“FASTING FOR BREAKTHROUGH – Pt. II”
PASTOR MARK JOHNSON
AUGUST 21, 2011

INTRO: Your flesh is going to hate this message!

I. WHAT IS FASTING?

A. DEFINITIONS
1. Webster – To abstain from all or certain foods.
2. Greek & Hebrew - To abstain from all foods.
3. Biblical fasting doesn’t imply abstaining from water.

B. 7 KINDS OF FASTS
1. Normal - eating no food while drinking only water.
2. Partial (Daniel fast) – only certain foods/liquids (Dan. 1:1-15; 10:2-3).
3. Absolute - abstaining from both food and water (Ezra 10:6; Est. 4:16; Acts 9:9). Only when very desperate, and should be God lead.
4. Substitute - abstaining from something besides food.
5. Complete – until the body uses up excess fat (about 40 days).
6. Supernatural – God supernaturally sustains (Deut. 9:9, 18; 1Ki. 19:8).
7. Proclaimed - called for by leadership (2Chron. 20:1-4; Ezra 8:21-23).

C. LENGTHS AND FREQUENCIES OF FASTS
1. Fasts can be regular (Jer. 36:6; Zech. 8:19; Lk. 18:-11-12) or occasional.
2. There are about 35 fasts in the Bible, 15 of them of unrecorded length.
3. 1-day (9), 3-day (3), 7-day (2), 14-day (1), 21-day (1), 40-day (4)

D. WHY FOOD RATHER THAN SOMETHING ELSE?
1. Satan used it to tempt Adam & Eve (Gen. 3:1-6).
2. Satan used it to tempt Jesus (Matt. 4:1-4).
3. Our battle with the flesh (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 8:6).
4. Fasting food helps us develop self-control.
5. To show we are hungrier for God than food.

II. WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES AND BENEFITS OF FASTING?
1. To follow the example and exhortation of Scripture (Matt. 6:16a, 17a; 9:14-15).
2. To serve and minister to the Lord (Lk. 2:37; Acts 13:2).
3. To mourn (1Ki. 21:27; Est. 4:3).
4. To humble oneself (Ps. 35:13; Ezra 8:21).
5. To repent (1Sam. 7:6; Neh. 9:1-2).
6. To avoid potential disaster & to obtain divine protection (Ezra 8:21-23, 31).
7. To obtain victory in battle (Judges 20; esp. v. 26).
8. To avoid judgment (1Ki. 21:27-29; Jonah 3:4-5, 10).
9. To receive revelation or direction (Ezra 8:21; Dan. 9:3, 21-23).
10. To overcome temptation and other attacks of the devil (Matt. 4:1-2, 10- 11; Matt. 17:14-21).
11. To be openly rewarded by God (Matt. 6:16, 18).
12. To gain greater control over the flesh (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 8:6).
13. To be healed and or filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:9, 17-19).
14. To set apart for ministry (Acts 13:3; 14:23).
15. To break through barriers (Isaiah 58).

A. The Israelites were fasting, but not seeing the results they wanted (v. 3a].
1) They were pursuing pleasure and exploiting their employees while fasting (v. 3b).
2) They were fasting to win arguments (v. 4).
3) They were fasting as a means of self-affliction - a false humility (v. 5).
4) They weren’t honoring the Sabbath, but were doing their own thing (vv. 13-14).

B. Benefits of God’s chosen fast (vv. 6-14):
1) To loose bonds of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, be free from oppression, & break every yoke (v. 6).
2) To give and minister to the poor (vv. 7, 10a).
3) Your light will break forth, your health will improve, your righteousness will increase, and you will experience God’s glory as your rear guard (vv. 10, 8).
4) Your prayers will be answered (v. 9).
5) The Lord will guide, refresh, provide, prosper, strengthen you, andmake you fruitful (vv. 11-14).

CONCLUSION: You now know what fasting is, how to fast, and the purposes and benefits of fasting. What will you do with this message? Will you fulfill the purposes of fasting in your life and experience the personal benefits that only fasting and bring?