Preparing to fast

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Asha Brewer

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Oct 31, 2016, 7:02:38 AM10/31/16
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Hello Sisters!


So I am reading through Scriptures and commentary on praying and fasting in preparation for our 7-day prayer and fasting against suicidal spirits. (See previous emails from last week/ this weekend). In doing such, God showed me something interesting…


Fasting is noted in various placed and circumstances in the Bible. Today, I am reviewing the occurrence in Matthew 6:16-18. This is when Jesus was teaching on the mountain. (Remember the Beatitudes)?


The interesting part about His lesson on fasting is the lessons that come immediately before and immediately after it. If we follow Chapter 6, the curriculum is outlined as such:

  1. Giving to the needy

  2. The Lord’s Prayer

  3. Fasting

  4. Lay up treasures in Heaven

  5. Do not be anxious


Jesus’s teachings on the mountain span from Chapter 5 (The Beatitudes) to Chapter 7 (Build your house on the rock). Chapter 6 is like the “meat” of the teaching, if we consider Chapters 5 and 7 to be the bread slices. (These references are funny to me, considering the main topic today is fasting. Tehe).


Ok, so let’s go back to the order of the lessons in Chapter 6. Perhaps to be effective in our fasting, we must properly seal it in place? It looks to me that Jesus is describing some preparation before the fast, and some warnings after the fast, so we are able to gain the intended results of the fast.


  • Preparation before the fast

    • How we give to others

    • How we pray to God

  • Fasting

  • Warnings after the fast

    • Be careful where we lay up our treasures/ what we see as treasurable

    • Be careful not to stress about (which is really a mask for doubting) what we have just fasted for


Maybe we should use today (this morning) to evaluate our preparation areas, so we can be ready for this fast? The fast goes from noon today to noon Sunday. What are your thoughts about fasting in general? Your thoughts about the preparation areas? Your thoughts after reading these or any other Scriptures on fasting?
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Dr. Asha Fields Brewer
Creator of Healthy Conversations
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    "Temple Fit with Dr. Asha," Wednesdays at 4pm on Heaven 98.3FM
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