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18 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 35

During a fast some encounter a slight ING and PRAYER! If we begin to fast when
headache for a while. This is due to the poisons there is an important decision to be made, and
in your system that the body is throwing off. cry out to YEHOVAH for wisdom, He will
During a fast, especially of several days dura- surely give it to us.
tion, a CHEMICAL HOUSECLEANING WILL 1. What example do we find in the Bible
take place. IF YOU don’t have a headache, then of fasting and prayer BEFORE an important
you may have a “thick” feeling in your head for a decision had to be made? Acts 13:1-3.
while at the beginning of the fast, which will COMMENT: In the Church at Antioch,
gradually disappear. a decision had to be made as to who would be
After missing a few meals you will begin sent on an evangelistic journey into Asia Minor.
to feel a little weak. This is only normal and Notice that they FASTED and PRAYED and
natural since no food or drink is entering the YEHOVAH revealed HIS selection to His
stomach. As mentioned before, if you have a job ministers through the holy spirit!
where heavy work requires a great deal of ener- 2. On what other important occasion did
gy, then it would be wise to fast when you have YEHOVAH’s ministers FAST and PRAY? Acts
some time off from work. 14:23.
When you feel a little weak during a fast, COMMENT: Again we clearly see that
realize that YEHOVAH God wants you to learn before elders were ordained in the Churches in
by this that you’re a physical, earthy being. That Asia Minor, the evangelists and ministers prayed
your temporary PHYSICAL life is totally depen- to YEHOVAH God with FASTING, before
dent on the physical food you eat! coming to their all-important decision.
By analogy, the same is true SPIRIT- There are still other reasons for FAST-
UALLY. Without receiving YEHOVAH’s ING. If you’ve made a wretched failure in som-
SPIRITUAL ENERGY through His holy spirit, ething -- humble yourself before YEHOVAH
you become weak spiritually. That is the great God and ask His forgiveness and pray for His
lesson God wants you to learn when you feel power to overcome.
physically weak from not eating. If you discover that your attitude is
So once you’ve started a fast -- TRY TO LETHARGIC and you just can’t seem to pray as
STICK WITH IT! Don’t quit fasting because you should -- then FAST AND PRAY! That’s
you feel a little WEAK -- YEHOVAH wants you the way to draw CLOSE to YEHOVAH God. If
to realize how weak you become spiritually you feel your prayers aren’t being heard, that is
WITHOUT His divine power! the time to HUMBLE yourself before YEHO-
VAH. YEHOVAH HEARS the humble and
Other Reasons for Fasting contrite -- the repentant in attitude.
The time you really need to fast -- and
Many times in our lives we are faced QUICKLY -- is when you’ve realized that you
with making important DECISIONS which have STRAYED from YEHOVAH, or DES-
affect our lives, and possibly the lives of others. PERATELY need his HELP!
YEHOVAH tells us to seek wise counsel and a Of course, there will be times when
multitude of counselors in making such deci- you’ll need to HUMBLE yourself and PRAY for
sions (Proverbs 11:14). YEHOVAH’s Work and His ministers. And
YEHOVAH GOD is our greatest Coun- there’ll be times when you should fast and pray
selor. We should seek Him diligently for wis- for OTHER individuals and their problems as
dom in any decision we must reach. David did (Psalm 35:13).
There can be no better way to seek YE- But you can also fast in order to PRAISE
HOVAH’s counsel and wisdom than by FAST- YEHOVAH -- to give Him THANKS for calling

Why Christians Should Fast