Fasting and Prayer

"Fasting And Prayer" Matthew 6:1, 5-7, 16-18 INTRO. I'd like to address a subject tonight that is all but forgotten in our churches today. That subject is fasting. Fasting and prayer should go hand-in-hand together. I want to title the message tonight, "Fasting and Prayer." In our text Christ Himself said, "Moreover when ye fast...", He didn't say, “If you fast,” but "when you fast." I believe He intended for us his people to fast and pray. Jesus, Our Savior, Who is our example in all things, Himself fasted. Recall in Matthew 4, Our LORD fasted 40 days and 40 nights. Not only did He fast, but He taught His disciples to fast also. But before we go any farther, we need to understand what BIBLICAL FASTING is. Fasting means to abstain from anything that hinders our communion and fellowship with GOD. Fasting may take several forms. First, there is a food fast, meaning to abstain from all food, shown by Christ's fast after His baptism. Second, there is an absolute fast, where we abstain from all food and drink, shown to us by Ezra's fast as he mourned over the unfaithfulness of God's people in exile (Ezra 10:6). And the last form of fasting involves the mutual consent of marriage partners to abstain from sexual relations. This is what Paul implies in 1 Corinthians 7:3-6. The form of fasting we take depends on the reliance we have on the thing which keeps us from GOD. In our text, JESUS gave us some things to keep in mind when we fast. First of all, He says in v16, "Do not disfigure our faces, so to appear to men as fasting." Second, He said in v17, "Anoint thine head, and wash thy face”; in other words, "don't neglect your cleanliness to appear as fasting." And lastly, in v18 He said, "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto the FATHER which is in secret.." All of these principles show us that our fasting is to be done in secret, not before men. I want to answer the question tonight, "Why fast and Pray?" WHY FAST AND PRAY?: (1) Because Fasting Disciplines Our Spirit Psalms 69:1-10--Fasting is the WEEPING of the Soul Psalms 35:11-13 Psalms 109:21-27 Ezra 8:21-23 *We must humble ourselves before God. Fasting helps subdue the body and master the appetite. (2) Because Fasting Helps Us Find God's Will Acts 13:1-5 2 Chronicles 20:1-22 (3) Because Fasting helps Bring Repentance Jonah 3:5-10

James 4:7-10 (4) Because Fasting Help Bring Spiritual Awakening Nehemiah 1:1-11; 2:11-11 *If God's People would spend Saturday fasting and praying before Sunday services, Oh what a pouring out of GOD'S SPIRIT WE WOULD SEE! 2 Chronicles 7:14 CLOSING: JESUS, when asked why His disciples didn't fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees, replied, "Can the children of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matthew 9:15). Those days are HERE! Fasting and praying helps us draw near to GOD so He can speak to us and we can be more like HIS DEAR SON! Will you FAST and PRAY? You might ask, "How long should I fast?" or "What should be the extent of my fast?" Those questions will be revealed to you by the HOLY SPIRIT WHEN YOU FAST!