6 Good Reasons to

Fast

Repentance

Jonah 3:5-10• 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from

the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

• 6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

• "By the decree of the king and his nobles:

• Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

• 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

1 Sam 7:6When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We

have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel was leader of

Israel at Mizpah.

Ps 35:13But as for me, when they were

sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer

returned into mine own bosom.

2 Chron 7:14if my people, who are called by

my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek

my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive

their sin and will heal their land.

Readiness

Luke 2:37And she was a widow of about

fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with

fastings and prayers night and day.

Mark 2:18-20• 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees

were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples

and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"

• 19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with

them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from

them, and on that day they will fast.

Revelation

Acts 9:8-9Saul got up from the ground, but

when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led

him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind,

and did not eat or drink anything.

Acts 13:1-3In the church at Antioch there were prophets

and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch)

and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set

apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they

placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Release

Mark 9:29And he said unto them,

This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Isa 58:6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I

have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed freeand break every yoke?

Dan 9:3So I turned to the Lord God

and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in

fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Restoration

Joel 1:4; 10-144 What the locust swarm has left

the great locusts have eaten;what the great locusts have leftthe young locusts have eaten;

what the young locusts have leftother locusts have eaten.

10 The fields are ruined,the ground is dried up;the grain is destroyed,

the new wine is dried up,the oil fails.

11 Despair, you farmers,wail, you vine growers;

grieve for the wheat and the barley,because the harvest of the field is

destroyed.

12 The vine is dried upand the fig tree is withered;

the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree —

all the trees of the field — are dried up.Surely the joy of mankind

is withered away.

13 Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn;wail, you who minister before the altar.

Come, spend the night in sackcloth,you who minister before my God;

for the grain offerings and drink offeringsare withheld from the house of your God.

14 Declare a holy fast;call a sacred assembly.

Summon the eldersand all who live in the land

to the house of the Lord your God,and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 2:12, 13 & 15• 12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye

even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

• 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

• 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

Reward

Heb 11:6And without faith it is

impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards

those who earnestly seek him.