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For thousands of years religions worldwide have used the discipline of spiritual fasting as a means to pound on the doors of heaven for breakthrough. The concept is that fasting weakens the body and allows the spirit to become more awake and in control-therefore allowing it to receive God’s power and direction.

Flesh Domination

Overall, spiritual fasting centers on putting aside the domination of the flesh in favor of the spirit which, in essence, is the true source of power that can solve the problem or situation being fasted for. Christ himself, the Scriptures say, was filled with the Holy Spirit in the River Jordan and then led to the desert where he fasted for 40 days and came face-to-face with Satan (Matthew Chapters 3 & 4).

Whether you believe this to be literal or not is irrelevant. I respect whatever your belief may be, and wish to use this passage primarily as an example of spiritual fasting and its results.

Bible scholars indicate that Christ had to first confront every human weakness BEFORE being ready for his ministry, before becoming the suitable representative for the entire human race. It could only be done through fasting… imagine that! During the desert fast, Satan offered Christ food, riches and godhood (Matthew 4).

Reality is the Unseen

In every case Christ alluded to the Word of God, indicating with his refusal that there was, in essence, a higher and “more real” reality than the three dimensional cravings and desires we experience as human beings. This required fasting. We are not told of Christ drinking water during his time in the desert. If he did not, then that particular fast was supernatural and way beyond the scope of this discussion.

Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 34:28) is said to have spent 40 days in Mount Sinai collecting the Ten Commandments, during which time he neither drank nor ate. These are supernatural examples of fasting – both with yielded huge spiritual and physical revelation.
In one case, the Ten Commandments. In the other case, the readiness of Christ to start his earthly ministry.

An “absolute” fast of no water or food, in human terms, can only last for a maximum of three to five days before death results from dehydration. The Apostle Paul of the New Testament converted to Christianity after being struck down from a horse by what the scriptures say was the risen Christ himself (Acts 9:3-22). Paul, the scriptures say, then went with no water or food for three days. When the three days were over, out of his eyes fell what seemed to be scales.

Transformation

It was after this spiritual fasting experience that he changed from a hater and persecutor of Christians to one of the most powerful apostles in history, almost singlehandedly writing the entire New Testament. We can just speculate exactly that Christ and Paul went through during their fasting. However, in both cases we can see that the end result was transformation and enhanced spiritual revelation.

What are the “scales” in your particular eyes? What are the behavior, mental or physical barriers that stand in your way? From the examples we have discussed, and from the first-hand experience of many others, it can be said that spiritual fasting is indeed mysterious.

Demonic Opposition

In another portion of the Scriptures, this one in the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel fasts for 21 days and does not receive an answer until the last day (Daniel 10). At that point, the scriptures say, the Archangel Michael appeared to Daniel and told him he had been heard since the first day he started to fast. But that demonic powers had stood in the way and a battle had ensued.

I have read commentaries that say this points to the never ending fight between good and evil which translates, in our case, to the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament calls himself a “wretched man” (Romans 7) because he says he did what he did not want to do, and often failed to do that which he knew was right.

We are not going to get into any type of theological debate here, but it appears that whatever Paul was battling did not have an evident “human” solution.

Biblical Examples of Fasting

In the Old Testament, the Jews Fasted to seek God’s help in threats or times of war (nation in general), when loved ones were sick (David), in seeking God’s forgiveness for themselves and their nation (Ahab, Daniel), and in seeking God’s protection and His will (Ezra).

Just look up the term, Fasting, in a concordance and observe the abundance of references (Lev 16:29-31; 23:26-32; Num. 29:7; Psalm 69:10; Acts 27:9).

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all Fasted for 40 days. The Bible records that Spiritual Fasting was not just for the super leaders, rather it was practiced by most, such as during the Judges (Deut 9:15-18; Jug. 20:26; 1 Kings 21:27). (The absolute Fasts of Moses and Elijah had divine assistance Deut. 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8).

Israel Fasted at Bethel, in the war against the Benjamites at Mizpah, and in the Philistine war (Judg. 20:26; 1 Sam 7:6). In the book of Ruth, the Jews Fasted when they heard that Haman had tricked the king into wiping them out (Esther 4:3-16).

David Fasted for Saul and his friend Jonathan, and wept for both his son while he was dying, and for his enemies (2 Sam. 1:12; 2 Sam. 12:16-23; Psalm 35:11-13).
Daniel Fasted for Israel (Dan. 9:3-5). Fasting accompanied prayer, devotion to God (Psalm 35:13), penance (1 Kings 21:27), and seeking God earnestly (2 Sam. 1:12).

