I thought I would start out with when we don't fast. That would be for someone that has blood sugar issues (for lengthier fasts); or when we need physical strength for work or mental acumen to perform tasks.
I have stated the verse where Jesus casts out the demon where prayer and fasting were needed for that type of demon; thus the disciples couldn't cast it out ( Mark 9:29). It appears that Jesus expected the disciples to seek the Father through prayer as to the challenges to come; so that it could be revealed to them when fasting was needed. Christ of course had the power to do all things irregardless; but in His dependence on the Spirit so that He could "suffer all things as we did but without sin" ( Heb. 4:15) meant that He trusted in the Spirit for all of His miracles and actions.
Obviously; prayer is something we all should do constantly ( 1 Thess. 5:17). We are also to meditate day and night ( Joshua 1:8). We see how Christ was up all night in prayer before He picked His first group of Disciples; and how at the end the Disciples were to fight sleep due to sorrow ad exhaustion and pray to avoid temptation.
There is no set command for fasting; it appears to have been something the fear of God instigated for instance by the pagan king in Nineveh ( Jonah 3:7). Esther had a 3 day fast before appealing to the King to save her people and reveal her origin in chapter 4; verse 16. The King of Babylon fasted for a night when he was disturbed about Daniel being placed in the lion's den in Daniel 6. Churches these days probably do this much less often than should be done; certainly a short fast would be proper more often than long ones. There are health benefits as well; obviously one without water should be limited. It would seem that God intervened before 40 days without water in the case of Nineveh or it was a miracle they survived that long.
We are to be filled with the Spirit as we are emptied of ourselves.
I have stated the verse where Jesus casts out the demon where prayer and fasting were needed for that type of demon; thus the disciples couldn't cast it out ( Mark 9:29). It appears that Jesus expected the disciples to seek the Father through prayer as to the challenges to come; so that it could be revealed to them when fasting was needed. Christ of course had the power to do all things irregardless; but in His dependence on the Spirit so that He could "suffer all things as we did but without sin" ( Heb. 4:15) meant that He trusted in the Spirit for all of His miracles and actions.
Obviously; prayer is something we all should do constantly ( 1 Thess. 5:17). We are also to meditate day and night ( Joshua 1:8). We see how Christ was up all night in prayer before He picked His first group of Disciples; and how at the end the Disciples were to fight sleep due to sorrow ad exhaustion and pray to avoid temptation.
There is no set command for fasting; it appears to have been something the fear of God instigated for instance by the pagan king in Nineveh ( Jonah 3:7). Esther had a 3 day fast before appealing to the King to save her people and reveal her origin in chapter 4; verse 16. The King of Babylon fasted for a night when he was disturbed about Daniel being placed in the lion's den in Daniel 6. Churches these days probably do this much less often than should be done; certainly a short fast would be proper more often than long ones. There are health benefits as well; obviously one without water should be limited. It would seem that God intervened before 40 days without water in the case of Nineveh or it was a miracle they survived that long.
We are to be filled with the Spirit as we are emptied of ourselves.
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