What happens in the spiritual world when we fast? After all, what is fasting? Which fast is more powerful, the 12-hour fast or the 24-hour fast? How does it work and why is fasting so important in a Christian’s life?
These frequently asked questions and questions will all be answered in today’s study, come with me.
First I want to make it very clear to you what fasting really is!
Fasting is the practice of not eating or drinking anything for a period previously established and combined with God himself, in order to kill our carnal desires.
But, understand that biblical fasting is not a mere diet! Even because on a diet you don’t eat or drink, but at no time do you seek God.
Already practicing fasting pleasing to the Lord, you necessarily seek and converse with God.
In a practical way, when we fast, we invite Master Jesus to work in our lives and burn everything that is useless in our minds.
Let’s take a brief reading of the Word of the Lord in the book of Daniel chapter 9 and verse 3:
“And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek him with prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. ( Daniel 9:3 )”
Note that Daniel (as well as the Lord Jesus in his temptation in the desert ) fasted to God so that the Most High could work in his life.
Therefore, obviously, we Christians must use this tool, this weapon to feel the presence of God operating in our daily lives.
4 Things That Happen in the Spirit World During the Fast
By fasting and praying we become sensitive to things from above, that is, we draw closer to the Lord and strengthen our spirit, in addition to receiving more spiritual understanding and more power over the enemy.
Fasting creates an atmosphere called ‘ God’s presence and authority ‘, with which the demons eventually recognize and lose their dominion.
Not to mention, fasting increases the power of prayer and hastens the answers.
We are spirit, soul, and body, and when we fast, we begin to monitor our thoughts, feelings, words, attitudes, and reactions more closely…
In other words, we absolutely and 100% watch over our spirit! By doing this, we are strengthening it! And when our spirit is strong, we take possession of authority in the spirit world.
You become more sensitive to the voice of God
The best thing to do during a fast is simply to pray and read the Bible because fasting will help you understand God’s voice much better.
Read with me what is recorded in Daniel chapter 10 and verse 3:
“I did not eat desirable food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I anoint myself with ointment, until the three weeks were completed. ( Daniel 10:3 )”
Prophet Daniel at this time needed to receive new guidance and revelation from God, for this he spent 3 weeks (21 days) fasting.
And God answered the Prophet with great grace and depth!
Beloved, if we begin to fast and pray we will receive even deeper revelations than we are receiving today.
Fasting (biblical, wholesome and principled) really works! It was not for nothing that Daniel received his answers.
satan tempts us
Satan will try in every way to prevent you from fulfilling the purpose of fasting that you have signed with God.
The text of Mark chapter 1 from verses 12 to 13 reveals this truth, see:
“And immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.
There he was in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. And he dwelt among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. ( Mark 1:12,13 )”
It was the Spirit of God who instructed Jesus Christ to go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus stayed there for 40 days fasting. The Bible tells us that wild beasts and satan were in the desert tempting him, but the angels of the Lord served him.
Do you understand? Satan will indeed tempt you during the practice of fasting, but the Sovereign God will order his angels to serve and guard him.
People Unwittingly Possessed by Demons Come to Tempt You
Beloved, during fasting Satan tempts us mainly to fall into the mire of sin, he puts adverse things and people in our life in order to make us break the purpose with God.
So when practicing and establishing a fast, keep vigilance, sometimes the enemy even uses television to make you sin.
Another common situation that happens is that when you are fasting, people start to offer you big feasts (food, leisure time, etc.).
I tell you truly, the devil himself promotes this, for he wants you to break the fast. Be careful, because if you fall into this trap, consequently the devil will gain strength in your life.
You’re in the middle of fasting and people come up to you saying things like, “Fasting is silly, fasting is Old Testament stuff, it has nothing to do with today…”
Listen, the devil uses these people to try to get you to stop so that you lose the blessing and power you were about to receive.
Jesus himself said that the disciples were unable to cast out a certain class of demons because they did not pray or fast.
Only prayer and fasting could cast out that kind of demons mentioned in Matthew 17.
Jesus was very clear in his statement and you believe in some false prophet saying that it is not necessary to fast…
God’s blessings descend upon you
Thank goodness for that! Let’s go to a text of the word located in Ezra 8: 23:
“So we fasted and asked our God for this blessing, and he answered us. ( Ezra 8:23 )”
Here Ezra needed to return to Jerusalem, he chose to pray and fast for this purpose and God delivered him from all his enemies.
But I want to tell you that the practice of biblical fasting is not only about bringing spiritual blessings, but also physical ones, such as protection and deliverance.
Why should we fast?
We must fast in order to be closer and closer to God, and this is and will always be the main reason, all others are secondary.
Behind the sins that dominate us, the personal failures, the many evils that affect the church and obstruct the channels of God’s blessing, behind all this lies the pride of the heart of man.
Fasting is a divine corrective that prepares the earth, breaks pride, disciplines the body, and humbles the soul.
I have to tell you that the practice of fasting gives wings to prayer; it gives power to petitions, for prayer is warfare against opposing forces. The man who prays and fasts testifies to heaven that he wants what he seeks.
What’s more, fasting and praying will certainly help you win spiritual battles, because by fasting we are more spiritually connected to God.
For example, Esther, before speaking to the king to resolve a problem that seemed impossible, established a three-day fast ( Esther 4:15-17 ).
There are cases of need all around us, and the Lord wants us to have the authority to face the evil forces around us.
“In my name, they will cast out demons” ( Matthew 17:21; Mark 16:7 ).
Signs You Need to Fast
Beloved, above all, understand that fasting does not change God, fasting changes you!
And there are clear signs that the spiritual and physical world gives us what we need to fast (to discipline ourselves) urgently, such as:
- In situations where you feel engulfed by adversity, it even seems that you are about to drown in problems;
- Your spiritual life is regressing (love has cooled down, you no longer pray as before and you feel that your spiritual hunger has disappeared);
- You have been having dreams that are actually spiritual attacks (nightmares, dreams with spirits coming to sexually abuse you, etc.);
- In case you are feeling some strange presence, hearing voices, and visualizing figures;
Other symptoms that characterize the lack of fasting in the believer’s life are simple carnal emotions, such as Anxiety, restlessness, and fear of the future.
If all these things or some of them have taken you by surprise if you need guidance and divine revelation, a sign that you need to fast.
Fast and watch it happen
Read with me a few more things that happen in the Spiritual World (and these things almost always appear in the physical) during our fast :
- God gives deliverances, just as He did to Ezra on his return to Jerusalem. You will travel? Do a fast! Is someone threatening you? Fast!
- The Lord increases our faith against demons. All authority has already been given to us at Calvary, we just need faith to take ownership.
- God undoes man’s diagnoses, diseases, aches, and pains. All diseases are spiritual.
- God opens financial doors. Perhaps you are not getting a good job, if this is your case I suggest that you start praying and fasting so that you can see God acting in this area.
Finally, I say that you can practice the 12-hour fast, the 24-hour fast, and the Daniel fast, in short, there are no rules for this. The Holy Spirit will certainly instruct you as to the deadline and details.
But now that you know what fasting is and what it’s for, how about putting these teachings into practice today?
Without leaving it for tomorrow… When we hear (or rather read lol) a word like this we have to make a decision right away!
Start a fast now, because if you leave it for later you will end up forgetting.
Besides, fasting makes you lose weight, fasting is healthy and is very good for the body. You only gain by fasting!