The Rewards of Fasting

The chapter we looked at last week underscored the impact of fasting on our prayers, and I want to take this week to pause, step outside of Murray's book and share some more on this critical topic of fasting. Although it has been largely neglected by the western Church, the Holy Spirit is awakening His people to this practice as we prepare for the end of the age.

I'll preface this material with an encouragement to you to take baby steps in fasting if it's not part of your life in God. We have a lot of fear related to fasting, and the fear is worse than the actual practice. If you're just beginning, I would encourage you to start with one meal a week, then increase that to two meals a week until you are fasting regularly for at least a day a week. The following is taken from the book "The Rewards of Fasting" by Mike Bickle. (Another excellent book on fasting is Mark Nysewander's "The Fasting Key".)

“Matthew 6:17-18…Saying ‘yes’ to the fasted lifestyle and positioning our hearts before a Bridegroom God in fasting is a marvelous invitation from the Lord and there are many rewards to be reaped. What we must know from the beginning of this journey, however, is that may of these rewards are at first hidden from us because they are internal rewards, related to our intimacy with God. They are centered around that which touches the heart and thus are often difficult to recognize easily or quickly.” - Mike Bickle

Five Rewards of Fasting (Bridegroom fast):
1. Fasting tenderizes and sensitizes our hearts to receive more of God. Fasting in faith tenderizes our emotions. The human heart is naturally prone to hardness and dullness toward God, and there’s no neutral ground when it comes to our heart’s posture towards God. We are either moving toward Him or away from Him; without intentionality, the heart will move away from Him. Through fasting, in time we begin to recognize that our ability to experience God’s affections and beauty is growing; increased anointing to live with the first and great commandment first in our lives comes.

2. Fasting enlarges our capacity for a righteous and focused life. Through fasting our desires begin to change. We know from Scripture that Jesus loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Psa. 45 says that’s why He is such a glad Person!), and He wants to impart this same passion to us. By nature fallen humans love sin and hate righteousness; through fasting our emotional chemistry is gradually changed and our desires change. Over time we realize how passionate we are for holiness, and being strengthened in righteousness causes us to become immovable and steady. The monastics practiced what they called “holy detachment” from lesser things/loves in order to focus on first love. This doesn’t mean not doing the lesser duties of life but doing them with a burning and lovesick heart.

3. Fasting illuminates the mind with revelation. The Bridegroom fast sharpens the mind and enhances the amount of revelation we can receive from God; and our understanding of life begins to transcend some of the common-held values of our culture (even Church culture), freeing us from pettiness that bogs us down. Some “deep things” (I Cor. 2:7-10) that God wants to reveal to His own:
a. Deep love and affection – Eph 3:18-19;Rom. 2:4
b. Deep displeasure – Ps 2:5;Isa 63:5-6
c. Deep judgments – complex in purpose and nature. (Ps 36:6; Rom 11:33)
d. Deep thoughts – hidden plans of the mystery of God. (Ps 92:5; Rom 11:33;
1 Cor 2:7-8; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26; Luke 19:42)
e. Deep wisdom – administration of His plans. (Rom 11:33;Col 2:3)
f. Deep knowledge – possesses vast information. (Rom11:33)
g. Deep secrets – hidden manna. (Dan 2:22;Deut. 29:29;Prov 3:32)

4. Fasting strengthens a sense of our spiritual identity. Within the human heart is a deep cry to know who we are and that we matter to someone. There is a yearning to know and to feel the reality of our identity as sons or daughters of the Father in heaven and as the Bride of the Son. The bridegroom fast strengthens us in this identity. Without this revelation, we flounder around focused on ourselves, wondering if we’re doing it all right or what God and people are thinking of us – very self-conscious. No one can live differently from this without divine power at work in him/her. Our true and full identity as God’s beloved child comes only through the ongoing revelation of His unconditional love and affections for us.

5. Fasting equips our bodies and enhances our physical health and spiritual intimacy. We commonly think of intimacy with God as purely spiritual with no relationship to our physical body, but this is not true. Spirit, soul, and body are intricately woven together in the human frame, so what we do with our body impacts our spiritual life. Food often becomes a false god to us, so fasting is God’s grace-filled gift for helping dethrone it. Fasting also helps us avoid over-indulging in legitimate physical appetites so that the life of the Spirit in us is not quenched. “Bad diets, bodies filled with toxins and poisons, poor exercise and excessive overworking without a Sabbath rest all rob us of our physical strength. Part of being wholehearted toward God is cooperating with His physical principles. Doing so gives us strength to engage in fasting and prayer.” I Peter 4:7

Lord, here we are, weak but genuine in our love for you...we long to know you. Thank you for this simple way of drawing near to You, the absent Bridegroom, through fasting. I ask you to give us grace to fast as we see the Day approaching; give us desire to seek after you in prayer and fasting so that our inner life is strengthened and established in Your love. Thank You that You hear our cry and are eager to help us! In the name of Jesus, Amen.