Fasting Day 18: Fasting for Healing
This is a guest post by Melinda Malloy. You can read more about Melinda below.
Have you felt overwhelmed, discouraged, or hopeless due to sickness or some other type of physical pain or suffering? Maybe doctors have given you a diagnosis that weighs heavily on your heart. Have you considered that fasting and praying for healing is God’s will?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to break every yoke? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the LORD’s glory will be your rear guard…The LORD will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry” (Isaiah 58:6, 8, 11).
Jehovah Rapha
We have the privilege of taking our pain and suffering to our Jehovah Rapha – “The Lord who heals.” Don’t resign yourself to sickness, and don’t limit God’s ability to change your situation! Seeking the Lord in prayer and fasting for healing should be a way of life. However, fasting is not to replace the aid of doctors, medicine, and technology.
In addition to praying and seeking Him about a situation, God sometimes instructed people in the Bible to use medicine or certain remedies for healing. In Isaiah 38, God said to Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah, “Put your house in order for you are going to die; you will not recover.” However, Hezekiah did not get his things in order and prepare for death. Instead, he turned his back on worldly thinking and understanding and wept and prayed before the Lord.
The word of the Lord came again to Hezekiah – “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life!” God then instructed that a poultice of figs was to be used to bring about Hezekiah’s healing. Rather than resigning himself to death, Hezekiah had faith that the Lord could override the sickness in his body. He sought the Lord for healing, followed God’s instructions for medicinal aid, and he was healed!
By contrast, in 2 Chronicles 16, Asa contracted a severe foot disease but refused to seek the Lord for healing. He only sought physicians, and Asa died as a result. Though we should be thankful for doctors and modern medical technology, we should also be thankful that there is One who is above all of man’s knowledge and understanding! The Lord is the only One worthy of all our trust and confidence, for He alone has the ultimate power to heal and change our circumstances!
In the book of 3rd John, verse 2 says, “Beloved, I desire that in all things you should prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” God desires that we be in good health, but even more so He desires that our souls would prosper. God said that in this world we will suffer. Sometimes God heals in order to show His power and to make His name great. Other times God chooses to bring Himself glory through our suffering when no healing is in sight. God’s sustenance, strength, comfort, peace, and joy in the midst of suffering gives us hope and increases our faith. This precious faith will help us get through trials in the future and will help us be a comfort to others.
My Own Experience
Several years ago, I participated in the 21 days of fasting with Pursuit 21. Due to some health issues, I did a partial fast. About three months later, I began experiencing such extreme intestinal pain that I was not able to eat anything. Since I had been through that fast earlier in the year, the Lord had strengthened my heart, my resolve, and my confidence in Him.
I did not know then what the coming days and weeks would hold, but I committed the time as a fast unto the Lord, spending great amounts of time praying, seeking, and worshiping Him. I was able to praise Him though sometimes I felt afraid and discouraged when time went by and my healing did not arrive.
I was not able to take in sustenance, but the Lord strengthened my body and kept me going. He encouraged me and blessed me with His peace and presence. I also sought the help of doctors and medical testing, but no help was found through those avenues. God, Jehovah Rapha, was my source and the only One that I could look to for hope.
After twenty-one days the Lord led me to 1 Samuel 1, and as I read through the chapter, His word to me was in verse 5:
“Those who were hungry hunger no more.”
The next day I was able to eat a little without horrible pain, and little by little the Lord restored to me the ability to eat. I praise Him for His healing power, but I also praise Him for the invaluable lessons He taught me during those twenty-one days – both sets of them! He increased my faith, provided for me, amazed me with His works, and gave me comfort that I am now able to share with others.
I pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage you today! If you need God’s touch in your physical body right now, seek the Lord in prayer and fasting. If you know someone who is suffering, pray and fast for them. Persevere and do not lose heart!
“Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7
Worship: “Healer”
Healer by Kari Jobe
From the Self-Titled Album: Kari Jobe
Download on iTunes | Amazon
Bible Reading: Isaiah 58:6, 8, 11; Matthew 7:7
Prayer Focus: Do you feel hopeless due to sickness or some other type of physical pain or suffering? Bring your need to Jehovah Rapha, your Healer, today.
More about Melinda Malloy: In addition to being the owner and photographer at Melinda Malloy Photography, Melinda is an administrative associate here at Shades of Grace (she helps me a lot!). You can follow her on Facebook.
