Fasting, by definition, is to voluntarily go without food or other items of importance to you for a spiritual purpose.

While there are times that you may have to fast for medical reasons or even other life reasons, our purpose for fasting is primarily and foremost for spiritual reasons. Our fasting is to invite God to download into us His plans and His agenda.

Fasting is an expression of humility and dependence on God. Fasting is more about replacing than it is about abstaining. It is about replacing the daily intakes of food, entertainment, and human contact with focused times of prayer, feeding on large amounts of the Word of God and spiritual listening.

One of the great benefits of spiritual fasting is a heighten awareness of God’s presence and power in our lives.

Fasting reminds us that in our lives, it is not that God has moved – we have. If you do not already know of the power and importance of fasting, here are some very important facts:

• Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament eras. For example, Moses fasted at least two recorded forty-day periods. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded His followers to fast, "when you fast," not if you fast.

• Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the "first love" for your Lord and result in a more intimate relationship with Christ.

• Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said, "I humble myself through fasting."

• Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.

• The Holy Spirit will set on fire the Word of God in your heart and His truth will become more meaningful to you!

• Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more personal experience.

• Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your own life and make you a channel of revival to others.

• Fasting as a means of worship, which must be God-centered, God-intended, and God-ordained.

• Fasting as preparation for God’s guidance and renewal (Daniel 9; Exodus 24)

• Fasting to reveal the things that control us and hinder our intimacy with God.

• Fasting to help keep our balance in life.

• Fasting and prayer are the only disciplines that fulfill the requirements of II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

• If you fast, you will find yourself being humbled. You will discover more time to pray and seek God's face. And as He leads you to recognize and repent of unconfessed sin, you will experience special blessings from God.