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(Excerpt)
7
Basic
Steps
to
Fasting
and
Prayer
by
Bill
Bright
of
Campus
Crusade
for
Christ
How
to
Begin
Your
Fast
How
you
begin
and
conduct
your
fast
will
largely
determine
your
success.
By
following
these
seven
basic
steps
to
fasting,
you
will
make
your
time
with
the
Lord
more
meaningful
and
spiritually
rewarding.
STEP
1:
Set
Your
Objective
Why
are
you
fasting?
Is
it
for
spiritual
renewal,
for
guidance,
for
healing,
for
the
resolution
of
problems,
for
special
grace
to
handle
a
difficult
situation?
Ask
the
Holy
Spirit
to
clarify
His
leading
and
objectives
for
your
prayer
fast.
This
will
enable
you
to
pray
more
specifically
and
strategically.
Through
fasting
and
prayer
we
humble
ourselves
before
God
so
the
Holy
Spirit
will
stir
our
souls,
awaken
our
churches,
and
heal
our
land
according
to
2
Chronicles
7:14.
Make
this
a
priority
in
your
fasting.
STEP
2:
Make
Your
Commitment
Pray
about
the
kind
of
fast
you
should
undertake.
Jesus
implied
that
all
of
His
followers
should
fast
(Matthew
6:16-‐
18;
9:14,15)
For
Him
it
was
a
matter
of
when
believers
would
fast,
not
if
they
would
do
it.
Before
you
fast,
decide
the
following
up
front:*
How
long
you
will
fast
-‐
one
meal,
one
day,
a
week,
several
weeks,
forty
days
(Beginners
should
start
slowly,
building
up
to
longer
fasts.)
•
The
type
of
fast
God
wants
you
to
undertake
(such
as
water
only,
or
water
and
juices;
what
kinds
of
juices
you
will
drink
and
how
often)
•
What
physical
or
social
activities
you
will
restrict
•
How
much
time
each
day
you
will
devote
to
prayer
and
God’s
Word
Making
these
commitments
ahead
of
time
will
help
you
sustain
your
fast
when
physical
temptations
and
life’s
pressures
tempt
you
to
abandon
it.
STEP
3:
Prepare
Yourself
Spiritually
The
very
foundation
of
fasting
and
prayer
is
repentance.
Unconfessed
sin
will
hinder
your
prayers.
Here
are
several
things
you
can
do
to
prepare
your
heart:
•
Ask
God
to
help
you
make
a
comprehensive
list
of
your
sins.
•
Confess
every
sin
that
the
Holy
Spirit
calls
to
your
remembrance
and
accept
God’s
forgiveness
(1
John
1:9).
•
Seek
forgiveness
from
all
whom
you
have
offended,
and
forgive
all
who
have
hurt
you
(Mark
11:25;
Luke
11:4;
17:3,4).
•
Make
restitution
as
the
Holy
Spirit
leads
you.
•
Ask
God
to
fill
you
with
His
Holy
Spirit
according
to
His
command
in
Ephesians
5:18
and
His
promise
in
1
John
5:14,15.
•
Surrender
your
life
fully
to
Jesus
Christ
as
your
Lord
and
Master;
refuse
to
obey
your
worldly
nature
(Romans
12:1,2).
•
Meditate
on
the
attributes
of
God,
His
love,
sovereignty,
power,
wisdom,
faithfulness,
grace,
compassion,
and
others
(Psalm
48:9,10;
103:1-‐8.
11-‐13).
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