Faith Christian Center Senior Pastor and Co-Founder Dr. Gene Lingerfelt explains biblical fasting and offers recommendations for getting started.
Gene Lingerfelt
“Biblical fasting, as led by the Holy Spirit, involves abstaining from all food for a set period of time.” That’s according to Dr. Gene Lingerfelt, Senior Pastor and Co-Founder of Faith Christian Center in Arlington, Texas. Here, the pastor reveals more about prayer and fasting as he explains fasting for answers, spiritual power, and breakthrough.
In recent years, Dr. Gene Lingerfelt and Faith Christian Center have placed a greater emphasis on prayer, confession, and fasting as led by the Holy Spirit. “Unfortunately, people have been led to believe that biblical fasting means giving up chocolates, social media, or just particular types of food,” explains Dr. Lingerfelt. “Yet, a true biblical fast,” he continues, “is when someone abstains from all food for a period of time, as led by the Holy Spirit.” This also includes abstaining from all liquids with the exception of water.
According to Dr. Lingerfelt, fasting from a biblical perspective is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. “Fasting is for spiritual power and breakthrough,” adds the pastor. “When we fast biblically,” he continues, “We abstain from all food for a period of time, as led by the Holy Spirit.”
Water is fine, he says, and if an individual’s body is used to caffeine, they might enjoy a cup of black coffee or tea in the morning. “Many experience powerful results and breakthroughs with simply fasting for three days,” Dr. Lingerfelt reveals.
Fasting, however, is useless without prayer, according to the Faith Christian Center Senior Pastor. As such, those who are fasting must set aside additional time each day for prayer and for reading the Bible. “Feed yourself spiritually on God’s Word throughout the day,” he advises, “and use normal meal times to spend extra time in the Word of God and in prayer.”
With fasting, Christians are denying their bodies of food for a spiritual purpose. “It’s not just dieting!” remarks Dr. Lingerfelt. Instead, he says, the spiritual purpose makes biblical fasting much different. “Fasting from a biblical perspective is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose,” he reiterates.
Pregnant and nursing mothers, however, he points out, and people with serious health conditions, must only fast under advisement from their doctor.
“Let’s be hungry for God to move,” suggests Dr. Lingerfelt, “and let’s be willing to sacrifice—to fast and pray—to see God move powerfully!”
“Every great revival in history,” he adds, wrapping up, “has been birthed through prayer and fasting!”
