Bill Bright's Guide to Fasting and Prayer

[JenniferChristian]

The first page of the article says fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual admonitions. That's just not true. It's part of the liturgical cycle of the church and we are admonished to fast at the very minimum twice a week.

How often do you practice fasting?
How often do Christians in your church practice fasting?

 

[CaringBrit]

thankyou im going to look into this

thankyou for sharing

 

[Alithis]

This is a good introduction to Christian fasting, why to do it, how to do it, and how to end a fast.

Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer

Fasting is part of the Christian way of life. The discipline takes many different forms, and there is a great deal more information out there about it.

Peace be with you.

not overly impressed with it . its actually not as complicated as all that .
you simply determine the type of fast (and fasting is ALWAYS about abstinence from food ) and then you do it and pray and seek god and read the bible and wait patiently on the lord to learn his will in what your seeking him about .

the rest , all the so called precautionary things are really a list of excuses people then take and use- to not do it .

 

[jimfish]

Umm...well...
I hate to start by confessing I have not read the suggested book by Bright, but in my defense Ive been a student of fasting for decades, read many of the oldtime textbooks, worked at a fasting resort....
Adding to the above the decades of walking with Jesus:
It is mostly all about motive:
Are we fasting to force Gods hand, either His timing or provision, or have we been led of the S(s)pirit?
I used the word "mostly" because in the times of Christ and before, their fat cells did not contain the literal hundreds of toxins, heavy metals, etc. that in today's bodies will be released and have to be dealt with by our liver, kidneys, etc. All the more reason to be certain we are walking in and by the S(s)pirit.
Im also greatly concerned with how someone reconciles the Biblical warning to fast in secret vs. today's "tweet mentality."

 

[brinny]

Umm...well...
I hate to start by confessing I have not read the suggested book by Bright, but in my defense Ive been a student of fasting for decades, read many of the oldtime textbooks, worked at a fasting resort....
Adding to the above the decades of walking with Jesus:
It is mostly all about motive:
Are we fasting to force Gods hand, either His timing or provision, or have we been led of the S(s)pirit?
I used the word "mostly" because in the times of Christ and before, their fat cells did not contain the literal hundreds of toxins, heavy metals, etc. that in today's bodies will be released and have to be dealt with by our liver, kidneys, etc. All the more reason to be certain we are walking in and by the S(s)pirit.
Im also greatly concerned with how someone reconciles the Biblical warning to fast in secret vs. today's "tweet mentality."

Some good points.

Thank you.

 

[Newtheran]

The Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church

I have installed an Orthodox church calender app on my phone which reminds me of the fast days and practice fasting according to that schedule. I've found many Orthodox resources to be tremendously helpful when it comes to growing spiritually without trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak.

 

[Messerve]

In September I attempted a seven day fast, but I think I must have done it wrong because it was such a grueling experience.

The first day I just felt hungry, which is to be expected. Suddenly food seemed to be everywhere at my workplace! I also have a very physical job, and I was struggling to get my work done. I skipped out on my employers' birthday celebration at lunch time, which was a difficult decision and raised eyebrows...
Day two I felt kind of sick in the morning, and drank a little bit of orange juice. Then I felt bad for giving into that and poured the rest back in the jug. My knees and ankles began to hurt that day, but I pushed through it. I dreamed about desserts basically the whole night!
Day three I woke up very weak and had to stop to rest on the couch halfway to the front door. However, besides feeling weak, I actually didn't feel too abnormal. I was no longer hungry at all. I realized that my company would be celebrating another birthday the next day and I really couldn't miss another one without causing a problem and tons of questions. So I asked God if He could indicate somehow that I should end my fast early or keep going.
Day four I woke up literally feeling like I was about to die. I had intense stomach pains and felt like I was going to throw up. However, I no longer felt any weakness. I took a cold shower and used the bathroom and felt much better. I was still sick to the stomach at work, though... I took this as an indication that it was time to end my fast and start eating again.

Is it normal to feel so horrible by only day four? I really felt like I was about to see the gates of heaven opening up!