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Isaiah 58: 6-14 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? 7 Is it not
to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Let us remember that
God has set forth the fast and will lead us in it. The purpose of fasting is to draw near to Him and to bring our flesh into subjection with the Spirit. The scriptures are clear as to why He has chosen the way of
fasting. His Word states that we will be loosed from the bands of wickedness, be released of heavy burdens, oppression will be lifted and if there be any yokes, they will be broken (destroyed). It is to realease
compassion and mercy within us causing us to look upon those who are in need and turn from our own selfishness. There is one important factor however, fasting can accomplish nothing within us outside of Jesus Christ. If
one is lost and enters into a fast to draw near to the ONE TRUE GOD, then they will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, which is JESUS THE SON OF GOD. He is the only door to the FATHER. 8
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the
LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and
thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. 12And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and
thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. The scriptures are clear concerning the results of a fast. There is not a need to explain further, however there is one very
important thing to discuss. In the scriptures, the Scribes and Pharisees were displeased because the disciples of Jesus were not fasting. He said to them in Matthew 9:14-17: "Then came to him the disciples of
John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when
the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. The day was coming that the
bridegroom would be taken away and they would once again fast. We have the bridegroom with us in our hearts, that is true. However if you will look at the scriptures after Jesus ascended, we will find that fasting
continued in the early church. Paul being one who fasted often. So today we are to fast. Below you will find some benefits of fasting which have been discovered in the medical field. What are the rewards of fasting?
As marvelous as the health benefits of fasting are, there are other rewards from fasting that are even more important. Spiritual Rewards Whether a person is healthy or not, spiritual purposes should be
the chief reason for undertaking any fast, especially a prolonged one. The glory of God and the spiritual issues at stake should be of primary concern whatever else a person may hope to gain in health and healing. For
it is only those who truly fast "unto the Lord" that can be assured of His blessing. Discernment One of the immediate rewards of fasting is spiritual discernment. Fasting sharpens our ability to recognize
cause-and-effect sequences from God's frame of reference. It increases our understanding of what is truly valuable and, therefore, what our priorities should be. Fasting allows us to discern insights from Scripture
and to perceive spiritual realities. Anna regularly fasted in the Temple, and as a result, she was one of the very few who recognized the Lord Jesus Christ as a baby when He was brought into the Temple. "And she
was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but sewed God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37). Direction When seeking God's calling for life or in
determining His will for an important decision. Fasting can be of great assistance. For this reason, it is not surprising that the Apostle Paul received clear direction for his ministry during a time when he and the
elders of the church were fasting. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2). Power Fasting is
one of the ways by which we humble ourselves before God, and it is through humility that God gives us the spiritual desire and power to carry out His will (grace).
".... God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6) David emphasized how humility is increased through fasting in Psalm 35:13: ". .. I humbled my soul with fasting. .. ."
Spiritual power is, first of all, living in the victory which Christ won through His death, burial, and resurrection. Psychological Rewards What modern men calls the psychological part of man,
Scripture calls the soul. The Greek word for "soul" is psuche. It is from this word that we get the term psychology. The soul involves the mind, the will, and the emotions. All three of these are tremendously
benefited through fasts that are done unto the Lord and accompanied by prayer and the Word. Increased concentration One of the greatest hindrances to seeking the Lord is our lack of ability to concentrate on Him and
His Word. Fasting allows us to remove ourselves from the distractions which hinder concentration upon the Lord. Increased confidence A spirit of fear can be one of the greatest enemies to the Christian. Fear is from
Satan, and when we allow it to continue, he uses it to bring about damaging decisions, especially in the area of medical care. Through fasting, prayer, and reading the Scriptures we come to see and appreciate in greater
ways the realities of Christ and eternal life with Him. The more real that Christ becomes, the less death is feared. Jesus Christ confronted Satan with confidence after forty days of fasting in the wilderness. His
con-fidence was based on the Word of God, which He skillfully used in responding to each of Satan's temptations. Notice the results of Christ's confrontation with Satan:
"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee…" (Luke 4:14) Physical rewards The issue of fasting is discussed very rarely in medical literature. It is astonishing that so little medical
research has been carried out on a procedure which offers such great hope for preventive medicine and noninvasive treatment. For the most part, studies that have been done on fasting were actually the study of
"starvation." For this reason, the researchers worked from the hypothesis that fasting is detrimental to the human body. However, recent studies where the hypothesis has been set forth that fasting is
beneficial reveal that fasting will cause a person's health to spring forth speedily. Following are just a sampling of the health benefits of fasting. 1. Strengthened immune system The ability of the body to fight
infection and disease is dependent on the health and strength of the immune system. One significant study on how fasting affects the immune system was conducted several years ago at the University of Pittsburgh
(Pennsylvania) School of Medicine. This study demonstrated the following benefits of a fourteen-day fast on the immune system: · An increase in the ability of white blood cells to destroy harmful bacteria in the body
· An increase in the levels of antibodies in the blood which fight infection. These antibodies are identified as IgA, IgM, and IgG. ("Fasting-Enhanced Immune Effector Mechanisms in Obese Subjects," Am J Med.
