FASTING Lionel Hartley Ph D Fasting A

FASTING Lionel Hartley, Ph. D

Fasting: A dictionary definition ‘to abstain from all or some kinds of foods as a religious observance or as a sign of mourning’ or to simply ‘go without foods. ’ Concise Oxford Dictionary, Clarendon Press Oxford 1976 p 378

There are basically four types of fasting: • PASSIVE • ACTIVE fasting. - REDEMPTIVE fasting - EXCESSIVE fasting - INTERCESSIVE fasting

- INTERCESSIVE fasting • 15. . . And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick. • 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

- INTERCESSIVE fasting • 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. • 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. . .

20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came to the house of the LORD and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him and he did eat. • 21 Then said his servants unto him, what thing is that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread?

• 22 And he said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? • 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. • 24 And (then) David comforted his wife, Bathsheba. . . – - 2 Samuel 12: 15

• Fasting, with prayer, is our way of telling God and ourselves that we are really serious about the matter for which we are praying. The purpose for fasting & prayer

The four types of fasting: • PASSIVE • ACTIVE fasting. - REDEMPTIVE fasting - EXCESSIVE fasting - INTERCESSIVE fasting • INTERACTIVE • CREATIVE

• ‘ 1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins • 2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me their ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

• 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure and exact all your labours. • 4 Behold ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

• 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down the head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the lord? • 6 It not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

• 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? • 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

• 9 Then shall thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; • 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness as the noonday:

• 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and a spring of water, whose waters fail not. ’ • Isaiah 58: 1 -11

• God desires of us a realistic motivation to fasting when appropriate; • and realistic, appropriate fasting when motivated.

Creative fasting is three dimensional: • 1. A day of fasting & Christian piety doesn't make up for a week of Christian neglect, • 2. God is more interested in the spirit, the tone and the temper of the fast than pedantic and meticulous fastidiousness • and

Creative fasting is three dimensional: • 3. when you fast, consider giving the food you would have eaten or it's monetary equivalent to those in need around you.

? What are some of the ways we can fast creatively?

PRACTICALITIES • • - FLUIDS - GLUCOSE - MEDICINES - DIETS - ENERGY - DURATION - PUBLICITY - OTHER