Many churches set aside time for prayer and fasting at the beginning of the new year. This begs the question: what’s so spiritual about going hungry? Dr. David K. Bernard explains what the Bible says about fasting and why an empty stomach can bless your soul. He covers the biblical purpose of fasting in this podcast and how saying no to food can help you say yes to a closer relationship with God.
The Bible repeatedly refers to the practice of fasting, and in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus made the assumption that His followers would fast. Jesus said, “When you fast.” (See Matthew 6:16–18.) Then He gives guidelines: don’t boast in your fasting, don’t make a public show, don’t have a mournful expression and unkempt appearance, don’t tell people you are fasting. We don’t fast to earn salvation or blessings. Nor is fasting like a vending machine where you put in enough money and push the right buttons to get the answer you want. It’s a wrong approach to look at fasting to earn favors with God. All of God’s blessings are by grace and our prayers should be in accordance with the will of God.
When we fast, we set aside our physical necessities temporarily because we have greater spiritual needs. Click To TweetFasting is a way of establishing spiritual priorities and disciplines. When we fast, we set aside our physical necessities temporarily because we have greater spiritual needs. Fasting trains our bodies and minds to do the will of God regardless of physical desires.
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Resources and Links by Dr. David K. Bernard
To see Dr. Bernard’s books, click here.
Anchor Points – Securing a ship to a dock requires several mooring lines, or anchor points. Spiritually speaking, these anchor points represent the essential beliefs to which we secure our lives as well as the personal experiences that confirm these beliefs. In this series of essays David K. Bernard reexamines core Christian beliefs through the branch of theology termed “apologetics,” or a defense of the faith.
The New Birth – This book encourages all to receive the fullness of salvation that God has provided in Jesus Christ. The author presents biblical truth in an understandable yet scholarly way.
Spiritual Leadership in the Twenty-First Century – Spiritual Leadership in the Twenty-first Century provides a comprehensive introduction to spiritual leadership drawn from David K. Bernard’s extensive experience as a church planter, teacher, pastor, college and seminary president, and superintendent. Suited to preachers, pastors, or any leader in the local church, this book will be valuable as a training tool for those who are developing their ministry, a resource for those who are active in ministry, or as a general guide to exploring the possibility of a ministerial call.
thank you,for this enlightening message it has helped me to understand about fasting.
Yes. It’s nice Dr. Bernard defined what fasting is and is not.