How Fasting Accesses The Spirit Realm
So, what is fasting and how can it help me go deeper in the things of God? I’m so glad you asked!
Anytime I want to know if I’m on track with my fast, I run to Isaiah 58. In Isaiah 58, God gives step by step how to fast in a way that pleases Him. Let’s look at what it says.
Isaiah 58 NLT (Please read the entire passage of scripture to really understand what God wants)
1
“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins!
2
Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.
3
‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
4
What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
5
You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?
6
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11
The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
12
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes.
13
“Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
14
Then the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor
and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Isaiah 58: 1- 5 is explaining how the people went on a fast to get what they wanted from God but did not fast according to God’s standard. When you fast, you are supposed to strip yourself of every pleasure of your flesh.
Your goal should be to break your flesh down and build up your spirit man. When people mourn the sudden death of a loved one, they barely eat, they don’t go out very much, and don’t even want to have fun. The flesh should be mourning the same way while you are fasting, because the flesh has to die literally. Losing weight from fasting is an example of the flesh dying.
The children of Israel in this passage were on a fast but still fighting and arguing with one another. They were treating their workers badly and spreading rumors about one another. God said they were pretending they wanted to hear from Him, but they were just going through the motions just to say they fasted. They gave half the work and wanted full pay. Brothers and sisters, we do this all the time. I know I have!
We must constantly check ourselves to make sure our hearts and motives are right when doing
things for God and for others. Let’s examine how God wants us to fast.
6
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
What I’ve learned from God is, He watches the way you treat people. When you do good for others, God always gives you, back what you gave them, but multiplied. When you read verse six, and you apply it to your life, God will free you the same way but in the spirit realm. He will break demonic strongholds and evil yokes off your life. You noticed how God said if you forgive them, I will forgive you? Well, this works the same way! When you fast, pray, and have mercy on people, evil bondages come off of you! Very simple!
7
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Now verse seven is one that EVERYONE skips on a fast. I never knew this until I actually started reading the Bible for myself. No one talks about how you are supposed to feed and help people on your fast. It’s so important to God, that he said it AGAIN in verse 10!
10
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
In verse seven, God says if you have any family members that you know could use your help while you are on your fast, help them! Get into the practice of helping even when you are not on a fast. I
guarantee, you will be blessed by it. Jesus said in Matthew 25: 35- 40 that when
you take care of those in need you are doing it unto Him. So, keep that in mind as you are helping
people.
13
“Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
The Sabbath is one day out of the week that was set aside for rest. Keep this scripture in mind everyday of your fast. Let’s say your fast is from 6am to 6pm. Don’t do things just to pass
time away, like scroll on social media and watch TV. Really give that time to the Lord and honor him on your fast.
Cut out the things you love the most and replace that time with seeking the Lord. If you’re not seeking God while you’re fasting, then you are just on a diet and you may as well go eat. Instead, pray and read the Word of God during the times you would be cooking or on social media.
Now if you do verses 6, 7, 10, and 13 correctly, look at your reward in verses 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14. If you make sure your heart is pure and follow these steps, you will be sure to get what you need from God.
What To Do VS. What Not To Do While Fasting
Matthew 6: 16-18
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Fasting is personal between you and God, not a show for everyone to
watch. When we do it right, we get major benefits, but when we do it wrong, it’s a waste of time.
Let’s take a look at some dos and don’ts while fasting.
Do’s
o Pray, Pray, Pray
o Read the word of God
o Listen to ANOINTED worship music. Music that will bring the presence of God.
o Read Biblical based books
o Listen to sermons
o Help someone in need. (Ask God to send them to you)
o Make sure their is NO sin in your life
Don’ts
o Watching things that has nothing to do with God
o Social Media
o Online Shopping
o On the phone for long periods of time
o If it doesn’t edify God, try to refrain from it
o Arguing, gossiping, rumors, strife
Whatever you are fasting for, make sure it lines up with God’s will. Be sure that your motive
behind fasting is pure. For example, don’t fast so God can give a bigger house, that you can’t afford, so you can flex for social media. Fast for the house because you genuinely need somewhere to stay or you need the space for your family.
Anytime you go to God, He is going to check your heart and your motives behind the reason you are asking for something. If your heart is not right, you may as well go sit down, watch a football game, and eat something because you are wasting your time!
Biblical Lessons Of Fasting and Why They Fasted
If you have any of the following situations in your life, try the fast that matches your situation. Now,
wait a minute. I know you are probably going to look at the fast that says no food and no water for three days like, I’M NOT TRYING TO DIE! Ha!
Work your way up to these fasts if you are not used to fasting. Try one day of no food or water and then eat and drink the next day. Then on the next fast try two days, no food, no water and then eat the next day. Then work your way up to however many days God tells you. I’m not a doctor, so please check with God and your doctor before you try any fast.
Esther Fast – No Food No water 3 days
Protection from the oppressors
People of Nineveh – 3 Days NO food NO water
The people of Nineveh fasted to repent and turn the heart of God.
Daniel Fast 21 Days Vegan and No lotions
Daniel Interceded for The Children of Israel’s sins and transgressions.
