bill bright - 7 basic steps to successful fasting

8/12/2019 Bill Bright - 7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting

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Seven Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer

Published by

NewLife PublicationsA ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ

100 Lake Hart Drive

rlando! "L #$%#$&0100

' 1(()! *ill *ri+ht, All ri+hts reserved, No part of thisbooklet may be reproduced! stored in a retrieval system!

or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior

permission in writin+ from the publisher,

Desi+n and typesettin+ by -enesis Publications,

Printed in the .nited /tates of America,

/*N 1&)#((&02#

Adapted from 3he Comin+ 4evival5 America6s Callto "ast! Pray! and 7/eek -od6s "ace!7 ' 1(()! *ill

*ri+ht, Published byNewLife Publications,

As a personal policy! *ill *ri+ht has never accepted

honorariums or royalties for his personal use, Any

royalties from his more than fifty books and thousandsof articles are dedicated to helpin+ fulfill the -reat

Commission! which has been his special burden for all

of his Christian life,


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CONTENTS

A Personal Word..................................................5

o! to Begin "our Fast.......................................#

/tep 1 /et 8our b9ective,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,(

/tep $ :ake 8our Commitment,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10

/tep # Prepare 8ourself /piritually,,,,,,,,,,,,,,11

/tep ; Prepare 8ourself Physically,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1$

W$ile "ou Fast...................................................%&

/tep ) Put 8ourself on a /chedule,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1;

Brea'ing "our Fast............................................%#

/tep


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A P


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in my heart! prayin+! 7Lord! what do 8ou want me

to doB7

believe such a lon+ fast was a soverei+n callof -od because of the ma+nitude of the sins of

America and of the Church, 3he Lord impressed

that upon my heart! as well as the ur+ent need to

help accelerate the fulfillment of the -reat

Commission in this +eneration,

As be+an my fast! was not sure could

continue for forty days, *ut my confidence was in

the Lord to help me,


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Church, *ut before -od comes in revival power!

the Holy /pirit will call millions of -od6s people to

repent! fast! and pray in the spirit of $ Chronicles

251;5

If 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.

3he scope of this revival depends on how

believers in America and the rest of the world

respond to this call, have spent fifty years

studyin+ -od6s @ord and listenin+ to His voice!

and His messa+e could not have been more clear,

3his handy reference +uide! Seven Basic Steps

to Successful Fasting and Prayer! will help make your

time with the Lord more spiritually rewardin+,

encoura+e you to keep it with you durin+ your fast

and refer to it often because it +ives easy&to&followsu++estions on how to be+in your fast! what to do

while you fast! and how to end your fast properly,

Durin+ my forty&day fast! -od impressed me

to pray that two million Christians in North

America will fast for forty days by the end of the

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year $000! and pray for national and worldwide

revival and for the fulfillment of the -reat

Commission, ur+e you to prayerfully consider

this challen+e,

*efore you fast! encoura+e you to read my

book! The oming !evival" #merica$s all to Fast,

Pray, and %Seek &od$s Face.% t will help euip you

for the comin+ spiritual awakenin+,

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STEP 2,a'e "our Co--it-ent

Pray about the kind of fast you should

undertake, esus implied that all of His followers

should fast :atthew 51&1%E (51;!1)F, "or Him it

was a matter of when believers would fast! not if

they would do it, *efore you fast! decide the

followin+ up front5

How lon+ you will fastGone meal! one day! a

week! several weeks! forty days *e+inners

should start slowly! buildin+ up to lon+er fasts,F

3he type of fast -od wants you to undertake

such as water only! or water and 9uicesE what

kinds of 9uices you will drink and how oftenF

@hat physical or social activities you will

restrict

How much time each day you will devote to

prayer and -od6s @ord:akin+ these commitments ahead of time will

help you sustain your fast when physical

temptations and life6s pressures tempt you to

abandon it,

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STEP 3Prepare "ourself Spiritually

3he very foundation of fastin+ and prayer is

repentance, .nconfessed sin will hinder your

prayers, Here are several thin+s you can do to

prepare your heart5

Ask -od to help you make a comprehensive list

of your sins,

Confess every sin that the Holy /pirit calls to

your remembrance and accept -od6s for+iveness

l ohn 15(F,

/eek for+iveness from all whom yon have

offended! and for+ive all who have hurt you:ark 115$)E Luke 115;E 125#!;F,

:ake restitution as the Holy /pirit leads you,

Ask -od to fill you with His Holy /pirit

accordin+ to His command in


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compassion! and others Psalm ;%5(!10E 10#51&

