Concept of Fasting.

First, let’s study the principle of fasting. In the Bible, fasting occurs when there is a need for a spiritual breakthrough due to the burdens of life.These burdens could be emotional, circumstantial, relational, ministerial, directional, or any other kind. Fasting is the way that the saints of God received a breakthrough to direct them and help them deal with the crisis in their lives.

This question  has been asked over again .”WHAT IS FASTING”? Fasting is a deliberate abstinence from physical gratification—usually going without food for a period of time—to achieve a greater spiritual goal. Fasting is intentionally denying the flesh in order to gain a response from the spirit. It means renouncing the natural in order to invoke the supernatural. When fasting, you say “no” to yourself and “yes” to God. In Zechariah 7:5-6, we read the words of the Lord: “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves?’” When we eat, we eat for ourselves. We eat because we need to, and sometimes we eat just because we can. The only reason to eat is for our own benefit. But God tells us in these verses from Zechariah that when we fast, we fast for Him. When we fast we are saying that the cry of our souls is greater than the cry of our stomachs. It is important that God feeds us and meet our spiritual needs.

Philippians 1:21 Paul says: “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Jesus also explains the sacrifice of a true believer: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). James 4:10 says: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”IT IS BOTH HUMBLING AND FREEING TO BOW DOWN  BEFORE GOD AND CONFESS THAT HE IS LORD AND THAT HE HAS ALL THE POWER AND GLORY.

Fasting is one way to bow down to God and acknowledge your need for Him in all areas of your life.

Bishop Mike has encourages us to fast from 1st October to 31st of the month, he also encourages us to let our mind focus on the word of GOD at this moment of Fast because God  is willing to meet us in our place of needs.