Philippe Koffi AGBEMEHIN UNDERSTANDING FASTING

Revelations / Teachings March 27, 2017

UNDERSTANDING FASTING
(Series: Disciplines for Spiritual Effectiveness / Principles of Spiritual
Effectiveness)

Introduction
What is fasting with prayer? What is its purpose? Why did people fast with prayer in biblical
times? Is fasting with prayer relevant for New Testament believers today? Why should I fast
with prayer, if I am saved by grace?
Do I need to fast with prayer today as a believer in Christ? What is the purpose of fasting and
prayer in the NT age, after the finished work that Christ did for us in his death and
resurrection?
One may legitimately ask such questions and others alike…

I. The Meaning of Fasting as revealed in Scripture: Fasting is humility

1. Fasting is humbling yourself before the Father (Psalms 35:13, 69:10; 2 Chr 7:14…)
2. A Warning to the Scoffers (Ps. 69:10, 1 Cor 7:5)

II. The Purpose of Fasting revealed in the Scripture: More Grace

1. Fasting is for you (the receiving side), not God (the giver of all good things) –
facilitates your receiving of the grace/help of God.
2. More Grace– He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)
a. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord (Zec 4:6) = grace,
action of the Spirit for you, on your behalf, in your favor…
b. Strengthening the inner man (Eph 3:16) = more strength enabling you
to go in the strength of the Lord and to do more than you could ever do on
your own, more than you could ever ask or think (more power released); to
accomplish the impossible by the power of the Spirit
i. Notice Elijah in 1 Kings 18 – Achab went up to eat and drink, but
Elijah did not go eat and drink, he went up to mountain to
prostrate himself and pray, without eating! He fasted all day (in
dealing with the 450 prophets of Baal & the 400 of Asherah) and kept
the fast with prayer till the breakthrough, till the Lord
performed that which God had told Elijah! Then, Elijah RAN ahead
of the chariot of Achab till the entrance of Jezreel (research the
distance from mount Carmel to Jezreel).
ii. It is the Lord who did it (grace), sending the rain in response to Elijah’s
humbling of himself in prayer with fasting (He gives grace to the
humble) and then empowering him to run before the chariot of Ahab!
So Elijah ran with horses! (Jeremiah
c.

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Philippe Koffi AGBEMEHIN UNDERSTANDING FASTING
Revelations / Teachings March 27, 2017
3. More Light/Revelation, which builds your faith and thus allows you to possess more
of your inheritance in Christ and to do exploits with God!
a. Is. 58 – then your light shall break forth as the … granted here God is telling
his people about justice, but the principle still applies, when we fast with a
pure heart and in righteousness, not with an evil heart that oppresses others.
b.
4. Purpose: repentance (James 4), guidance (Acts 13), commissioning (Acts 14), power
(2 Cor 6)…

III. The Call to Fast in the Scripture, both in the NT and OT:

1. 1 Cor 7:5 – GIVE YOURSELVES TO FASTING AND PRAYER to saints and couples, in
light of Deut 24:5 and Eccl 3:5;
2. Joel 1:14 – SANCTIFY A FAST, call a solemn assembly...and cry to the Lord
3. Joel 2:15 – Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast!
4. Joshua 10: – If you have no problem, you have a responsibility of helping your
brothers to get their breakthrough also – cf. the tribes of Gad, … and ½ Manasseh… ;
5. Daniel 9 – Daniel humbled himself in fasting and prayed for his people though he
himself was godly; same for Nehemiah…

IV. The Practice of Fasting with Prayer in the Early Church and Its Impact:
Fasting is empowering / The Practice and Powerful Impact of Fasting with
Prayer in the lives of the Saints in Scripture

