Acceptable Fast

It has come to that period of the year that we all as a congregation deliberately look up to
God, waiting upon Him in fasting and prayer, leading us into the week of congregational
revival and afterward, annual thanksgiving service. It has become an annual tradition in IBC,
and we thank God for this godly heritage. But we must take caution so that we don’t get lost
in the euphoria and activities, going through the motions without maximising the spiritual
benefits this season has to offer. As we begin to wait on the Lord together from today and
throughout this week, may the Lord strengthen our hands and empower us to be actively
involved in this exercise.

SOME SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR CONGREGATIONAL FAST
Joel 2:12-13
Esther 4: 12-16
Ezra 8: 21-23
Acts 13: 1-3
Acts 14: 23

Fasting and prayer are indispensable for any individual or any church that will consistently
operate in the realm of the supernatural. The great men of old fasted and prayed, and they
experience the power of God. The Apostles and people of the early church fasted and prayed, and God never disappointed them. Jesus fasted and prayed (Matthew 4: 1-2; Luke 4: 1-2) as a way to declare mastery over human nature and be led by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also approves fasting (Matthew 6: 17; 17:21).

SOME SCRIPTURAL BENEFITS OF FASTING (Isaiah 58: 8-9; 11-12; 14)
1. Divine Visitation (v.8)
2. Divine Acceleration (v.8)
3. Divine Enclosure (v.8)
4. Divine Response/Answered Prayer (v.9)
5. Divine Guidance (v.11)
6. Divine Satisfaction (v.11)
7. Divine Strengthening (v.11)
8. Divine Flourishing (v.11)
9. Divine Restoration (v.12)
10. Divine Joy/Celebration (v.14)
11. Divine Triumph (v.14)
12. Divine Compensation (v.14)

SOME WRONG PERCEPTIONS ABOUT FASTING (Isaiah 58: 2-5)
1. When Fasting is seen as a mere religious exercise
2. When Fasting is seen as showmanship
3 When Fasting is seen as a display of physical appearance.
4. When Fasting is seen as a way to bribe/impress or change the hand of God
5. When Fasting is seen as an event/program

GOD’S STANDARD OF ACCEPTABILITY (Isaiah 58:6-7; 10)
What we call fasting sometimes is far from God’s expectation. It is actually ‘hunger strike’ or mere abstinence from food. The kind of fast God approves is predicated on RELATIONSHIP.
It is self-deception to think you have a healthy relationship with God when your human
relationship is defective. If it is our ultimate desire to please God, then we must align with the kind of fast God has chosen (v.6). This kind of fasting has to do with:
 Genuine Repentance (v. 6)
 Release (v.6)
 Restitution (v.6)
 Sharing and Caring for the Needy (7)
 Spending time to Pray (v.9). Fasting is scarcely mentioned in isolation in the Bible. It is
usually combined with prayer/worship.