%!11&1#F,

*e+in your time of fastin+ and prayer with ane=pectant heart Hebrews 115F,

Do not underestimate spiritual opposition, /atan

sometimes intensifies the natural battle between

body and spirit -alatians )51!12F,

STEP 4Prepare "ourself P$ysically

"astin+ reuires reasonable precautions,

Consult your physician first! especially if you take

prescription medication or have a chronic ailment,

/ome persons should never fast withoutprofessional supervision,

Physical preparation makes the drastic chan+e

in your eatin+ routine a little easier so that you can

turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer,

Do not rush into your fast,

Prepare your body,


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$ @HL< 8. "A/3

8our time of fastin+ and prayer has come,

8ou are abstainin+ from all solid foods and have

be+un to seek the Lord, Here are some helpful

su++estions to consider5

Avoid dru+s! even natural herbal dru+s and

homeopathic remedies, :edication should be

withdrawn only with your physician6s

supervision,

Limit your activity,


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Physical annoyances may also include

weakness! tiredness! or sleeplessness,

3he first two or three days are usually thehardest, As you continue to fast! you will likely

e=perience a sense of well&bein+ both physically

and spiritually, However! should you feel hun+er

pains! increase your liuid intake,

STEP 5Put "ourself on a Sc$edule

"or ma=imum spiritual benefit! set aside

ample time to be alone with the Lord, Listen for

His leadin+, 3he more time you spend with Him!

the more meanin+ful your fast will be,,orning

*e+in your day in praise and worship,

4ead and meditate on -od6s @ord! preferably on

your knees, nvite the Holy /pirit to work in you to will and

to do His +ood pleasure accordin+ to Philippians

$51#,

nvite -od to use you, Ask Him to show you

how to influence your world! your family! your

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church! your community! your country! and

beyond,

Pray for His vision for your life andempowerment to do His will,

Noon

4eturn to prayer and -od6s @ord,

3ake a short prayer walk,

/pend time in intercessory prayer for your

community6s and nation6s leaders! for the world6s

unreached millions! for your family or special

needs,

Evening

-et alone for an unhurried time of 7seekin+ His

face,7

f others are fastin+ with you! meet to+ether for

prayer,

Avoid television or any other distraction that

may dampen your spiritual focus,

@hen possible! be+in and end each day on

your knees with your spouse for a brief time of

praise and thanks+ivin+ to -od, Lon+er periods of

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time with our Lord in prayer and study of His

@ord are often better spent alone,

A dietary routine is vital as well, Dr, ulio C,4uibalGnutritionist! pastor! and specialist in

fastin+ and prayerGsu++ests a daily schedule and

list of 9uices you may find useful and satisfyin+,

:odify this schedule and the drinks you take to

suit your circumstances and tastes,

5 a.-./ a.-.

"ruit 9uices! preferably freshly sueeed or

blended and diluted in )0 percent distilled water if

the fruit is acid, Apple! pear! +rapefruit! papaya!

watermelon! or other fruit 9uices are +enerallypreferred, f you cannot do your own 9uicin+! buy

9uices without su+ar or additives,

%01&0 a.-. 2 noon

"resh ve+etable 9uice made from lettuce!celery! and carrots in three eual parts,

(1&0 p.-. 2 3 p.-.

Herb tea with a drop of honey, Avoid black

tea or any tea with caffeine,

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4 p.-. 2 /1&0 p.-.

*roth made from boilin+ potatoes! celery! and

carrots with no salt, After boilin+ about half anhour! pour the water into a container and drink it,

Tips on uice Fasting

Drinkin+ fruit 9uice will decrease your hun+er

pains and +ive you some natural su+ar ener+y,3he taste and lift will motivate and stren+then

you to continue,

3he best 9uices are made from fresh watermelon!

lemons! +rapes! apples! cabba+e! beets! carrots!

celery! or leafy +reen ve+etables, n coldweather! you may en9oy warm ve+etable broth,

:i= acidic 9uices oran+e! tomatoF with water

for your stomach6s sake,

Avoid caffeinated drinks, And avoid chewin+

+um or mints! even if your breath is bad, 3heystimulate di+estive action in your stomach,

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"irst day5 Add a raw salad,

/econd day5 Add baked or boiled potato! no

butter or seasonin+,3hird day5 Add a steamed ve+etable, 3hereafter5

*e+in to reintroduce your normal diet,

-radually return to re+ular eatin+ with several

small snacks durin+ the first few days, /tart with

a little soup and fresh fruits such as watermelonand cantaloupe, Advance to a few tablespoons

of solid foods such as raw fruits and ve+etables

or a raw salad and baked potato,

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; A "NAL @4D

STEP 7E)pect 7esults

f you sincerely humble yourself before the

Lord! repent! pray! and seek -od6s faceE if you

consistently meditate on His @ord! you will

e=perience a hei+htened awareness of His presence

ohn 1;5$1F, 3he Lord will +ive you fresh! new

spiritual insi+hts, 8our confidence and faith in

-od will be stren+thened, 8ou will feel mentally!