The effects of Spiritual Fasting with prayer, when it is real and heartfelt, is that it humbles (Psalm 35:13), disciplines and corrects wrong behaviors and thinking (Psalm 69:10), and God is more likely to respond to our prayers. (Ezra 8:21-23)

In the New Testament, Fasting was practiced when one was faced with temptations (Jesus), in serving God and beginning a new ministry (Antioch), and, when selecting and appointing elders (Matt. 4:1-2).

John the Baptist performed spiritual fasting regularly as a testimony to piety that was real, heartfelt, and pointed to God, not to himself (Matt. 3:11). Paul listed spiritual fasting among other things that proved he was a minister of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1; 2 Cor. 11:23-28). The early church practiced spiritual Fasting as they further sought God’s Will, drawing them deeper into His presence (Acts 13:2-3; 14:21-23).

Physical Impact

Looking at the physical benefits of spiritual fasting, Daniel the prophet at one point dares the King of Babylon to let him eat only water and vegetables for ten days and at the end of that period compare his appearance to that of others who ate meat and other fatty foods (Daniel 1:12). The Scriptures indicate that at the end of the ten days the king was amazed to see that Daniel and his friends looked younger and healthier than all the others.

So notable was the difference that the king actually decided at that point to change the menu altogether and put everyone on water and vegetables. Juice fasting is precisely that – water, fruits and vegetables. In short, there is ample scripture evidence that fasting can place the believe in a position to effect profound changes in his or her life.

What are some of the emotional or behavioral obstacles that limit your intimacy with God? How much better would your communion with Him be if these patters were broken? While in this world we are constantly asked to look outside for material gratification, as a believer one must become convinced that the only true source of liberty and satisfaction in this world lies in intimate daily communion with God.

Fasting can be the hammer at your disposal to tear down the walls of opposition and usher you into a broader spectrum of spiritual experience.

Robert Dave Johnston helps persons interested in fasting for weight loss and fitness, having himself recovered from obesity and food addiction.

He is author of The Anti-Prevention Nation e-book – The Obesity Epidemic – How the US is Eating Itself to Death

http://www.fitnessthroughfasting.com

After a candidate received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and he receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Church teaches that these gifts bear fruits, the Fruits of the Spirits. These fruits are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control and Chastiy.

The Fruits of the Spirit is a concept found in Chapter 5 :22 of Galatians and given the name Fruit because it was meant to imply harvest or the result of the Gifts the Holy Spirit gives during Confirmation.

The fruit of love is also known as agape love and there is a full description of love from Corinthians 13:4-8. It is often read at weddings because it fully describes what love should be. Agape and Eros are defined in Greek in this way. Eros is the physical love where as agape love is the mature love and transcends physical attraction.

Joy is beyond happiness, which is just conditional or emotional. You can be happy or experience happiness when eat a good dinner. Joy is a state of mind that often involves being in fellowship with God. People often say that they have an internal feeling of joy and have a general feeling of well being.

Peace is having a restful relationship with God. In obtaining this, the confirmed is more receptive to the will of go and what he is seeking from God. Life becomes less chaotic. God can still be present in time of conflict but the confirmed realizes that God has not left them.

Patience is the ability to endure and be strong. It’s also the ability to better mirror Jesus with his ability to be patient with us. Patience is also a way to better carry our crosses without any upset. There are several levels of patience. The basic level is no complaining, second level is making progress in times of hardship. Lastly, the highest level is to desire a cross and accept it willingly.

Kindness is having sympathy and understanding for others and showing concern for those in need. This may be done though actions or just simple words of encouragement. On receiving the Spirit should innately be more kind because of the agreement to be more Christ-like.

Goodness is attained when the candidate is more in tune with God and what his will is for us. Conjoined is Gentleness, having mild disposition and behavior and helping to not being angry or bearing resentment.

The Fruit of Faith is the ability to believe what we cannot see. Faith is part of our intellect and in order to have faith in God we must be willing accept God over that intellect. It is by this faith that we understand the we should not commit sin and follow Christ’s blue print to gain entrance into heaven.

Modesty, Self-Control And Chastity are all fruits that tie together. Modesty helps us to avoid offensive behavior even if it is not required in the circumstance. Chastity tempers the desires of the flesh even with in marriage. And in order to act Chaste, you must act with self control especially when dealing with unruly sexual urges.

