Consecration: Fasting

In the Old Testament, they would consecrate by taking a bath, fasting, and washing and wearing clean clothes. They would sanctify themselves with cleanliness. In addition to that, they would refrain from anything that would make them unclean ceremonially or spiritually. Perhaps this was because water wasn’t always used for hygienic reasons during that time. In some places, it was considered a luxury. So as a sacrament of their hearts, they offered themselves, clean and wholly unto God (Exodus 19 and Joshua 3:5).

In the New Testament, we consecrate with the same spirit of worship. We cleanse ourselves not so much with water but with the washing and renewing of their word, Ephesians 5:26. We present our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and acceptable unto God, Romans 12:1-2. Matthew chapters six and seven give us very practical ways to consecrate: fasting, praying, and sacrificial giving.

Consecration in the New Testament calls on you to:

- Refrain from what is restraining you

- Remove idols

- Repent for actions and attitudes

- Remember the assignment

In a very practical way, that means giving more time to prayer and the word, fasting (abstaining from food), and sowing sacrificial seeds where God tells you to. Over the next couple of days, I want to unpack what each of these means in a practical way and what you can do to prepare for a time of consecration in your own life.

Quick Facts about Fasting:

- Is not a diet

- Is not a hunger strike

- Does not move God; it moves you

- Is not magic or mystical

When should we fast?

1. Before entering new phases of life and ministry. Jesus spent forty days and nights in the wilderness fasting and praying before He began God’s work on this earth. He needed time alone to prepare for what His Father had called Him to do (Matthew 4:1-17; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-14). Paul and Barnabas were praying, fasting, and ministering to the Lord when they were launched into apostolic ministry (Acts 13:1-3).

2. To seek God’s wisdom. Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted for the elders of the churches before committing them to the Lord for His service (Acts 14:23).

3. During a time of grief. Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed when he learned Jerusalem’s walls had been broken down, leaving the Israelites vulnerable and disgraced (Nehemiah 1:1-4).

4. To seek deliverance or protection. Ezra declared a corporate fast and prayed for a safe journey for the Israelites as they made the nine-hundred-mile trek to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezra 8:21-23).

5. To repent. After Jonah pronounced judgment against the city of Nineveh, the king covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust. He then ordered the people to fast and pray. Jonah 3:10 says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.”

6. To gain victory. After losing forty thousand men in battle in two days, the Israelites cried out to God for help. Judges 20:26 says all the people went up to Bethel and “sat weeping before the Lord.” They also “fasted that day until evening.” The next day the Lord gave them victory over the Benjamites.

7. To worship God. Luke 2 tells the story of an eighty-four-year-old prophetess named Anna. Verse 37 says, “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Anna was devoted to God, and fasting was one expression of her love for Him.

How Should We Fast?

I get this question often. And while I can’t tell you what type of fast you should do, I believe the word gives plenty of examples of fasting. Wisdom says that you start with the word and allow the Holy Spirit to give you a fast that is appropriate for where you are in life and what He wants to say and do in you. Read these scriptures and meditate on the type of fast each one describes. It would be a good thing to research what prompted the fast and what happened because of the fast. From there, you’ll be able to scope how fasting should fit into your journey with God. Please message me if you have questions!

1. 1-day fast - Judges 20:26

2. 3-day fast - Esther 4:16, Acts 9:9

3. 7-day fast - 1 Samuel 31:13

4. 10-day fast - Daniel 1:12

5. 14-day fast - Acts 27:33-34

6. 21-day fast - Daniel 10:3

7. 40-day fast - Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, 9:18, 1 Kings 19:8, Matthew 4:2-4

A few final thoughts on fasting:

What if every time you thought about food, you turned your thoughts to God? Engaged in an internal conversation with God through worship and prayer?

What if instead of snacking throughout the day, you grabbed your Bible and studied the scriptures for a few minutes?

What would happen if you allowed your passion for God and His presence to overshadow your desire for food and entertainment?