spiritually! and physically refreshed, 8ou will seeanswers to your prayers,

A sin+le fast! however! is not a spiritual cure&

all, ust as we need fresh infillin+s of the Holy

/pirit daily! we also need new times of fastin+

before -od, A $;&hour fast each week has been+reatly rewardin+ to many Christians,

t takes time to build your spiritual fastin+

muscles, f you fail to make it throu+h your first

fast! do not be discoura+ed, 8ou may have tried to

fast too lon+ the first time out! or you may need tostren+then your understandin+ and resolve, As

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soon as possible! undertake another fast until you

do succeed, -od will honor you for your

faithfulness,

encoura+e you to 9oin me in fastin+ and

prayer a+ain and a+ain until we truly e=perience

revival in our homes! our churches! our beloved

nation! and throu+hout the world,

$$


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APP


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/avior and Lord, Develop utter dependence on

Him with total submission and humility,

%, /tudy the attributes of -od,(, Hun+er and thirst after ri+hteousness :atthew

)5F,

10, Love -od with all of your heart! soul! and mind

:atthew $$5#2F,

11, Appropriate the continual fullness and control

of the Holy /pirit by faith on the basis of -od6s

command


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12, /tart or 9oin a home or church *ible study

+roup that emphasies revival and a holy life,

Si) 8ital 9uestions A*out Prayer

Q W$at :s Prayer;/imply put! prayer is communicatin+ with

-od, 4eal prayer is e=pressin+ our devotion to our

heavenly "ather! invitin+ Him to talk to us as wetalk to Him,

QW$o Can Pray;Anyone can pray! but only those who walk in

faith and obedience to Christ can e=pect to receiveanswers to their prayers,

Contact with -od be+ins when we receive

esus into our lives as /avior and Lord ohn 1;5F,

Prayin+ with a clean heart is also vital to

successful prayer, @e cannot e=pect -od toanswer our prayers if there is any unconfessed sin

in our life or if we are harborin+ an unfor+ivin+

spirit Psalm 51%E :ark 115$)F, "or -od to

answer our prayers! we must have a believin+ heart

and ask accordin+ to His will :atthew (5$(E

$15$$E l ohn )51;!1)F,

$)


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QW$y Are We to Pray;-od6s @ord commands us to pray Luke 1%51E

Acts 5;E :ark 1;5#%E Philippians ;5E Colossians;5$E 1 3imothy $51!$F,

@e pray to have fellowship with -od! receive

spiritual nurture and stren+th to live a victorious

life! and maintain boldness for a vital witness for

Christ,Prayer releases -od6s +reat power to chan+e

the course of nature! people! and nations,

QTo W$o-


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t is not always necessary to be on our knees!

or even in a uiet room to pray, -od want us to be

in touch with Him constantly wherever we are, @e

can pray in the car! while washin+ the dishes! or

while walkin+ down the street,

QW$at S$ould We :nclude in Our Prayers;Althou+h prayer cannot be reduced to a

formula! certain basic elements should be includedin our communication with -od5 Adoration!

Confession! 3hanks+ivin+! /upplication AC3/F,

AAdoration

3o adore -od is to worship and praise Him! tohonor and e=alt Him in our heart and mind and

with our lips,

CConfession

@hen our discipline of prayer be+ins withadoration! the Holy /pirit has opportunity to

reveal any sin in our life that needs to be

confessed,

TThanksgiving

An attitude of thanks+ivin+ to -od! for who He

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is and for the benefits we en9oy because we

belon+ to Him! enables us to reco+nie that He

controls all thin+sGnot 9ust the blessin+s! but

the problems and adversities as well, As we

approach -od with a thankful heart! He

becomes stron+ on our behalf,

SSupplication

/upplication includes petition for our ownneeds and intercession for others, Pray that

your inner person may be renewed! always

sensitive to and empowered by the Holy /pirit,

Pray for othersGyour spouse! your children!

your parents! nei+hbors! and friendsE our nationand those in authority over us, Pray for the

salvation of souls! for a daily opportunity to

introduce others to Christ and to the ministry of

the Holy /pirit! and for the fulfillment of the

-reat Commission,

$%


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bill bright - 7 basic steps to successful fasting

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