Fasting and Prayer #4

Having shared words on prayers, definitions, why and other types of prayer in series of other articles titled “prayer”, I introduced fasting in my first article, defining it, and telling us its types. My second article is centered on why we need to abstain from foods. In the third article I start talking on benefits of fasting. This (benefits of fasting) I will continue with in this article.

A person who has not been hungry before may not know how it feels when someone comes to him that he is hungry. But for someone who has suffer hunger ones, when people come to him that they are hungry they would arise to help the person. When we have denied ourselves food before, experiencing hunger, we shall know how it feels when someone says we should help him that he is hungry. (Mt. 25:34-46)

God told the people of Israel that the poor would always be in their midst.

“For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” (Deu 15:11)

When we see people who do not have, people who are suffering we shall not be able to close our eyes of mercy against them, if we have partaken of this exercise once or more.

It makes us stronger to withstand the temptation of the flesh most especially temptation of food,

Physically it helps to alleviate some symptoms of depression. (1 King 19) Prophet Elijah became depressed when queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, and he ran to the wilderness. While fasting and talking with God, some of the symptoms were dealt with by God.

Studies have shown that during the period of fasting, the white Blood cells breaks down quickly to produce new ones.

Most of the diseases in human bodies, especially many cancers, have been attributed to the growing and free movement of free radical ions in our systems. When we undergo this exercise, our bodies produces some ions that would combine (react) with those free radicals and mop them up from our blood stream circulation.

It can be used for protest, during hunger strike (non violent) in some parts of the world, especially the advanced countries.

Because of its effect in boosting the immune systems, mopping up the free radical ions in our systems, it can by this increase the life span of people in communities. Also people who are embarking on such exercise may not be too eager to go out because of weak bodies and this may also assist in curbing accidents thus improving the life span too.

These are the benefits of fasting I trust that as you have seen these you would be gingered to undergo this exercise during your life time. In the next article I shall be writing on classes of fasting.