Tag Archives: prayer

3 Reasons Why Most Christians Don’t Fast

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

I would say that most Christians these days don’t fast.  Here are three reasons why:

We have reacted against extremism.  Those whom we have read about in the Bible who have fasted, most of those in the early church who have fasted, and all the others we have talked about, I think were quite sincere and dedicated Christians; and I think their fasting was with right motives.  But I suspect that there were some that were off base, that is, they were extreme and legalistic.  Perhaps there were even some who were saying that you have to fast regularly in order to gain God’s acceptance.  I think this is why many people have revolted against fasting—because they don’t see the good side of it, only the negative side.  And so, because of those extremists, many have thrown it all out.  They say fasting is all bad, or it…

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Guidelines for Fasting

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

GUIDELINES FOR FASTING

 

Here are 16 guidelines for fasting taken from my book Prayer A to Z.  This list is very brief.  For more information you can get my e-book by clicking on Prayer A to Z.

 

1.  Most importantly, your fast must be a fast that God chooses.  If it is a fast that God chooses then He will lead you and give you the right motives.  You will be fasting for Him and not for any selfish reason (Is. 58:3-5).

 

2.  Pray about your fast and set objectives.  Before you start, make it clear in your mind how you believe God wants you to fast.  Then determine that you will fast that way.

 

3.  Be flexible in your fasting plans.  If you have planned to fast on a certain day, and, because of circumstances, it will not work out, move your fast to…

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Fasting Through the Centuries

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

In the Old and New Testament period, in the early church, in the church throughout the centuries, and in America and throughout the World people have fasted.

Fasting in the Old Testament.  According to Bible records, the practice of fasting among the Jews began with their great leader and deliverer, Moses.  He by far has given us the greatest (or most extreme) example.  For he fasted without food or water for forty days on two consecutive trips to Mount Sinai—eighty days and nights!  It had to be a miracle.  For no one in his own strength can fast much over three days without water.

Our next example was King David.  I think he fasted often, but there are only three instances recorded in the Bible: (1) He fasted with his men over the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1:12); (2) he fasted when he was in grief…

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Holy Birthing — DarylMadden

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Here a holy birthingAs the mist appearsSpirit is surroundingDrawing in the air Light of the ignitingOne of heaven’s glowSacred colors strokingOf gifting to bestow Life comes to awakenOf calling to ordainThe purpose is presentedIn God’s embrace, remain Come now soul of stirringAcknowledge God is hereTo lift the hearts surrenderThis morning is a prayer

Holy Birthing — DarylMadden

Fasting–What Jesus Taught about Fasting

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

 

Fasting is one of those things we would rather put out of our mind.  Food is just too good these days.  And who wants to suffer anyway.  But if you are serious about prayer, you really should think about it. 

The following is an excerpt from my ebook Basics of Prayer.

In the gospels there are two instances where Jesus taught fasting.  The first was in Matthew 6:16-18.  Here He taught fasting (along with giving and praying) as a presumed and necessary duty in the Christian life. In this passage, He did not say “if you want to fast,” or “if you feel like fasting,” He said, “when you fast.”  Therefore, Jesus taught Christians to fast (along with giving and praying) as a regular discipline and duty.              

What Jesus taught, basically, in this passage about fasting was that when we fast, just as with giving…

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How To Pray With Faith

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

Five Suggested Steps to Follow

 

1.  Live the life of faith.  Andrew Murray has stated, “Faith in the promise is the fruit of faith in the promiser.” I cannot have faith in what He has promised unless I have faith in Him as a person.  I must get to know Him and learn to trust Him.  Then I will grow to believe in what He says and promises.  Getting to know Him takes time, but perhaps not as much time as you think.   Eagerly pray and read your Bible every day.  Meditate on His Word every chance you get.  Then obey Him in everything He tells you.  Soon, sooner than you think, you will develop a close relationship with Him. You will love Him and trust Him.  This is the life of faith, and in this life there is much prayer.

 2.  Seek God’s will for every…

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Eight Ways to Increase Your Faith

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

In my last post I wrote a little on how to have great faith instead of little faith.  If you are still not sure how you can increase your faith (make your faith more complete or consistent) here are a few ideas—taken from my book Prayer A to Z. 

Eight Ways to Increase Your Faith

 

1.  Take your unbelief to God.  Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit and with His desire.  Surrender yourself completely to Him.  Be humble before Him and confess your sins and helplessness.  Be like the man who said to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mk. 9:24)!  Always remember that faith is a gift from God.  None of us were born with it; none of us can create it in ourselves.  We have to humbly ask for faith.  Asking for faith in prayer is the way we received it when we were…

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Little Faith vs Great Faith

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

The apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2:2, wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.”  Here we see that spiritual growth is by the Word.  But what I want to point out is that since faith is the foundation of Christian life, when we grow spiritually, which is by the Word, our faith grows too.  Our spiritual growth is always a growth of faith.  And so we grow from faith to faith (Rom. 1:17).  Just as we were saved by faith, we live the Christian life by faith; and at every point we are to continue to live by faith—“from faith to faith.”           

Now the question is, why do some people have very little faith (their faith doesn’t seem to grow), while others have great faith (their faith grows and grows)? Here are…           

           

Four Reasons Why Some Remain In Their Little…

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Saving Faith and Christian Faith

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

As I see it, there are basically two different kinds, or categories, of faith: saving faith and Christian living faith; that is, faith to be saved and faith to live as a Christian.  These are found in my book Principles of Prayer.

1.  Saving faith.  In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…”  Here we see that our salvation is a gift from God.  It is totally a gift.  We did nothing.  That means that our faith was a gift too.  He gave us faith to believe, which resulted in our salvation.  What a great gift! 

2.  Faith to live the Christian life.  Every part of the Christian life, if you live as a Christian, is a life of faith.  As Paul said in Galatians 2:20, we live in the flesh, but we…

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Five Forms of Faith

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

Faith by itself is nothing, useless.  James tells us that faith without works is dead.  Hence, to just say “I believe God” really has no meaning unless there is a work of proof attached to it.  And when that faith is worked out it needs a form, a form of expression.  Therefore, we can say that there are various ways that faith is worked out.   Here are…

 

Five Forms of Faith

 

1.  Faith as commitment.  We first come to God in faith by our repentance and surrender, surrendering our ears to hear His voice and our eyes to see Him.  We continue our life of faith by that same yielding commitment.  This is the most basic form of faith.

 

2.  Faith as fellowship.  After we have surrendered and committed ourselves to God, our faith grows in love toward Him so that it becomes fellowship.  When we…

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