Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts

In
Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough,
Elmer Towns not
only unravels the mystery of fasting, but provides a
very clear biblical understanding of the value of fasting.

H. B. LONDON JR.

Vice President, Ministry Outreach/Pastoral Ministries
Focus on the Family

No one has given us the broad picture of what this means
more convincingly than Elmer Towns in his stimulating
new book,
Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough.
This is truly a tract for the times!

C. PETER WAGNER

Fuller Theological Seminary

Regal Books is a ministry of Gospel Light, a Christian publisher dedicated to serving the local church. We believe God’s vision for Gospel Light is to provide church leaders with biblical, user-friendly materials that will help them evangelize, disciple and minister to children, youth and families.

It is our prayer that this Regal book will help you discover biblical truth for your own life and help you meet the needs of others. May God richly bless you.

For a free catalog of resources from Regal Books/Gospel Light, please call your Christian supplier or contact us at
1-800-4-GOSPEL
or
www.regalbooks.com
.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the
New King James Version
. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers. Used by permission.

The following Bible versions are also used:

CEV—Contemporary English Version. The Promise
™ copyright © 1995, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

KJV—King James Version
. Authorized King James Version.

TLB
—Verses marked (
TLB
) are taken from
The Living Bible
© 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

NIV—New International Version®. NIV®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 1996 by Elmer L. Towns

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Towns, Elmer L.

Fasting for spiritual breakthrough / Elmer L. Towns.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8307-1839-7

1. Fasting. 2. Fasting—Biblical teaching. I. Title.

27   28   29   30   31   /   12   11   10   09   08

Rights for publishing this book in other languages are contracted by Gospel Light Worldwide, the international nonprofit ministry of Gospel Light. Gospel Light Worldwide also provides publishing and technical assistance to international publishers dedicated to producing Sunday School and Vacation Bible School curricula and books in the languages of the world. For additional information, visit
www.gospellightworldwide.org
; write to Gospel Light Worldwide, P.O. Box 3875, Ventura, CA 93006; or send an e-mail to
[email protected]
.

WARNING
:

The fasts suggested in this book are not for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning. Expectant mothers, diabetics, and others with a history of medical problems can enter the spirit of fasting while remaining on essential diets. While fasting is healthful to many, the nature of God would not command a physical exercise that would harm people physically or emotionally.

F
OREWORD BY
D
R
. W
ILLIAM
R. B
RIGHT

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I
NTRODUCTION

A serious call for a devout return to the discipline of fasting
.

1. T
HE
F
ASTS
G
OD
C
HOOSES

The biblical base, varieties, benefits and background of the kind of fasting that pleases God
.

2. T
HE
D
ISCIPLE
’
S
F
AST

Fasting for freedom from addiction (see Matt. 17:20,21). If we fast, we can break the besetting sins that limit a life of freedom in Christ
.

3. T
HE
E
ZRA
F
AST

Fasting to solve problems (see Ezra 8:21-23). If we fast for a specific purpose, we may solve a debilitating problem
.

4. T
HE
S
AMUEL
F
AST

Fasting to win people to Christ (see 1 Sam. 7:1-8). If we fast and pray for revival, God will pour Himself on His people
.

5. T
HE
E
LIJAH
F
AST

Fasting to break crippling fears and other mental problems (see 1 Kings 19:2-18). Through fasting, God will show us how to overcome negative emotional and personal habits
.

6. T
HE
W
IDOW
’
S
F
AST

Fasting to provide for the needy (see 1 Kings 17:12). When we sacrifice our own physical needs, God enables us to focus on and provide for the needs of others
.

7. T
HE
S
AINT
P
AUL
F
AST

Fasting for insight and decision making (see Acts 9:9-19). If we fast to subject our will to God’s, He will reveal His will to us
.

8. T
HE
D
ANIEL
F
AST

Fasting for health and physical healing (see Dan. 1:12-20). When we fast for physical well-being, God will touch our bodies and enrich our souls
.