"The FAST WILL LIGHT THE BIBLE"

And when you fast, do not show yourself as the hypocrites; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, to not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6.16-18.

     The word fasting is defined in abstaining from something we like or use, whether partial or total, with an emphasis on sacrifice rather our body, or body, or even our own lives, and integrate ourselves more to our God . When we propose in our hearts we fast, we are making a covenant with God. (No bargain), but demonstrating to Him our faith, love, affection, to serve you and worship, and that the kingdom of God and his justice take priority in our lives, even if we are dependent on food to sustain our everyday lives, but spiritual supply for our soul and spirit is and always will be a priority, we should observe carefully the purpose or object for which we offer to God our fasting, not forgetting to tell Him, our heart's desire, to see fulfilled in our lives, its beneficial promises, according to the efficacy and the glory of his power, should carefully observe with care, having a beginning, middle and end, as well as prayer, we can not do anyway, as did the scribes and Pharisees with their tithes, offerings, prayers and fasts, as Matthew Matthew 6.5 and 23.23, and then Jesus undertook to teach the correct way, concerned with his disciples, and the New Testament people, not to learn the wrong, we have about 20 in the Old Testament passages about fasting, it means that the Jews had the practice of fasting, and the Lord Jesus, when he made his speech, called the sermon on the Mount, which begins in Matthew chapter 5, and that ends in chapter 7 of the same book, he cares about teaching and warn many things about this world and the heavenly kingdom. We consider the Sermon on the Mount as a primer for not being able to err and not be deceived, but having the full assurance and conviction to follow the Lord, I say that the Sermon on the Mount is the abridged bible, and between wonderful teachings found fasting, and thus, we are privileged to learn who is master par excellence.

     We are aware that the time day and night together, have 24 hours, then our fasting, we must add the two periods, starting at the beginning of the day, which is zero - time, or commonly called midnight, we can food until 23.59 hours, and from there we start our withdrawal, and in the morning, our routine life, usually follows as: wash your face, comb your hair, brush your teeth, seeming to be joyful, not sorrowful, as did the Pharisees, to be perceived by men, because after all, fasting is for God and not for men. Fasting may be in our favor, or in favor of someone, it's good to remember that we must not be selfish, only reminding us, or someone around us, like prayer, we should remember our friends, brothers, our pastors and even by our enemies, and we must do so also with fasting. Do not have a rule timeout duration, as we know, and recognize that we are limited, and everyone should know their limits of the body, it is not legal to exaggerate someone after being driven to the hospital unconscious weaknesses or even go to death, there is also a specific date as many use only holy week, "title staged by Catholicism." It is important that fasting is accompanied by prayer, and if possible reading of the word of God.
Which aims to fast?
We can fast in our favor or in favor of someone, for God to work the miracle of healing a person, for the disease to be solved a case that it is impossible for human eyes to be blessed with spiritual gifts, such as baptism with the Holy spirit, or other divine gifts assigned by God to us, also to gain knowledge in the ministry of the Word, for the salvation of souls, specifically one person, or many people we know or not, in favor of a nation, in favor of someone, to be delivered from addictions such as chemical dependency as well, or any other addiction, fast to our advantage to be filled with the power of God, and having intimacy with Him, that when He comes the need to cast out demons in Jesus' name, is met, as Mark 9.29, also church leaders, can fast for God gives wisdom in certain directions, taking appropriate decisions on the people, judging righteously in the divine purpose, as Solomon did, in his application to God, thus saith the text, 'Give me, for now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
Types of fasting:
Full or full: it is he who abstain from food and also liquids during the period of fasting, as Moses did when he received the mount of God, the Ten Commandments, so that the text says: And was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water, and the cattails wrote the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Exodus 34.28. But we mean that the natural man is impossible to fast for a period of forty days and forty nights, without eating or drinking, in the case of Moses it was tethered to God and not in himself as a human, but spiritually.
Fasting part I: one that is partially abstain as: stop eating, but taking liquids, or vice versa, as we imagine that Jesus was fasting when he was led into the wilderness. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 4.2 Matthew the Evangelist Matthew records the Lord after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry, though He was gone without eating or drinking of course cite the evangelist who also had headquarters, so we conclude that his fast was partial taking liquids.
Fasting part II: We can fast with abstinence only a question that we like, such as; if I love to drink coffee, I can only fast abstaining from coffee for so many days, like soft drinks, same thing, and so of any other food or drink, consider for example the fast of Daniel, in his first fasting, ate only vegetables and drank water for 10 days, according to Daniel 1:12, already in its second fasting, as recorded in his book, Daniel abstained for three weeks of desirable foods, such as meat and wine, as the text expresses: in those days I Daniel was mourning for three weeks. Desirable food not eaten, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint with ointment until the three weeks were fulfilled. 10. Daniel 2-3.
Other forms of fasting.
Employers, entrepreneurs or merchants can also fast for their services for a day or more, eschewing the work of your firm or company, staying home with the family, praying and reading the word of God, or the temple as were Jews, as employees, not good, because they will lose their days, and may even be dismissed from service. Questions also arise with regard to the couples about sexual abstinence, suggest that there must be consensus between the two, since I do not have absolute control over the body of my wife, nor her about my, our conjugal union in this partly depends on the interplay of the two, when combined, can certainly be realized.
Fasting alone.
It is one that I myself alone make the decision to fast, and not invite anyone else, and realize my fast.
Collective fasting.
Yeah, when combined with someone else, so together we fast for a certain time, whether with family or a group of brothers.
Fasting proclaimed or proclaimed.
When the worker, pastor or church proclaims a fast, open to the entire congregation, for a certain reason, and also a certain time, as I Kings 21:12, II Chronicles 20.3, Jonas 3.5.
Fasting in solidarity.
It is one that we sympathize with our brothers, for example; someone is experiencing any kind of problems, he invites us, or invite it to do a campaign of fasting and prayer during many days, that God in his infinite mercy will bestow his blessing to solving the problem as members of the body of Christ that we are, we feel the sufferings of others, suffering together. As commands in the word of God; Rejoice with those who rejoice; and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15.
For that fasting does not serve.
     No good to forgive sins if we sin and we want to fast so that our sins are forgiven, surely God will not receive this fast, our sins are forgiven when we repent and ask forgiveness from the Lord Jesus, who by His blood that was shed on the cross, as described cleanse us the apostle John: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1.9. As Solomon also teaches us; that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28.13. Fasting also do not serve to erase grievances between brothers, even the Lord does not receive or our offerings, as Christ himself explained, first we have to reconcile with the hurt. So He said, Let there before the altar of your offer, and first go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5:24. Fasting does not serve to beautify our body like regime to lose weight, if the intuition of fasting to lose weight, it will not be received by God, because it is shifting focus, we can even be benefited by fasting, and emagrecermos the that is not fasting to lose weight, remember what Jesus said. "First the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you, Matthew 6:33," For our purpose of fasting is to God and not to men. Fasting is not for barganharmos with God, receive blessings in return, no way God will accept. Fasting is not meant to demand something from God, we have no right to demand anything of God, He is sovereign in its decisions do not depend on our requirements. Fasting also not meant to compete with anyone, so that a believer is more than the other. Fasting also is not for God to punish someone, not for us to this role, but praying and fasting until our enemies, that they also may obtain the same blessings that we are blessings and we can not ask God to curse anyone, and yes, bless.

