Information Related to "Fasting: A Spiritual Power Tool!"
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The only thing most people know about fasting is that it can be a way to lose weight. But there's much more we need to understand about fasting than that.
The Bible has much to say about this very important but oft-neglected spiritual key. God desires and expects His followers to fast. Jesus Christ was asked why His disciples did not fast like other religious people. He replied with a short parable explaining that it was because He was still present with His disciples. He stated that after He was no longer among them (referring to His impending return to heaven), "then they will fast" (Matthew 9:14-15, emphasis added throughout).
By that He meant that all of His future disciples would fast. Why? Because we need fasting with prayer to help us maintain a close relationship with God and Jesus Christ. And there are other major spiritual benefits of fasting, as we shall see.
When Jesus spoke to His disciples about how to fast, He clearly was expecting that they would fast (Matthew 6:16-18). He did not say "if you fast" but "when you fast." And note that in this chapter, Jesus emphasizes fasting as much as praying and doing good works.
Fasting is mentioned prominently in the Old and New Testaments. The biblical record of who fasted is a virtual "who's who" of the Bible and includes Moses, David, Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Anna and Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul engaged "in fastings often" (2 Corinthians 11:27).
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