When should God's people fast? This lesson describes the occasions when spiritual fasting was called for. Delivered by Wayne Cornwell on April 26 to the church at Highland Heights in Smyrna, Tennessee.

1. Occasions for
Fasting

4. “Fasting is a laudable
practice and we have reason
to lament that it is generally
neglected among
Christians.”
~ Matthew Henry

5. “I wonder whether we have ever
fasted? I wonder whether it has
even occurred to us that we ought
to be considering the question of
fasting? The fact is, that this whole
subject seems to have dropped
right out of our lives and right out
of our whole Christian thinking.”
~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

6. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement

7. Leviticus 16:29
This shall be a statute forever for
you: In the seventh month, on
the tenth day of the month, you
shall afflict your souls, and
do no work at all, whether a
native of your own country or a
stranger who dwells among you.

8. “They must refrain from all bodily
refreshments and delights, in token
of inward humiliation and
contrition of soul for their sins.
They all fasted on this day from
food (except the sick and the
children), and laid aside their
ornaments, and did not anoint
themselves.” Matthew Henry’s
Commentary on Leviticus

9. Acts 27:9
Now when much time had
been spent, and sailing was
now dangerous because the
Fast was already over, Paul
advised them, ….

10. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement
When they were at war

11. Judges 20:26
Then all the children of Israel, that
is, all the people, went up and
came to the house of God and
wept. They sat there before the
LORD and fasted that day until
evening; and they offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings
before the LORD.

12. 1Samuel 7:6
So they gathered together at
Mizpah, drew water, and poured it
out before the LORD. And they
fasted that day, and said
there, “We have sinned
against the LORD.” And Samuel
judged the children of Israel at
Mizpah.

13. Remember…

14. We are in a
war!

15. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement
When they were at war
When loved ones were sick

16. 2 Samuel 12:16,17
16 David therefore pleaded with
God for the child, and David
fasted and went in and lay all
night on the ground. 17 So the
elders of his house arose and went
to him, to raise him up from the
ground. But he would not, nor did
he eat food with them.

17. Psalm 35:11-13
11 Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not
know. 12 They reward me evil for
good, to the sorrow of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were
sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I
humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my
own heart.

18. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement
When they were at war
When loved ones were sick
When loved ones died

19. 2 Samuel 1:11,12
… all the valiant men arose and
took the body of Saul and the
bodies of his sons; and they
brought them to Jabesh, and
buried their bones under the
tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and
fasted seven days.

20. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement
When they were at war
When loved ones were sick
When loved ones died
When they sought forgiveness

21. Deuteronomy 9:15-18
15 “So I turned and came
down from the mountain, and
the mountain burned with
fire; and the two tablets of
the covenant were in my two
hands.

22. Deuteronomy 9:15-18
16 And I looked, and behold,
you had sinned against the
LORD your God—had made for
yourselves a molded calf! You
had turned aside quickly from
the way which the LORD had
commanded you.

23. Deuteronomy 9:15-18
17 Then I took the two tablets
and threw them out of my
two hands and broke them
before your eyes.

24. Deuteronomy 9:15-18
18 And I fell down before the
LORD, as at the first, forty
days and forty nights; I
neither ate bread nor drank
water, because of all your sin
which you committed in doing
wickedly in the sight of the
LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

25. Occasions for Fasting
The day of atonement
When they were at war
When loved ones were sick
When loved ones died
When they sought forgiveness

26. Tonight
How, How Not,
and How Long?