Receiving the Holy Spirit

Fasting to Recieve the Holy Spirit

Could it be that fasting is required to receive the Holy Spirit?

In the New Testament of the Bible many people receive the Holy Spirit. After receiving it they are many times performing miracles and directly communicating with a higher presence. These gifts helped the early church grow very quickly.

In modern times we generally don't preform miracles or hear directly from God. Many people believe that these gifts are either no longer required so we don't have them anymore.

But what if we just aren't following the prescription of fasting? Could it be that fasting is required to receive the Holy Spirit?

In the Bible it seems every time someone receives the holy spirit it is after a period of fasting with no food or water for three days.

Here are a few examples

Acts 9:9 In Paul's Conversion. Paul is struck blind after a vision from Jesus. He doesn't eat for or drink for three days.

 

Acts 2:1-4 The Holy Spirit entering the Disciples at Pentecost. During the Jewish equivalent to Pentecost the disciples would have been fasting. So while not written by saying on the day of Pentecost it was implicit. This could be a ten day fast.

 

Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

When new elders were appointed they preformed prayer and fasting with them.

Another Example is in this writing of the early church.

Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) (c. 70-140)

“Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand. Your fasts must not be identical with those of the hypocrites.” – Didache, 7

Conclusion

So could it be that fasting is required to fully receive the Holy Spirit? I think it could and it's worth trying. There are more references to strengthening the gifts of the holy spirit though fasting that will be in another article.

Let me know what you think about fasting and the Holy Spirit and if it has helped you. Also let me know if you think this is crazy so we can have a discussion about it.

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