Press Statements & Articles

25 REASONS WHY WE NEED TO FAST

Dear Pastors, Elders and Church Leaders,
 
Before we presumptuously ask the Lord of the Harvest to move in our nation, we should seriously consider fasting, not just praying.

Why fast?

  1. Because we have lost the cutting edge in ministry. We no longer have much "to impart" at cell meetings or during prayer time at the altar call.
  2. Because our devotion to God has waned. There is hardly any excitement about Quiet Time and Bible reading. And you can’t remember the last time you fasted.
  3. There is no passion to make disciples. We no longer have the burden to groom the next generation as disciples. We have fed ourselves and no longer strengthen the weak (Ezekiel 34:2-4).
  4. Our hearts no longer burn when we hear or study the Word of God like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. When carrying the physical Bible to church becomes inconvenient, it’s time to fast.
  5. When a person dies and goes into eternity without Christ, it no longer bothers us.
  6. When fellowship with the saints at cell meetings or Sunday Services is no longer our priority.
  7. Every time I pray, I hit the ceiling. There used to be a time when we could sing the song, "Every time I pray, I move the hand of God." When God’s people no longer believe in prayer, it’s time to fast. At prayer meetings, when God’s people are crying out, you are either absent or you are chatting away at the back of the hall, it’s time to repent.
  8. Every time someone is in need, we feel helpless and powerless. We need to fast to seek His help in order to restore our heart of compassion.
  9. When our lives are dogged by besetting sins (and we seem powerless to overcome it). If we’ve never been acknowledged by others as either “Godly” or ever identified as “a man of God,” then it’s time to fast.
  10. This is the season of intense spiritual warfare in our nation. When some unashamedly solicit the powers of bomohs and spirits, we cannot afford not to fast and engage in spiritual warfare in the heavenlies.
  11. Some diseases and demon possession cannot be healed and delivered without prayer and fasting.
  12. We cannot hope to fulfil our personal destiny without prayer and fasting.
  13. When our prayer meetings hardly ever witnessed a move of the Holy Spirit.
  14. We need to fast to tell God we are serious about returning from our backslidden ways.
  15. Fasting helps us move from "casual sorry" to "genuine repentance.”
  16. Fasting is the key to being identified with the Church again. Fasting helps us become “committed members.”
  17. Fasting helps us to turn our back on materialism. We will no longer take attending Church casually.
  18. Fasting helps us to be bold in confronting sin, to speak to sinners and saints who are ensnared by both materialism and immorality.
  19. We need to fast to re-discover God’s true and perfect will for our lives. Many of us do not know how to wrestle in order to seek the God of Jacob. We are contented with the feel-good will of ‘god’ (small “g”!) because we want a comfortable life, where the money is. Not where good works need to be done; not where the Gospel needs to be preached.
  20. We fast because we need to fear God more than we fear man.
  21. We fast because we have lost the ability to kneel before His Presence, to acknowledge that we need to make Him Lord again.
  22. When we no longer care about rewards in eternity or whether He is going to commend us, “Well done, good and faithful one”, it’s time to fast.    
  23. We fast so that we will not be mediocre in using the gifts God has given to us.      
  24. Fasting and Prayer help us to be grafted into the prayer movement in our nation.  
  25. We fast because our local church and our nation, needs us to stand in the gap.
     

Let’s embark on the “chosen fast” (Isaiah 58:6)

Sincerely,
Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng
Chairman

 



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