Prayer and Fasting

[dinadina]

What exactly does praying and fasting mean? I hear this often but I don’t understand it completely. I’ve heard that if you fast, your prayer will be stronger? How long does one fast? When does one fast? What do you fast (food)? I am very curious.

Blessings,
Dinadina

 

[moosears]

What exactly does praying and fasting mean? I hear this often but I don’t understand it completely. I’ve heard that if you fast, your prayer will be stronger? How long does one fast? When does one fast? What do you fast (food)? I am very curious.

Blessings,
Dinadina

Fasting is normally abstinence from food. There used to be a 40 day fast that was imposed on the whole Church during the season of Lent to make proper preparation for Easter. The rules for fasting were as follows: you can only have one full meal with meat per day but two small meals may be taken, both together cannot equal the size of the main meal. This may not be entirely correct but it went something along those lines.

We give greater efficacy to our prayers this way because, as we mortify the body we elevate the soul to God. See the relation? Weaken the body strengthen the soul. We must be careful when performing bodily mortifications because we are not allowed to injure ourselves. However in this day of fast food, fasting it is probably needed more than ever. Here are some good scripture verses regarding fasting: Matt. 4:1-11 & 6:16-18 & 17:14-20, Acts 13:1-3, Jonas 3:1-5. I hope this helps.

 

[littleone]

**People tend towards the flesh, in what you would like, what they want or desire to have , do, places to go, or to watch, or read. **

"Fasting is placing yourself in a position where you realize to an extent, your fleshly desires as mentioned above. Hence, to gain some form of “control” over the flesh you fast against that which is “hindering” you (holding you back from Loving God).

Fasting also tends you much more towards the spirit of God hence allowing God a greater ability to enter you and for you to “hear Him” “follow His words” follow His wishes of you". Also to see others needs, and to draw nearer to “loving God in the way He wishes”. NOT by a very humanistic approach.

Godbless