How To Fast Like A Humble Hebrew.

I was planning on posting on fasting over the last few days, and today, I was amused and delighted to see that God placed a demand on the subject. Alright, well, there are right and wrong ways to fast spiritually speaking. I bring up prayer first, because to fast is to pray; and without prayer, a fast is vain and sinful, as would be a life without prayer. Prayer is not like talking to just anyone, we're speaking about talking to the very being who brought all life into existence, who sustains the very fabric of reality!!! Colossians 1:17 "He [that is Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together." 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 "Pray continually, and be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit" This means if we sin, we are still to be thankful to God afterwards for all His good majesty and glory and hidden deeds of good will towards all of creation. Also, remaining with Christ gives us opportunity to repent of our sin and begin fresh. Be cautioned though. No man or woman deserves His everlasting grace, and it is by the enduring hardship we face through our living faith that keeps us with God. For we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, so again. It's best not to stifle Him. "According to Ephesians 1:3-14, the plan of salvation is Trinitarian: We are chosen by the Father (vv.3-6), purchased by the Son (vv.7-12), and sealed by the Spirit (vv.13-14) and all of this is to the praise of God's glory! (Wiersbe 19)" In these things we continually have joy of thankfulness, praise and adoration of God. Don't you stifle the Holy Spirit by moping around feeling defeated when our Holy Bible tells us, we are "more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us!" Romans 8:37 However, there is a sharp difference of emotion that should evidence itself in our attitudes. When thinking about God we are to be elated, for His magnificence, and when thinking about ourselves we are to be happy for we are the blessing and inheritance of Yahweh our God (Psalm 127:3-5), but for our sins, in order to be thinking correctly, we should have a sober outlook; to mourn is appropriate. Sin is bad enough so that the effects of each incidence is death worthy, and Jesus Himself cried at death even though He had the power to raise his dead friend from the grave, which he did do. And it's this attitude that we use to fast like a humble Hebrew. In the ancient Hebrew culture, the idea to be humble was synonymous with sadness over sin; and apparently God agrees with this. James 4:9-10 "Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." Sin is grave. So don't respect it. Search out your heart with God in this moment and analyze that excuse you use for what it really is. Fasting is a time of reflection, and purging to humble yourself before the Lord and dig deep to the thoughts you think when you're tempted and throw them aside. For what we think is where will be tomorrow. James 1:15 "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." When fasting is appropriate and good:

Times of sorrow and grief (1 Sam. 31:13; 2 Sam. 1:12, 12:16; Neh. 1:4).
Accompanied with repentance (1 Sam. 7:6; Jon. 3:5; Acts 9:9).
Great religious events (Ex. 34:28; Mat. 4:2; Acts 13:2-3).
Personal service toward God (Luke 2:37; Acts 10:30; 1Cor. 7:5).
Times of making important decisions (Acts 14:23).

The Pharisees fasted differently than humble Hebrews though. This is what Jesus said on the matter: Luke 18:1-4 "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Are you the man who looks up, proud of his accomplishments when your done fasting? Or are you the one saying my sin is grave and so it is with me? I cannot compare to the master Jesus. At your feet I put my head and my cares on you, Lord Jesus! ? The question is... is repentance about your greatness or about God's greatness? God's of course!!! Yet are we to keep a firm faith on our rewards of great stored up treasure in heaven, of honor and great glory as victors shared with Christ, because we achieve all good things through the power our humble God! Another point is made by Christ. Matthew 6:16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and deceive with their faces so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get." Don't force yourself to be sad if you're not sad. It may take much prayer or study to get to the point where your heart is genuinely able to be mournful over your sin for an extended period of reflective fasting, humble and honorable to God. Amen. A correct attitude towards fasting is not "I won't eat, as much as, I can't eat" because of the urgency of the situation. Jesus gave power to His disciples to cast out demons and heal the sick, but one demon they encountered was too strong for them to drive out. Jesus said "some come out only by prayer and fasting." This is the evidence pragmatic theologians use to say that fasting adds power to prayer. It should be noted that fasting can be of food, or food and water, but it can also be of other addictive substances, or really anything that you think is hindering your walk with the loving Father. It is a helpful practice I have found to pray whenever the hunger pang hits, or break out the Bible and read, thank, praise worship. Make a day of it. Just for you and God. Take a day off of work to thank God for life and to say you miss Him. If we can take a day off for our wife or children, why can't we do it for God, right? Also doing it with church members, family, friends, ect is a cooperative, unified, organized way to bless God in heaven and makes for good bonding. It's especially good for relationships that need healing! This link is pivotal to the message it's an audio on biblegateway of Isaiah 58. http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Isa.58 Remember if you try this and think it's too hard, remember, Jesus was a human, and He did it for 40 days!!! May God bless you and keep you. Shalom!

Citations:
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Basic: Believing the Simple Truth of God's Word : OT Commentary, Genesis 1-11. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010. Print.
"JESUS IS QUESTIONED ABOUT FASTING." JESUS IS QUESTIONED ABOUT FASTING. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.
"BibleGateway.com - Audio Bible." BibleGateway.com - Audio Bible. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

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Hi. I'm Brandon. May Jesus bless you.

If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but donâ€™t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but donâ€™t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but donâ€™t have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind; love doesnâ€™t envy. Love does not parade itself, is not proud, doesnâ€™t behave itself inappropriately, doesnâ€™t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil, doesnâ€™t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remainâ€”these three. The greatest of these is love.