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When Should I Fast?

February 18, 2018 Speaker: Ron Sebesta Series: Sunday Sermons

Topic: Fasting

WHEN SHOULD I FAST

 

“Is not this the fast that I choose:  to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressedgo free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually, Isaiah 58

 

  1. When you have financial concerns.

 

And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemento accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. Ezra 8

 

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Proverbs 3

 

The borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

 

The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity… 12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:11-13

 

  1. When you have persistent or besetting sin.

 

… to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressedgo free, and to break every yoke? Vs 6

 

When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”

 

Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

 

“Why could we not drive it out?” 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17

 

III. When you or the nation needs revival.

 

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ Vs 9

 

The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” I Samuel 7:2-3

 

  1. When you need direction in life.

 

The Lord will guide you continually, Vs 11

 

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It ishard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” they led him by the hand and brought himinto Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:3-9

 

  1. When others have a greater need.

 

Share your food with the hungry, Vs 7

 

And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow wasthere gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it,he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I amgathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go anddo as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring itto me; and afterward make somefor yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’” I Kings 17

 

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1

 

  1. When your dealing with depression and despair.

 

Your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  Vs 10

 

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers. I Kings 19:4

 

And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. I Kings 19:8

 

VII. When you need health and healing.

 

Your healing shall spring up speedily; Vs 8

 

Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

 

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food.

 

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourishedthan the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

 

When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Daniel 1

 

  • 5 minutes a day Pray, Worship and Study the Word.Morning,  Noon,  Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN SHOULD I FAST

 

“Is not this the fast that I choose:  to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressedgo free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually, Isaiah 58

 

  1. When you have financial concerns.

 

And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemento accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. Ezra 8

 

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Proverbs 3

 

The borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

 

The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity… 12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:11-13

 

  1. When you have persistent or besetting sin.

 

… to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressedgo free, and to break every yoke? Vs 6

 

When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”

 

Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

 

“Why could we not drive it out?” 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17

 

III. When you or the nation needs revival.

 

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ Vs 9

 

The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” I Samuel 7:2-3

 

  1. When you need direction in life.

 

The Lord will guide you continually, Vs 11

 

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It ishard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” they led him by the hand and brought himinto Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:3-9

 

  1. When others have a greater need.

 

Share your food with the hungry, Vs 7

 

And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow wasthere gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it,he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I amgathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go anddo as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring itto me; and afterward make somefor yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’” I Kings 17

 

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1

 

  1. When your dealing with depression and despair.

 

Your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  Vs 10

 

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers. I Kings 19:4

 

And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. I Kings 19:8

 

VII. When you need health and healing.

 

Your healing shall spring up speedily; Vs 8

 

Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

 

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food.

 

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourishedthan the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

 

When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Daniel 1

 

  • 5 minutes a day Pray, Worship and Study the Word.Morning,  Noon,  Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

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