I first started fasting with our church 5yrs ago and it has become a very important part of my life since I started. Matter of fact, we are on a 21 day fast right now! Fruits, veggies, water and juice for 21 days, not to mention staying in prayer and seeking the Lord more frequently. The juice will be taken away on the 2nd week and it will be water from then on out. I am very thankful for the Lord leading me to a church that takes part in a corporate fast annually. Yes it can get rough at times, but it is a sacrifice that allows you to seek God on a more intimate level while avoiding certain fleshly desires, distractions, noise and wants. I see it as a spiritual and physical cleansing and a living sacrifice to the Lord. Denying the flesh to gain from the spirit.
Fasting is not only fasting of certain foods, or all food, but it also includes fasting from “things” that you “depend” on in your everyday living (social media, video games, TV, cellphones, etc.) By fasting and pushing these things to the side, and instead, choosing to pick up the Word of God, spending time with Him, praying, meditating, calling on His spirit, it is this that pleases God and allows us to truly reconnect and recharge our relationship with Him.
I’ve seen Him move on my behalf and on others during times of fasting and praying, and I not only fast with the church, but I fast at different times when the Spirit tells me to, or when I feel like I need to slow down, regroup, and rededicate myself to Him.
One thing I’ve learned from Isaiah 58 is that while we are fasting and expecting to receive from God, we need to be giving to others in some kind of way, and this is a very important part of your fast. BE a blessing!
The late Dr. Myles Munroe has a few things to say about fasting and its worth taking time to check it out below. God bless!