THE REWARDS OF FASTING!
By Bibleman
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.†(Mt. 6:17,18)
When you fast in the right way the Lord promises to bless you and reward you! We are not to fast in a self-righteous way nor should we pursue our own personal pleasures or seek monetary profit while we are fasting (Mt. 6:16; Isa. 58:3). Fasting is a time to secretly and intimately humble ourselves before God in a penitent way and turn to Him with all of our hearts (Isa. 58:3; Joel 2:12). We are to enter fasting in a solemn, prayerful way with an attitude of sincere and sorrowful repentance (Joel 2:12,13). As we pray and fast we should also find ways to share the love of Christ by helping those in need (Isa. 58:7). The Bible tells us that if you fast the right way that God will quickly hear your requests and he will be moved with compassion and kindness to intervene on your behalf (Isa. 58:9; Joel 2:13,14). Find out how God can richly reward you and meet your needs through prayer and fasting!
DELIVERANCE
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?â€
The Lord is saying here that if you have sinful addictions, financial burdens, or any oppression or bondage from the enemy that you can be set free through fasting. Fasting done correctly will loosen the bands of wickedness in your life. It will undo from your life the bondages and enslaving yokes of the devil. Yes fasting will set you free from all the bondages, burdens, oppression, and yokes that you have allowed the enemy to sow into your life through your sins. Maybe you are a Christian who is bound by drugs, alcohol, rock music, pornography, gluttony, cigarettes, a love of money, or by an idol of some kind in your life, and you want to be set free? A repentant soul in bondage to the devil can be fully delivered and restored by the power of God through prayer and fasting!
RESTORATION
“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.†(Isa. 58:8)
Restoration always follows a cleansing and deliverance from sin. Both physical and spiritual restoration can take place. You can be healed in your body and in your spirit. When spiritual bondages are broken in your life your soul is restored to a newness of life in Christ. Often times physical health problems are a direct result of spiritual problems so once the spiritual problems are healed the physical ailments are also healed. The Bible also talks about financial restoration and blessings that are made possible to those who have come to repentance through prayer and fasting (Isa. 58:11; Joel 2:24-26). When God restores people financially he does not just return them to what they had originally but He goes far beyond that and multiplies back to them as much as twice what they had before (Job 42:10-12). The devil wants to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you, but God wants to heal you and restore you and offer you an abundant life that is only found in His Son Jesus Christ (Jn. 10:10).
SPIRITUAL LIGHT
“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning…†(Isa. 58:8)
Fasting and sincere repentance brings us into the light (Mic. 7:9). Darkness which represents evil and wickedness is the opposite of the light of Christ which is holiness and truth (Rom. 13:12). God’s Word is our spiritual compass or moral instructor that shows us how to live. The commandments of God are a lamp to us and His divine laws are a light that shows us the right path to walk on (Ps. 119:105; Pr. 6:23). Fasting helps us to be reproved and restored by God (Eph. 5:13,14). When we accept reproof the light of Christ begins to shine forth in our hearts expelling the darkness and spiritual blindness (2 Cor. 4:3-6). As we walk in the holiness and truth that is imparted to us our fellowship with Christ is restored and we are cleansed from our sins (1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Jn. 1:7). Because we walk on the right path, the gifts and graces of Christ are imparted to us, and we become shining beacons in a dark and sinful world (Mt. 5:13-16; Eph. 5:8-10). Regular prayer and fasting will enable God’s people to shine brighter and brighter until they reach the fruitfulness, holiness, and purity that He desires of them (Pr. 4:18; Mt. 5:48; Jn. 5:35; 1 Jn. 3:3).
HEALTH
“and thine health shall spring forth speedily…†(Isa. 58:8)
The Lord promises to heal you and restore you to good health very quickly if you will seek Him through prayer and fasting and help those around you who are in need (Isa. 58:7,8). We need to learn how to apply the healing that Christ has already provided for us in the atonement (Isa. 53:5). The Lord is the one who forgives us of our sins and heals us of every disease (Ps. 103:3). Fasting and righteous living will cause God to quickly intervene on your behalf to secure your healing.
RIGHTEOUSNESS
“and thy righteousness shall go before thee; (Isa. 58:8)
A righteous man obtains favor from God and He will not withhold any good thing from him. If we put God first and seek His righteousness through prayer and fasting He will provide for us all that we need (Mt. 6:33). Grace reigns in our life through righteousness only when we place Christ on the throne of our hearts (Rom. 5:21). We must kick sin out of our lives and live in a way that pleases God. (Rom 6:4-10). Fasting helps us to gain victory over the areas of sin our lives that we may become the servants of righteousness that God has called us to be (Joel 2:12,13; Rom. 6:11-23).
GUIDANCE
“And the Lord shall guide thee continually…†(Isa. 58:11)
Another reward of fasting and righteous living is to be continually guided and directed in all we do by the Lord (Ps. 37:23; Pr. 11:5). Maybe you need guidance to choose the right career or mate? If more people would fast and pray and seek guidance from the Lord before getting married there would be a lot less divorce and heartache among God’s people. The Lord is willing to guide you in everything if you will seek to know what His plans are for you through prayer and fasting (Dan. 10)
PROSPERITY
“And the Lord shall…satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.†(Isa. 58:11)
Fasting and righteous living will bring prosperity and success into your life. You will thrive and be fruitful like a watered garden and droughts and financial problems will not affect you (Ps. 1:3). Obedience and the fruits of righteousness will abundantly bring God’s favor and blessings into your life (Deut. 28:2-6, 11-13; Josh. 1:8). Obedience will allow you to successfully survive every storm of life (Lk. 6:45-49). The Bible says that the consequences for disobedience are curses, sickness, financial hardship, calamities, divorce, heartache, disaster, and troubles of all kinds (Pr. 1:22-33). Repentant fasting will change your circumstances and bring God’s favor and blessings into your life (Joel 2:12-26; Isa. 58)
