For discipline:
Discipline is extremely important in the life of believers. Sometimes the value of discipline can be lost because many Christians focus on the fact that Jesus Christ brings liberty to believers not to be under laws and rules that bring about no profit. However, just because we are not in bondage to certain laws does not mean that we should forsake all discipline and boundaries that keep us from flirting with sin. Some boundaries are necessary in order for us not to be mastered or overcome by sin or any unhealthy habit through taking our freedom in Christ for granted.
Apostle Paul makes this statement in 1 Corinthians 6:12 which I will include several versions for emphasis on what he is saying:
“I have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything.” (NIV)
I am allowed to do anything, but not everything is good for me. And even though , I am allowed to do anything, I must not become a slave to anything. (NLT)
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” (ESV)
Apostle Paul understood that even though we are free in Christ from various laws, discipline and the practice of obedience is still necessary. He mentions this in a similar passage found in Romans 6:12
“Let not Sin therefore reign as king in your mortal bodies, causing you to be in subjection to their cravings.” (New Testament in Modern Speech, Weymouth)
In short, the practice of discipline, prevents us from being in bondage to things. Some of those things may even be good things that can turn into bad things for us if we allow ourselves to be controlled by it.
For Balance :
Balance is similar to discipline. Balance becomes the result of practicing discipline. It’s so easy to get off in our balance concerning several areas of our lives including eating the wrong foods, not exercising our bodies, not reading our bibles, becoming too busy to pray as we should, or wrong-thinking. These types of imbalances can cause serious harm to our lives spiritually, physically, and emotionally in the future.
Imbalance doesn’t always seem dangerous immediately. It is often pleasurable to eat anything you want, not work out when you don’t want to, watch TV or go hang out instead of read your Bible and pray, but that is a very unhealthy way to live all of the time, and it’s often a sign that fasting and prayer is necessary.
When you fast and pray it forces you to have to make time to read your bible and to pray because you can’t do everything like you used to when you weren’t fasting because you are denying yourself to get close to the Lord. After the fast, you should have trained yourself to become more balanced as well as increased your desire to read the Word and pray, and finally have a healthier eating life which will benefit you in the present as well as in the future.
For Focus:
It is so easy to forget God especially in America where pleasures and instant gratification often takes priority in addition to the busyness of life such as working, volunteering, going to church paying bills, and socializing.
The Bible warns of a falling away in the last days (1 Timothy 4:1). It also says that in the last days people will be lovers of pleasure more than they are lovers of God. It goes on to talk about those having their conscience seared with a hot iron, which means to become callous to the point of just going through the motions until you do not care anymore.
These scriptures are directed at Christians or believers warning us not to fall away or to become hardened toward the things of God or the truth. We have to pray for God to give us a clean heart and to renew the right spirit in us. We have to cry out to God for humility causing us to seek him and to acknowledge and obey him in all of our ways.
One of the ways that we do not allow ourselves to be overcome with these types of distractions is to renew our minds according to God’s word. When we fast and pray we should be meditating on God’s word allowing ourselves to be cleansed by the word and re-directed from all of the distractions that come with life back to the heart and the mind of God.
Romans 8:7-8 talks about how the carnal mine is against God and those that walk according to the carnal mind cannot please God. We walk in the spirit through meditating upon God’s word. We are cleansed through God’s word (John 17:17). When we fast and pray and read God’s word, we shift our focus back unto the things of God instead of the normal circumstances of life.
We have to make a deliberate effort to remember the Lord and to focus in on him and what he did for us. Hence the need or the focus of taking communion to remember the Lord (1 Corithians 11:24.)
Because God Said So :
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke (Isaiah 58:6)? God will call a fast forseeing things that we do not see as he did in the above scripture. I had this happen to me one time. I had planned to go out of town with my University when I was in college and a very attractive gentlemen would be sitting right next to me on the bus that we would leave on as well as rooming right new to me in the hotel. God already knowing my type, knew it would be a distraction so he prepared me by telling me to go on a fast. I did not know why I was fasting, but I just obeyed God. After everything took place on that trip and the temptation that ensued. I realized why God had put me on that fast. He wanted me to hear his voice clearly through the temptation in order to be strong enough to make the right decision.
To hear from God or Receive Instruction From God:
As shown in the previous example, fasting makes it easier to hear the voice of the Lord and/or to receive his check in your spirit. Fasting is very necessary to every believer today.
Stay Tuned for tips on fasting in my next blog.
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