A Wesleyan Understanding of Fasting and Prayer

A Wesleyan Understanding of Fasting and Prayer
 
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached and printed a sermon based upon Matthew’s account of Jesus’ teaching on fasting and prayer. The Sermon is Sermon XXVII Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.  The scripture is Matthew 6: 16-18.  The essence of the sermon is not to make too much of fasting nor should it be ignored.   Fasting can be a means of God’s grace working in our lives as we seek to hear from God through this simple act of denying physical need for spiritual gain.

Wesley wrote about fasting, “It is not all, nor yet is it nothing. It is not the end, but it is a precious means thereto; when it is duly used, he will surely give us his blessing.”  Sermon XXVII Jackson’s Works, p. 344
 
Fasting
    
By participating in this 40 Days experience you will be in good company.  Moses the Law Giver, Elijah the great prophet, and Jesus our savior all fasted and prayed for 40 days.  Why?  Were they not already advanced in their walk with God when they began their fasting?  Yes they were—this is why they submitted themselves to this spiritual discipline so God could reveal more of Himself and His direction for them and those they led.

Fasting literally means to abstain from food.  In some passages in the Bible, you will read the story of Moses, “he ate and drank nothing” (Exodus 34:28) Some observe a 24 hour fast, the most popular is a 40 hour fast, while some will endure a 72 hour fast and only drink liquids.

In the early church Christians would fast on Wednesday & Friday by not eating any breakfast nor lunch.  They would only drink water or other liquids during their fast.  The next form of fasting is abstaining from pleasing food or a full meal.  In other words, you would just eat toast and some protein with no flavoring or condiment.  Daniel observed a form of abstaining from certain foods in the Book of Daniel as God revealed Himself in this fasting from fatty meats, etc.
 
During the 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer you will participate in a true 40 Days of fasting by not eating after the evening meal until the next evening meal—a full 23 to 24 hour fast each day.  The exception would be on Sunday when the Sunday lunch after worship can be observed.

Praying
There are many forms of prayer.  There are prayers of lamentation, tears, confession, adoration, petition, intercession, sacramental, and unceasing prayer just to name a few.
   
During the 40 Days of Fasting & Prayer we will focus upon Petition and Intercession.  Both forms of prayer can be powerful experiences, which draw us close to God during our time of fasting.  In the Fasting experience we open ourselves up to hearing from God due to our posture of obedience and in our prayer time we listen to God through the reading of Scripture and listening.