In the end, fulfilling the time of our fast, we can not help but give it to God, but we will be doing in half before feeding ourselves, come the time when we will terminate our fasting, we deliver it to our Heavenly Father as Jesus recommended, that with faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God, as described in the Epistle to the Hebrews 11.6. We should say so, or in other words: O Lord my God, I give Thee this fast, recebas for honor and glory of thy holy name, and according to Your will be fulfilled the desire of my heart, blesses the food that will ingest, and serve well to my physical body, in the name of Jesus Christ your son, amen. Do not forget to note the following: If a total fasting was done, look first drink fluids to hydrate the body, and then the food. We also say that fasting can be for a day, several days, weeks, months or years, always taking care of our limitations, should we say, that we should not care if someone perchance discover that we are fasting, that Jesus quote we should not look to men who are fasting, as Matthew 6:16, it was because the Pharisees were fasting in order to be seen by men, and even disfigured their faces, so everyone knew their fasts, the glory and the reward were simply human, sometimes we are fasting, we passed a house and a brother, at mealtimes, and offer us a meal, it is better to say that we are fasting, than lying to say you've lunched or dined also at the house where the head of household is not a believer, or even his wife, who is my case, I will not say I'm not hungry, or already fed me, I'll be elapsing in a larger error, which is a lie, but I will say that I am fasting . Also remember that; by careless sometimes break the covenant of fasting, being unnoticed, and we feed before delivery of the same, we must ask God for forgiveness, by carelessness and breach of covenant or contract, and the next day, a new start fasting. Finally, we can not remain silent when we blessed by God after a period of fasting, but witness to the honor and glory of God, that He will feel pleasantly honorable, see what Jesus said: "Thy Father which seeth in secret, publicly reward you, Matthew 6.18b ", this means that we should publish the blessing received, but if we are not satisfied, we should not be sad or discouraged, for the will of the Almighty, is sovereign, and broader correct. Amen.