1. Jesus on Fasting
a. His own example: led by the Spirit to fast 40 days and 40 nights
b. WHEN ye fast, not if you fast
2. The Disciples on Fasting
a. Acts 1: the 10 days up to Pentecost
b. Acts 10:30 – the peculiar case of Cornelius who was not saved, yet feared God
and was seeking him in fasting, in so much that God sent him an angel to tell
him to send for Peter so that he may hear the gospel and be saved!
c. Acts 12: for the deliverance of Peter out of prison
d. Acts 13: ministering to the Lord; revelation/prophecy from the Spirit;
commissioning of Barnabas and Saul…
e. Acts 14:23 – commissioning of church elders by the apostles…
3. The witness of Paul on Fasting
a. Acts 9: encounter with Jesus followed with three-day fast with prayer,
conversion experience immersed in fasting with prayer;
b. 1 Cor 7:5 : the command to GIVE YOURSELVES TO FASTING AND PRAYER!
c. 2 Cor 6: in fastings often;
d.
4. Old Testaments saints on Fasting
a. Moses: led by the Spirit; the principle of waiting upon God (7 days, 40 days,
etc.); came down changed, illuminating, his face shining!
b. David & the Psalmists

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Philippe Koffi AGBEMEHIN UNDERSTANDING FASTING
Revelations / Teachings March 27, 2017
c. Elijah: As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand = prayer with fasting;
fasted all day through the challenge with the 450 prophets of Baal, and then
kept the fast with prayer till the breakthrough with the abundance of rain in
the evening;
d. The prophets: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel…
e. Esther: Esther 4:16 – for favor and deliverance in a dangerous situation
f. Jehoshaphath: 2 Chr 20:3 – for deliverance
g. Daniel: to persevere in prayer till obstacles are removed (prince of Persia), cf.
Lk 18…
h. Nehemiah

V. The Case of Unsaved people heard by God through their fasting and
prayer

1. Jonah 3:5-10 – Niniveh repents in fasting –

2. Acts 10:30 – the peculiar case of Cornelius who was not saved, yet feared God and was
seeking him in fasting, in so much that God sent him an angel to tell him to send for
Peter so that he may hear the gospel and be saved!

VI. The Relevance of Fasting for a New Testament believer: Fasting is good
for you

1. Examples of Fasting in the New Testament

2. Witness of believers given to fasting with prayer throughout Church history
3. Witness of contemporary men of God who practice fasting and prayer
4. Comparative impact analysis of ministries given to fasting with prayer and ministries
not given to the same

VII. The Fast that the Father accepts

1. Watch out for evil-intentioned fasts and an unrepentant heart

a. 1 Kings 21 – Jezebel proclaiming an evil fast to kill Naboth! – what are your
motives when you fast? For someone to be killed? Cf. Job 31…
b. Jer 14:12 – when they fast, I will not hear! Jer. 39 – worthless fast, because
they would not hear the word of the LORD but would rather kill the prophet
and his secretary! Willful disobedience, yet claiming to fast, is not acceptable
to the Lord
2. Pure motives – the requirement for an acceptable Fast : Justice, Kindness
and mercy
a. Isaiah 58
b. Zech 7:5-14

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 Philippe Koffi AGBEMEHIN UNDERSTANDING FASTING
Revelations / Teachings March 27, 2017
VIII. The Practicalities of Fasting

1. When to Fast? – the Way into a

a. Led by the Spirit
b. Desire
c. Need
d. Repentance
2. How to Fast? – The Types of Fasting Found in the Scriptures
a. Total fast
b. Fasting food, with water
c. The Daniel fast: no meat (strong foods)
d. Fasting from Distractions and Technology
3. How long to Fast? – The Length of Fasting
a. It is all about your heart (not performance)
b. Wisdom – to fast, you need yet again the grace of God for strength to fast.
c. 1-7 days
d. 21 days or more
e. Watch out for lack of wisdom / presumption, spiritual pride – there is a time
for fasting, and a time for eating!
i. Mark 8:3 – Jesus says “if I send them away fasting to their own houses,
they will faint by the way…” cf. Matt 15:32
ii. Acts 27:33-38 – Paul chastised his 275 co-passengers (maybe minus
Luke and the brothers who traveled with Paul) for fasting and not
eating!
iii. Isaac – actually ate to bless Jacob!
f. Easing out of a fast – wisdom

IX. Start Engaging the spiritual (and blessed) practice of Fasting with Prayer

1. Another Level – More grace, more alertness, more clarity in the spirit, more
effectiveness
2.