The Sermon on the Mount

How to Fast: A Hunger and Thirst for God; Matthew 6:16-18

 

I.       Fasting in the Old Testament

• I Samuel 7:1-14, Fasting as a Mark of Repentance
• I Samuel 31, Fasting as a Mark of Mourning over Saul’s Death
• II Samuel 12, Fasting and Praying as a Plea for Help from God
• Ezra 8, Fasting and Praying for Traveling Safety
• Nehemiah 1, Fasting and Praying for the City of Jerusalem
• Esther 4, Fasting and Praying for Deliverance from an Evil Plot against the Jews
• Daniel 9, Fasting and Praying for Divine Revelation

II.      Fasting in the New Testament

• Matthew 4, Fasting and Praying by Jesus as a Mark of Spiritual Discipline
• Acts 13:1-3, Fasting and Praying at Antioch for Divine Guidance about Missions
• Acts 14:21-23, Fasting and Praying by Paul and Barnabas for Divine Guidance for the Selection of Church Leaders

III.    Fasting Connected With

• Prayers of Repentance and Forgiveness
• Prayers for Help in the Midst of a Great TrialPrayers for Wisdom or Revelation from God
• Prayers for Spiritual Disciple and a Greater Love of God

IV.     Warning Concerning Fast

• Fasting to be seen versus “being seen while fasting”
• Fasting with Joy
• Fasting for the Father

Conclusion: Fasting allows believers to express our love for God as being greater than any other love in this world.  Fasting provides expression to our desire to repent of our sins, to seek God’s help in the midst of our trials, to strive for God’s wisdom in the midst of difficult decisions, and to grow in our dependents upon God in every aspect of our lives.  Ultimately fasting is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline that causes us to draw closer to God.