The fruits of the Spirit elevate the confirmed person giving them the ability to better conduct their mission to spread the news of Jesus.

Beth guide is the webmaster for http://www.rosary-religious-inspirational-gifts.com

One of the major aspects of the Sacrament of Confirmation are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that are bestowed on the candidate when they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The candidate when participating in Confirmation accepts that their mission is to be witnesses of Jesus in their families and communities. And, the reception of those gifts helps each candidate succeed on their mission.

The gifts are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, piety and fear of the Lord are the seven gifts although the gifts will manifest themselves over the candidates lifetime.

The gift of wisdom gives the confirmed the gift to see the worlds though Gods eyes and viewpoint. This will help us to understand the purpose of Gods plan for us and for the world. The candidate also has the ability to formulate a historical perspective and help have an enlightened view of history and how the present and the past work together and affect the mystery of the future. This is also known as speculative reason according to St. Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica.

The gift of knowledge helps the confirmed use thoughtful reflection and contemplation on the mystery of God. It also helps with the mysteries of the Trinity and as well as the Catholic faith, according to the United States Catholic Catechism. This gift also helps draw the candidate to a meditative prayer, meaning the candidate is open for God to lead them while they are just quietly listening. Often this is practiced during Adoration. This is what Aquinas called practical reasoning.

The gift of understanding is to help the candidate learn themselves and how to grow in knowing God. St. Augustine used the prayer “That I May know You, may I know Myself.” We are all made in God’s image and as we come to know ourselves we also learn about God and who he is. This is also what Aquinas calls common sense.

The gift of fortitude is also known as the courage. The confirmed can used this gift to stand up for Jesus and his teaching. According to Aquinas, this gift is the firmness that is required to do good and to stand up to evil. This gift is more evident when the good or evil is particularly more difficult.

The gift of counsel is also known as right judgment and is the perfection of practical reasoning. And after the candidates learns though research how the candidate applies the knowledge. As this gift grows and we are faced with moral dilemmas we are more apt to make the better or more moral decision, according to Aquinas.

The gift of piety is the reverence and respect we show to the Father. Reverence may be learned from parents and teachers. This gift is often renewed during liturgy where it is a reminder to teach us reverence. Aquinas says at the instigation of the Holy Spirit we pay worship and duty to God as our Father.

And lastly the gift of Fear of the Lord, allows us the awe of the majesty of God. This also is a what makes us grateful wonder of God and his love for the candidate. According to Aquinas this is also the fear of separating themselves from God.

According to Aquinas the summary of the gifts is that the first 4 gifts direct the intellect and the last 3 direct the candidates will toward God making the confirmed a powerful messenger for Christ and His teachings.

Beth Guide is the webmaster for http://www.rosary-religious-inspirational-gifts.com

In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John mentions the Seven Spirits of God (Revelation 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, 5:6). For the moment, we will ignore the individual identities of these Seven Spirits, and only consider Their collective unity.

In considering the unity of the 7 Spirits of God, we need look no further than the collective symbols of the 7 Spirits: the 7 days of creation (Genesis 1:1-2:3), the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-17), the 7-branched menorah (Exodus 25:31-40), the 7 eyes on the rock (Zechariah 3:9) and the Lamb (Revelation 5:6), the seven lamp stands (Revelation 1:12), the 7 churches (Revelation 2:1-3:22), the 7 stars (Revelation 1:20), the 7 seals (Revelation 5:1), the 7 horns on the Lamb (Revelation 5:6), the 7 thunders (Revelation 10:3), etc.

Even when such a symbol has a particular reference to a particular member of the 7 Spirits of God, they are always presented without preference or rank. Each of the 7 Spirits has the exact same influence on the Godhead as does any of the other 6 Spirits. It is always all or nothing. There is no compromise; there is no dominance, just complete unity.

It should be noted that the spirit of compromise is NOT found within God. The Trinity and the 7 Spirits act in total unity, or they do not act at all!

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9, NKJV)

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven; (Psalm 18:30, NKJV)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17, NKJV)

It is interesting to note that our governments deliberately work to have odd numbers of members on their governing bodies, or else very large numbers of members so that a definite majority can be attained. A super-majority is one where at least two-thirds the members vote a particular way. Our whole world lives by continually seeking compromise, but not the Lord:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, NKJV)

If we ever expect to receive the blessings the Lord has promised us, we must learn to live and act in complete and total agreement and unity with the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and the 7 Spirits of God.