Jesus Fasted 40 days No food Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-14
Started his ministry, activated spiritual power, and killed the flesh from temptation.
Examples of Starter Fast That You Can Do
o 12 hour fast no food – example 6am-6pm or 12am-12pm
o Set a period of time to fast. For example fast for a week or two and do one day of fasting no food
and eat the next day. You can rotate until your week is up
o Set a 12 hour fast with no food and then, when it’s time to eat just eat fruits and vegetables
Not So Fun Fact
Did you know that witches and wizards fast against Christians all the time? They access power in the spirit realm for evil reasons. They will go on fast for months while we Christians only fast during January! Having sin in our lives, along with not having a prayer life, and not fasting regularly, is why we can not access the power or authority that was given to us! If you are not praying FOR your family, there is someone out there praying AGAINST your family! Rank up soldier!
Remember in the Bible when Pharaoh brought out his magicians against Mose and they were doing the same signs and wonders that Moses was doing? Then Moses started doing signs and wonders that they could not do? This is because their little powers are limited compared to God’s supreme power! God owns the power in the spirit realm, and you have access to it! Use it!
We serve the Almighty God, and we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, who distributes the power because all power is His! Make the commitment to do what it takes to access it today! It’s time to rank up brothers and sisters!
How To Make Fasting A Lifestyle – Keeping your Fire Hot
As a Christian, we should be fasting at least monthly. That’s the bare minimum. To keep your fire
hot, you should be fasting weekly. Jesus said “these kinds” do not come out but by prayer and fasting.
How do you know when you will run up on these kinds? How will you know when these kinds will run up on you? You got to stay strapped with power so you’re always ready to deal with any kind of demonic stronghold.
Let me ask you a question. Would you put your hand in the center of a bonfire and leave it there? No? Me either! Christians who constantly pray are like flaming fires to demons. The demons can’t really do anything with them. They stay away and wait until your prayer life dies, then they come in and attack! The devil is counting on you not being consistent in prayer. Remember that!
Think of prayer as a fire. Every time you pray, you put a couple of logs on the fire, to keep your fire hot. If you don’t pray the fire dies down. Now, think of fasting as gasoline. When you put gasoline on a fire what happens? It explodes! That’s how you look in the spirit realm to a demon and they are not going to play with you until you cool down. Stay on fire saints!
When I got saved, I immediately went on a fast. I told God I wasn’t coming off until He healed my son. He tested me and I ended up being on that fast for nine months. The entire nine months, the devil did everything he could to make me break the fast and give up! He came at me from every angle, but I didn’t stop because I was desperate for a change! I was tired and I knew that I had to do something different to get different results.
So, I fasted and prayed five times a day. I did not miss a prayer. No matter what I was doing, I stopped doing it and prayed. In my mind nothing was more important than prayer. During the process of fasting, I fell in love with God because I was getting closer and closer to Him. I was shedding off bad habits and changing drastically. He was shaping me and molding me, which is why He didn’t heal my son immediately.
He was developing me in the process, and I was committed to whatever he wanted to do with me. That’s when He healed my boy, and I will serve Him with my life just off of that one miracle alone. There were many miracles after that, which made me fall deeper and deeper in love with Him but fasting got me there.
After fasting for nine months, it became a lifestyle. It didn’t even feel like I was on a fast anymore. Fasting and praying should be the lifestyle of the body of Christ, but we lack discipline and consistency. We prefer Tik Tok, pancakes, and bacon over the power of God. Fasting and praying should be in our daily routines, but instead, bondages and yokes are in our routine, and this just should not be.
Tip
When you start praying consistently and incorporating fasting into your life. YOU WILL BE ATTACKED!! DO NOT STOP! This is just the devil throwing a fit because he knows you have authority over him. He knows that you have power over him. He does not want you to tap into that power!
Don’t you dare stop praying and fasting warrior! As a matter of fact, when he starts making your children, spouse and job act up, stop what you are doing and pray right there on the spot. Bind and paralyze the assignment of the enemy right there! Stop him in his tracks in the name of Jesus!
Challenge Yourself
I want to challenge you to pray three times a day and fast from midnight to noon for the next thirty days. Drink only water during this time. Make sure your prayer time equals out to two hours a day. That is forty five minutes in the morning, forty five minutes in the afternoon, and thirty minutes in the evening.
You can commit to five prayers a day with smaller prayer times if that suits your schedule.Whatever you commit to, DO NOT BREAK THE COMMITMENT!
On this fast, ask God to show you the purpose of your life and the root of the problems in your life. Take this seriously! God is going to reveal things to you in your dreams and in prayer. If you do this, you will get revelation and a deeper relationship with God. Once the thirty days are over, and you have gotten revelations, and dreams are coming back to back, don’t stop! Make this a lifestyle! This is a challenge you will not regret.
If you try this challenge pair Three Prayer Strategies To Elevate Your Prayer Life with your fast!
I know if you accept this challenge and apply the things in this article to your life, you will see a
major difference in your lifestyle!
I’m so excited for you and I hope this article blesses you like it blessed me!
With Love,
Your Sister Tiffani!
