a priority will enable you
to pray effectively. Begin Today
with The
Open
Bible Institute where the Bible is
the only authority and the Holy Spirit
is the ultimate Teacher.
Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger

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