 |
1. "Therefore also
now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting"
(Joel 2:12).
2. "I give unto you
a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time
forth" (D&C 88:76).
How to Fast
·
Go
without food and drink for 24 hours
·
Pray
(beginning, during, and end of fast)
·
Fast
with a purpose (gratitude, submissiveness, blessings for ourselves &
others, grow testimony, etc.).
·
Donate
the money we would have spent on food to the Church as a Fast Offering, which
is used to help the poor and needy
3. "You can fast for many purposes. Fasting is
one way of worshiping God and expressing gratitude to Him (see Luke 2:37; Alma
45:1). You can fast as you ask Heavenly Father to bless the sick or afflicted
(see Matthew 17:14–21). Fasting may help you and those you love receive
personal revelation and become converted to the truth (see Alma 5:46; 6:6).
Through fasting you can gain strength to resist temptation (see Isaiah 58:6).
You can fast as you strive to humble yourself before God and exercise faith in
Jesus Christ (see Omni 1:26; Helaman 3:35). You may fast to receive guidance in
sharing the gospel and magnifying Church callings (see Acts 13:2–3; Alma 17:3,
9; 3 Nephi 27:1–2). Fasting may accompany righteous sorrow or mourning (see
Alma 28:4–6; 30:1–2)" (True to the Faith, Fasting and Fast Offerings).
Q How do we fast with purpose?
Q Why does God ask us to fast?
Fast
Sunday and Fast Offerings
God
has commanded us through His prophets to fast one Sunday each month, usually
the first Sunday, if physically able. We typically refer to this as "Fast
Sunday". We can also fast at other times during the month, but should not
fast too frequently or for excessive periods of time. We donate the cost of
food we would have eaten to the Church as a Fast Offering. The Bishop uses Fast
offerings to help the poor and Needy in the Ward.
Q What is a fast
offering and how are they used?
4. "Humble
yourselves, and continue in prayer unto [God].... And now behold, my beloved
brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have
done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not
the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who
stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your
prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing " (Alma 34: 19, 26, 28).
Q How does donating a
fast offering make fasting more meaningful and edifying?
5. "Take heed that
ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward
of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not
sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms,
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in
secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
"When ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: 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; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward
thee openly" (Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18).
Q How does fasting and
donating in secret make fasting more meaningful and edifying?
6. "They did fast
and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer
and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and
consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts,
which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto
God" (Helaman 3:35).
Q How does humility
and submissiveness to God's will make fasting more meaningful and edifying?
Q What helps you to
make fasting more meaningful and edifying?
7. "In fasting we
approach thee here
And pray thy Spirit from above
Will cleanse our hearts, cast out our fear,
And fill our hunger with thy love.
"Thru this small sacrifice, may we
Recall that strength and life each day
Are sacred blessings sent from thee--
Fill us with gratitude, we pray.
"And may our fast fill us with care
For all thy children now in need.
May we from our abundance share,
Thy sheep to bless, thy lambs to feed"
(In Fasting We Approach Thee, Hymn #139).
Blessings of Fasting
Conditional Blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Forgiveness, salvation, exaltation, eternal families, hope, overcome weaknesses, godly character/divine attributes, self control, guidance, comfort, joy, peace, strength, healing, etc.
To receive the conditional blessings of the atonement, we must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
· Faith- belief in, trust in, and commitment to obey Christ
· Repent- submit will to Christ and change behavior to follow Him; seek forgiveness and a change of heart
· Covenants- make/keep promises by priesthood authority to follow the example of Jesus Christ, such as baptism.
· Holy Ghost- receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, invite and follow His guidance
· Endure to the end- consistently grow our faith, repent, keep our covenants, and receive the Holy Ghost
|
Q How does fasting help us to live the gospel and receive the
blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ? How have you been blessed for fasting?
8a. "There came to
him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my
son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire,
and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not
cure him. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the
child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart,
and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them.... this kind
goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:14-16, 18-21).
8b. "This account teaches that prayer and fasting
can give added strength to those giving and receiving priesthood blessings. The
account can also be applied to your personal efforts to live the gospel. If you
have a weakness or sin that you have struggled to overcome, you may need to
fast and pray in order to receive the help or forgiveness you desire. Like the
demon that Christ cast out, your difficulty may be the kind that will go out only
through prayer and fasting" (True to the Faith, Fasting and Fast
Offerings"
Q How has fasting strengthened you?
9. "Wherefore have
we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?
wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find
pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate,
and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day,
to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have
chosen? a day for a man to afflict his
soul? is it to bow down his head as a
bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable
day to the LORD?
"Is not this the fast that I have
chosen? to loose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and
that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that
thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
"Then shall thy light break forth as the
morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness
shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt
thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I
am.... And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted
soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the
noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in
drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Isaiah 58:3-11)
Q What blessings are we
promised as we fast in the Lord's appointed way? How have you seen these
blessings?
Bearing
Testimony in Fast and Testimony Meeting10. "A testimony is a
spiritual witness and assurance given by the Holy Ghost. To bear testimony is
to give a simple, direct declaration of belief—a feeling, an assurance, a
conviction of gospel truth. Sharing your testimony often is one of the most
powerful ways of inviting the Spirit and helping others feel the Spirit. It
adds a current, personal witness.... Powerful testimony is not dependent on
eloquence or the volume of your voice but on the conviction of your heart.... Your
testimony may be as simple as “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” or “I have
learned for myself that the Book of Mormon is true.” You may also share a brief
experience about how you gained this knowledge.... Talk about how living a principle
has blessed your life" (Preach My Gospel).
11. "The foundation
of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves us; that
Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the
infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to
restore the gospel; that we are led by a living prophet today; and that The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior’s true Church on the
earth. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the
gospel" (True to the Faith).
Q How do we bear
testimony? What should we focus our testimonies on?
Some
cautions:
·
Actually
bear testimony (instead of just expressing gratitude, etc.)
·
Don't
try to teach or instruct (or condemn!) others.
Key talks about sacrifice can be found at
Key talks about humility can be found at
Please share your testimony of the principles covered in this lesson or share a favorite scripture or quote that wasn't included.
No comments:
Post a Comment