If we attempt to force the Lord to compromise Himself, He will never act on our behalf except out of mercy for us, and probably in a far different way than we had requested.

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. …

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:2-6, NKJV)

We can only receive good things from the Lord when we ask, in complete humility, according to His will. As Jesus prayed for us:

“I … pray … that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us (John 17:20-21, NKJV)

If we desire to receive good things from the Lord, we must enter into the unity that exists within the Trinity and the Seven Spirits of God: God will NEVER compromise Himself, and asking Him to will only lead to frustration. God is God, and we are not. Either we will agree with the Lord God, or we can expect to receive NOTHING from Him.

God will only act if all 7 Spirits and the Trinity are in complete and total agreement. There is no division, no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17, NKJV) with the Lord God. See http://www.7-Spirits.com for more information.

I have been contemplating a question that often seems to divide brethren; ‘Is the silence of scripture restrictive or permissive?’

You know all the old arguments….’Can we have a basketball court?’ Some say ‘Yes, the bible doesn’t forbid it!’ Others say, ‘No, the Bible doesn’t mention it!’ and round and round we go. Two groups, equally sincere, equally interested in following Christ’s command to reach the lost, equally desirous to be found in Him; at odds with each other over this question.

What is the answer? The obvious answer is, ‘THERE IS NO ANSWER!!!’ That’s why the debate is endless. It is shocking to some, obvious to others, that sincere people can look at the same bible and come to different conclusions about things. So now you say, ‘Oh, ok, eddie…I see now, you’re one of those post-modernist who doesn’t believe in absolute truth!’ No, you are wrong. There is absolute truth, and much, if not all of it is contained in the Bible. But we’re not talking about truth here, we are talking about silence, and humans will ALWAYS fight over what it means.

I think the important thing for us to realize in this debate is that we are asking the wrong question! ‘Is the silence of scripture restrictive or permissive?’, no matter which side you stand on, is a question that makes a wrong assumption. This question assumes that the Bible is a rulebook; and this is wrong, wrong, WRONG! The Bible is not a law book. Have you seen law books, like at your lawyer’s office? They are huge volumes that dictate laws that attempt to cover every possible situation. And still, even these are debated every day, in every courthouse in the world. Man cannot agree on laws, so why would you think that our God would be so foolish as to give us a law book?

The truth is, the Bible is not a book full of rules. It is a story. If you want to be fancy, it is a narrative. The problem for many of us, is that a story, or narrative is so much more subjective than a rule book. This is terrifying to many ‘conservative’ brethren. But what is so terrifying? To say that it is a narrative does not strip it of the absolute truth that God has invested in it! To say that it is a story is not to say that there aren’t commands to be followed and examples to be examined.

We follow the story of the Christ. A story that begins before Genesis 1 and has yet to end. In the Bible, a written record of a portion of that story, we find principles and themes to build our lives around. Does the Bible tell me, specifically, not to take cocaine? no. Well is that permissive or restrictive?? NEITHER! I don’t take cocaine because one of the fundamental principles of Christ’s life and teachings is self control and devoting myself, body included, to the glorification of the Father!

To get back to our original example above. I don’t worship at a church with a basketball court, but it’s not because I think the silence of the Bible forbids it! I wouldn’t want one, because how does that fit into what was important to Jesus? If I read the Bible and listen to it’s principles and themes, where does a gym, or stain glass windows, or any of these other extravagances fit into the simple walk of my Savior and those that followed after Him and wrote of Him?

The truth is that if we try to make the Bible a rule book we fail no matter our position. If we try to be restrictive, we paint ourselves into corners and are forced to ‘ignore’ or explain away(usually with complicated, convoluted arguments) certain passages that don’t fit into our world view. If we try to say that we can do whatever we want, we are ignoring the truth of the Bible that it is the standard by which we should live our lives! Neither position is tenable.

Christ calls us to walk a third path; His path. A follower of Christ will be, at times, more conservative than the conservatives, and more liberal than the liberals! We follow a Christ that called his disciples to have a greater righteousness than the Pharisees, and yet he often rejected their traditionalism! Let us all follow Christ and His word to the best of our ability!

Eddie Legg is the author of Simple Life in Christ, a blog about the simple life of a Christian.

You can read more of his work at http://www.simplelifeinchrist.com/