Vol. 75, July 1983, pp.91-96) Effect on cancer Because fasting increases the effectiveness of the body's immune system and removes toxins and nonessential cells, it would seem probable that some cancer patients
would greatly benefit from a controlled, extended fast. 2. Decreased inflammation Fasting has been shown to decrease symptoms of various inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Studies done in Sweden
in 1983 and 1987 showed a decrease in several inflammatory parameters in patients who went on a fast. These studies gave a biochemical basis for the improvement of symptoms. (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Vol. 42,
1983, pp. 45-51; Arthritis and Rheumatism, Vol. 31, No. 5, May 1988, pp. 585-592) 3. Elimination of toxins Fasting is a marvelous "system-purifier" for the whole body. While allowing the digestive system
to rest, fasting enables the body to remove an increased amount of wastes and toxins. God designed the blood to be the life source and health indicator of the flesh. Blood tests during times of fasting reveal the
powerful cleansing that is taking place in the body. Blood uric acid levels rise sharply during fasting. Uric acid is a waste product (from purines in the diet) which is released into the blood and subsequently
filtered out by the kidneys. A normal uric acid level is approximately 3-8 mg/dl. In a fast, the level may rise to as high as 19 mg/dl. Normally, a high uric acid level causes gout (a disease with symptoms of
painfully inflamed joints), but gout is not evident in fasting patients with high uric acid levels. The reason is that in a fast, the body eliminates uric acid instead of absorbing it. The kidneys also filter ketones
from the blood in order to prevent the blood from becoming too acidotic. Other waste products and toxins are also very efficiently excreted by the kidneys during fasting. (See American Journal of Industrial Medicine,
Vol. 5, 1984, pp. 147-153.) 4. Conquering or obesity Hunger, or craving food, usually diminishes after forty-eight to seventy-two hours of fasting. During fasting, there is normally a weight loss of one to four
pounds per day (and sometimes as much as ten pounds) in the first three days, depending upon total body weight. At this time, there is a decrease in body temperature and in T, (a thyroid hormone), which decreases the
metabolic rate, hence, conserving energy. In a 1987 study of the effects of fasting on various metabolic hormones, no significant changes were found. However, an increased sensitivity of the fat stores to lipolysis
(breaking down) was noted. This fact has significant relevance for the treatment of obesity. Other studies have found that fasting can be an effective means of losing weight, but refeeding and eating habits following
the fast will determine the amount of weight regained. ("Long-Term Weight-Loss Maintenance: Assessment of a Behavioral and Supplemented Fasting Regimen." American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 78, No. 6,
June 1988, pp. 663-666) 5. Improved carbohydrate tolerance in obese, type II diabetics Ten obese women with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were given meal tolerance tests before and after three days of
fasting. An improved carbohydrate tolerance was shown following the fast, probably due to reduced liver production of glucose and improved insulin action. ("Carbohydrate Tolerance Improves With Fasting in Obese
Subjects With Non-Insulin-Dependent (Type II) Diabetes" The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. 299, No. 4, April 1990, pp. 250-256) 6. Suppressed infection and inflammation A number of studies have
indicated that fasting actually suppresses certain types of infections. One 1990 report heralded fasting as a simple, safe, and economical therapy for alleviating acute pancreatitis in laboratory animals. (Digestive
Diseases and Sciences, Vol. 35, No. 7,Iuly 1990. pp. &1~18) Another study, done in Sweden, reported on twenty patients with a variety of skin diseases whose symptoms improved during a two-week fast. ("A
pasting and Vegetarian Diet Treatment Trial of Chronic Inflammatory Disorders." Acta Derm Venereol, Vol. 63, 1983, pp. 397-403) Other studies have shown that certain infections may reactivate when refeeding is
not carried out properly. One conclusion drawn by researchers is that leanness may be man's greatest physical asset against infection. Excess weight only increases the chances of infection. If this is true, then the
use of self-control in eating plus fasting to maintain an ideal weight can effectively prevent many infections. ("Starvation Suppression and Refeeding Activation of infection," The Lancet, January 15, 1977,
pp. 12~125) How you can reap the rewards of fasting through current research In light of these and other physical benefits from long-term fasting, special research studies are currently being performed to confirm
the effectiveness of fasting for specific health problems. We are aware of three specific studies which are currently seeking volunteers to undergo a three-week fast under the supervision of their personal physicians.
1. A study to evaluate blood and urine composition in healthy adults during an extended fast. This study hopes to confirm to the medical community that extended fasting for spiritual purposes is not harmful for
adults presently in good health. 2. A study to determine the effects of longterm fasting on people who suffer from chronic rheumatoid arthritis. This study will include follow-ups six months and one year after the
fast is completed. 3. A study that will demonstrate the effects of prolonged fasting in obese, type II diabetics. Factors such as insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance will be measured. This material is
summarized in the Basic CARE Bulletin on fasting. If you would like more information on the Basic CARE Program or on a long-term fast, please write to: Medical Training Institute of America, Fasting Research Project,
Box 3113, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3113
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