Rewards for personal fasting are on two different levels.
One is from the admiration of men. They say, “Oh, can he
fast! I wish I could do that. Don’t you know he’s spiritual.”
Jesus said not to be a hypocrite and look sad, making it obvious
to men that you are fasting.

An open reward comes from God when you fast in secret.
You can believe for this reward when you go into the fast. Be
specific about its purpose. If you believe for the reward at
the outset, the pressure from your physical body will lessen.
Remembering the results, and the reward being obtained,
makes fasting easier.

Fasting in the New Testament is not for chastisement.
Chastise means “to instruct.” “For whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth…” (Hebrews 12:6). He uses His Word to teach you.
New Testament and Old Testament repentance are two
different things. Old Testament repentance meant to be
sorry to the point of self-infliction or mourning. Under the
New Covenant, the word repentance means “to completely
turn around, to change your mind.”

If you are a born-again Christian, God will not chastise
you through physical punishment. He will instruct you
spiritually (Hebrews 12:9). Jesus said, “The words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

He will use His Word.
How did Peter move the men’s hearts on the Day of
Pentecost? With the words he preached. They were anointed,
Holy Ghost-filled words that pricked their hearts. The Bible
says the Word of God is good for reproof and correction
(2 Timothy 3:16). In the literal Hebrew, Isaiah 53:5 says, “He
bore our chastisement by punishment.” You never, ever have
to be punished by God. He deals with you through His Word!

Punishment is not in God’s order of things for His family.
He is available to lead and care for you. His desire is to abundantly
supply your every need according to His riches in glory.

With these things in mind, let’s study Isaiah 58. God
explains the kind of fast to which He is calling the Body of
Christ. He said, “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?” (verse 6).

We have been delivered from the power of darkness
through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus. The price
has been paid. If there is any oppressive yoke, the believer
can and should be free from it. This is the fast that God has
chosen: to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
burdens, to let the oppressed go free and to break every
enslaving yoke. You can fast to set your whole congregation
free of Satan’s oppression. God calls us to fast to bring the
spirit man into ascendancy over the flesh. This enhances
intercession and sets the captives free!

There are also personal, spiritual rewards. Isaiah 58:8 says,
“Then [when you have fasted] shall thy light break forth as
the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily….”
What is the light of God? Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance
of thy words giveth light….” You begin to receive things from
the light of God’s Word. He will reveal His Word to you. When
you have revelation knowledge of the Word you have confidence
in it.

God told Joshua to meditate on the Word day and night so
he would observe to do all that was written in it (Joshua 1:8).
In other words, it will be revealed to you how to act on what
is written in the Word.

He also said your health would spring forth speedily. Many
Christians are not walking in divine health because they are
ruled by the flesh. Fasting causes the spirit man to dominate
the flesh. Faith for healing is easy when you are walking in
the spirit.

Isaiah 58:8 in The Amplified Bible continues to say the glory
of God will be your rear guard. The armor of God described in
Ephesians 6 is all frontal.

Conditional to this fast is that all strife, tale bearing and
backbiting be purged. Every form of false, unkind or unjust
speaking must be put away. The believer must operate in
the love of God. Paul said, “Though I bestow all my goods to
feed the poor…and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing”
(1 Corinthians 13:3).

When the believer operates in the love of God, it prevents
Satan from coming in and destroying the effectiveness of
the fast. If you are not operating in love, your fasting will not
profit you.

Fasting helps you to tune in to the spirit realm where
healing—and all your inheritance—already belongs to you.
Fasting will shut down the influences of the five physical
senses so you can walk in the spirit. Your healing, victory,
strength, faith and the power of God are all in the spirit. You
fast so you can walk in the spirit and enjoy your inheritance.
This is what Jesus meant when the disciples came to Him and
said, “Why could not we cast him [the devil] out?” (Mark 9:28).

Jesus did not say, “Because you haven’t fasted.” He had said earlier,
“Because of your unbelief” (Matthew 17:20). He had already
given them the power to cast the devil out (Luke 10:19). They
had been letting their flesh rule them. They were not fasting,
praying and meditating on what Jesus had told them.
Jesus separated Himself to pray and fast regularly. He
could minister to the people in faith. He stayed tapped in
to His power source—the Holy Spirit. He lived in obedience
to God. A fasted life, which is fasting and praying, spending
time in the Word, and ministering to the Lord will keep you in
a position to receive from God.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries