Question:
What is the right way of fasting for God?
?
2013-06-11 15:13:36 UTC
does fasting make one pure if done from the heart?
does it please God and does it help to receive forgiveness for sins?
Eleven answers:
2013-06-11 15:15:00 UTC
which god?
?
2013-06-11 22:28:54 UTC
There is no "Right way" to fast.



Some give up all food [liquids only diet]



Others give up sweets or junk food, TV, other entertainment, for a set amount of time.



The purpose is to cleanse body and spirit. Replacing time formerly used for the things one is fasting from with Bible study, praise and worship, prayer, etc. does draw us closer to God.



It is simple math: like any relationship we get closer by spending more time with the other person or God. It is never a "works" as in the hopes of earning our salvation or favor from God.



Blessing you with fasting for the right reason.
2013-06-11 22:41:20 UTC
"does fasting make one pure if done from the heart?" No. God is as All-Knowing on your Conception Day as you believe Him to be today, and on your death day.



"does it please God and does it help to receive forgiveness for sins?"

Yes and No. because:

"Sin: an action that can only exist in either an Evil God's presence (applicable to an All-Knowing God), or an Ignorant Gods presence.(Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



In order to practice believing in sin, you must either deny God His Omniscience or deny the bible.
lawrenceba549
2013-06-11 22:17:46 UTC
The only "right" way of fasting is to replace with prayer with whatever you are fasting from.

Pray instead of snacking, watching TV or movies, or whatever it is you are giving up in your fast.

Praying always pleases God, and always helps you in forgiveness.

Before embarking on any fast, however, speak with your priest or pastor for advice tailored specifically to you.
yesmar
2013-06-11 22:16:14 UTC
One doesn't fast "for" God. One fasts to get closer to God.



Fasting, or doing without something for awhile ( it doesn't have to be food ), is an exercise in "denying yourself". We are to train our bodies and minds that we are in control, not our environment, an environment that replaces getting our life and identity from Jesus Christ with things like food, technology, TV, our looks, our wealth, etc.



It pleases God that we follow his recommendations, but in and of itself, it does nothing for God and he neither loves us more or less because of it, or from lack of it.
2013-06-11 22:15:57 UTC
Please read Isaiah chapter 58. It's all there.





“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

only a day for people to humble themselves?

Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed

and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness[a] will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the Lord’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,

and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Tim
2013-06-11 22:26:59 UTC
Matthew 15

11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
2013-06-12 01:09:51 UTC
Hint; intimacy, Jesus went away from all things to fast for forty days, THEN came Satan to tempt Jesus, just where did Satan come from? Then Satan offered kingdoms of the world.
?
2013-06-11 22:15:44 UTC
By not doing for some god thing or for anyone else.
?
2013-06-11 22:26:17 UTC
Hi Angel! In, Bible times, people fasted for various reasons that met with divine approval. Some fasted to express extreme sorrow or repentance for sins (1 Samuel 7:4-6), to implore God’s favor or seek his guidance (Judges 20:26-28; Luke 2:36, 37), or to sharpen one’s concentration while meditating.—Matthew 4:1, 2. The Bible, however, also refers to fasts that God did not view with favor. King Saul fasted before consulting a spirit medium. (Leviticus 20:6; 1 Samuel 28:20) Wicked people, such as Jezebel as well as the fanatics who planned to kill the apostle Paul, proclaimed fasts. (1 Kings 21:7-12; Acts 23:12-14) The Pharisees were well-known for their regular fasting. (Mark 2:18) Yet, they were condemned by Jesus, and they failed to impress God. (Matthew 6:16; Luke 18:12) Likewise, Jehovah ignored the fasts of certain Israelites because of their bad conduct and wrong motives.—Jeremiah 14:12. These examples show that it is not the act of fasting in itself that pleases God. However, many sincere servants of God who did fast met with divine approval. So should Christians fast? The Mosaic Law ordered the Jews to “afflict [their] souls,” that is, to fast, once a year on Atonement Day. (Leviticus 16:29-31; Psalm 35:13) This was the only fasting that Jehovah ever commanded his people to do. Jews who lived under the Mosaic Law would have obeyed that command. But Christians are not required to observe the Mosaic Law.—Romans 10:4; Colossians 2:14. Although Jesus did fast as the Law required, he was not known for this practice. He told his disciples how they were to act if they chose to fast, but he never commanded that they fast. (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14) Why, then, did Jesus say that his disciples would fast after his death? (Matthew 9:15) This was not a command. Jesus’ words simply suggest that at his death his disciples would feel deep sorrow and would lose the desire to eat. Two Biblical accounts of early Christians who did fast show that if with good motive a person chooses to abstain from food, this is acceptable to God. (Acts 13:2, 3; 14:23) Christians, then, are under no obligation to fast. Yet, a person who chooses to do so should be alert to certain dangers. One pitfall to avoid regarding fasting is self-righteousness. The Bible warns against adopting “mock humility.” (Colossians 2:20-23) Jesus’ illustration of the proud Pharisee who publicized their fasting, felt morally superior to others because of his regular fasting leaves no doubt that God rejects such an attitude.—Luke 18:9-14. Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus counseled that fasting should be a private matter, between you and God, and that you should not announce it to others. One should never think that fasting somehow compensates for sinning. To be acceptable to God, a fast must be accompanied by obedience to his laws. (Isaiah 58:3-7) Heartfelt repentance is what leads to the forgiveness of sins. (Joel 2:12, 13) The Bible emphasizes that we receive forgiveness by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness expressed through the sacrifice of Christ. —Romans 3:24, 27, 28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8, 9. Isaiah 58:3 illustrates another common error. The Israelites suggested that Jehovah owed them something in return for their fasting, as if by fasting, they were doing God a favor. Many today likewise think that because of their fasting, they can expect God to perform some favor for them in return. May we never imitate such a disrespectful and unscriptural attitude! Others believe that it is possible to earn merit by submitting the body to discomfort through fasting, whipping themselves, or the like. God’s Word condemns this notion, showing that “a severe treatment of the body” is “of no value in combating” wrong desires.—Colossians 2:20-23. Fasting is not obligatory; nor is it wrong. It may be beneficial in some circumstances if the dangers mentioned above are avoided. Fasting, however, is not the focus of acceptable worship. Jehovah is “the happy God,” and he wants his servants to be happy. (1 Timothy 1:11) His own Word says: “There is nothing better for them than . . . that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.”—Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13.

Our worship should be characterized by joy, but the Bible never associates fasting with happiness. Whether we choose to fast or not, we should avoid judging others. Among true Christians, there should be no controversy over this subject, “for the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but means righteousness and peace and joy with holy spirit.”—Romans 14:17.



Free Bible Study Link: Answers to Common Bible Questions

https://www.jw.org/en/free-bible-study/ http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/
2013-06-11 22:15:03 UTC
There's no such things as gods, so you might as well enjoy your dinner because the only effect of missing it is that you'll still be hungry.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...