FROM THE FASTING ARCHIVES:
- Fasting Day 18: Health and Healing
- Fasting Day 18: Returning in Power, Part 1
- Fasting Day 18: The Calvary Road, Part 1
- David Brainerd: Missionary, Mighty Man of Prayer, Mighty Spiritual Influence
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, Shades of Grace will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
“Natalie Grace Nichols is experiencing God’s grace and freely expressing it. My wife, Betty, and I thank God for the ministry of Jesus through Natalie.”
“I’m so thankful that God is raising up women like Natalie for a new generation, providing biblically balanced teaching, encouragement, and comfort for people who are enduring life’s trials.”
Hi great information. Please please keep remembering me in prayers for healings for terrible pain in my body and mind. If anyone can contact me please do for prayers and advice. WIlliam from San Jose California. . .
Hello I would love to fast for my mom and dad please how can I start what to do first ..
Stephanie, I apologize, I did not see your comment until now. As we went through Pursuit 21, you may have come the answer to your question. If not, a good place to start is the day one post from this year. It has links to content that will help you. That post was: https://www.shadesofgrace.org/2020/01/05/the-adve…
I am very encouraged by Natalie’s testimony. I am suffering from a disease that science has rendered incurable. But I believe Jehovah Rapha heals ALL my disease. Psalms 103 says so. I have been praying but things are not improving. Please help me with prayers as I have no more strength to pray for myself. Please. I am not comfortable to discuss or ask from anyone around me. I have not told anyone yet.
Start praying for others. "When Job prayed for his friends, his captivity was lifted." Sometimes, God wants us to take our minds off of our healing and put our prayers into healing others. I will pray for you, for God is faithful!
Thank you for this information… I am a mum of 4 boys, ages 9,7,5 and 3. My 5 year old was diagnosed with severe autism at 2yrs and 8 months. He is non-verbal. Lost all his words at 18 months… He hits his head a lot to a point the hair is thinning in the area he constantly hits…. I have been potty training him for 2yrs now…. but I have also been praying and believing God for complete and total healing….. When I was pregnant with my 3 yr old, the position he was in in my tummy gave me hernia… A year ago I got an ultrasound and it was 2.5 cm my doctor was worried and wanted to operate asap, but my youngest being 2 at the time and 2 kids in diapers, and I would need 6 weeks to heal and no help… My husband works, so home alone with kids…. My husband is not saved but believes in God…
I am so glad I found your site definitely been and encouragement because some days especially with my son, can be bad and some times feel hopeless. But i thank God for the His Word and continue to pray…
God bless
The best bible study on healing is by Barry Bennett on YouTube : "Jesus paid for our healing". He goes through the scriptures starting in Genesis to show that God has always provided healing for his people. It is his will for us to be healed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGTibB6ItCk
Thank you for the link to this sermons Beth.
I believe God lead me to this blog…thank you Writer!
Good stuff…. thank you Beth…. i have also been listening to Curry Blake on devine healing. They both speak on being agressive and not passive…. i think i have been baby sitting sickness
Just to touch base my son is fully potty trained!!! GOOD BYE DIAPERS
I am starting my fasting for 21 days I will do daniel fasting for my friend who has lung cancer. Please pray for him to get through pain and lonelines and God heal him.he feels abondoned. I am trying to incourage him he is not alone. I need prayer from every christian brother and sisters so he can get through this. Thank you and God bless evryone.
Please pray for my back,legs, neck, and shoulder. Als,pray for my feiend James😀😀
Kindly pray for me and my 1 year 10 month old son for healing.
I want to do daniel fast anyone with great information on how to should encourage me on how to.
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Hi I need all the christian's to pray for my brother Kaisa Taetafe, He is not doing well it's being a while seen's He sick now he start not eating and my mum is very worry for him so please, so please I need everyone's help to pray and fast to our Heavenly father to heal my brother he is having a cancer, He is reside in Samoa
I'm so bless with these testimony. I believe that God heals everyone in need, God bless you. Please also help me join hands in faith and pray for me, my family and those who needs Gods healing.
It is encouraging advice for me ,thanks
I am thinking about fasting in faith for my eyesight completely healed! I have choose to not wear my glasses and put them out of my reach. Without them before everything was blurry, but I am healed by Christ even though It is not instant it is not wavering that I am battling. Staying in faith and not wavering!!! I have already been praying for healing, but I might add in fasting.❤️
Pls pray for me I have been bleeding for over 16 years and had two major surgery and still bleeding I have other health issue