Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God [Hardcover]

Jentezen Franklin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 14, 2007

In this New York Times Best-Seller and one of the best available books on the topic, Jentezen Franklin explains the spiritual power of fasting and offers a deeper understanding of God’s plan for fasting and the benefits available to those who participate. The book contains inspiring and practical information that readers need to know in order to access the power of biblical fasting. Those who seek God through fasting can expect tremendous rewards for their personal lives as well as for the church. They will see breakthroughs in many areas such as healing, finances, unhealthy dependencies and family relationships. This book also gives stories of those who have reaped miraculous rewards from this simple act of faith.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Access the Power of Biblical Fasting and Transform Your Life!

When you fast, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God. Once you've experienced even a glimpse of this and the countless rewards and blessings that follow, it changes your entire perspective.

Jentezen Franklin gives you the keys to experiencing this kind of transformation in Fasting, one of the best and most comprehensive books available on the topic. Discover everything you need to know to unlock the power of biblical fasting, including:

· The types of fasts described in the Bible and how to choose which is right for you
· The connection between fasting and prayer
· The essential components of a successful fast
· What to expect physically, mentally, and spiritually

Experience for yourself the deeper, stronger relationship with God that only comes through prayer and fasting.

About the Author

Jentezen Franklin is senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, a non-denominational church with 9,000 members. He is also founder of the Kingdom Connection Media Ministry, which includes international television and publishing ministries that have served the Christian community for more than 13 years. Kingdom Connection is broadcast internationally on networks like TBN, Daystar, and local broadcast stations in the United States.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Charisma House (December 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599792583
• ISBN-13: 978-1599792583
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Pentecostal
  • #39 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Charismatic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biblical Fasting as a Lifestyle, January 3, 2008

By 

Seven Words "Seven Words" (Gainesville, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God (Hardcover)

I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to get this book. Jentezen Franklin has taken biblical truths about Fasting and broken them down in a way that anyone and everyone can relate to. You will also read about others who have fasted and the supernatural miracles and blessings that came as a result of their fasting and prayer. After reading this book, you will see fasting in a whole new light and be challenged and feel strongly encouraged to make it a part of your lifestyle rather than just a annual or rare practice.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opening!, February 25, 2008

By 

Shelly Stephenson (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God (Hardcover)

After watching Jentezen Franklin on television talking about his church's 21 day fast and and how God responds to your needs & prayers faster, I was all the more intrigued to buy this book as soon as posible. I just happened to be on a fast when I heard him speak about his book on fasting and knew it had all the answers I needed to encourage me with my commitment to God. All I can say is WOW, AWESOME, INSIGHTFULL, EYE OPENING! This book is a must buy for those who want to be extreme enough to seek God with sacrifice and look forward to great changes in your life!

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Haphazard and misleading in some places-75 pgs would have been sufficient., February 12, 2010

By 

Mark A Oliver - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God (Hardcover)

This book was recommended by a friend whom I respect. After reading it however, I find I cannot recommend it to others. Mr Franklin touches on all of the import factors relating to fasting but he does so in a rather random, haphazard way. For example he states what I would think is the major premise of the book 79 pages into the book. "We can become over nourished on hefty diet of church programs and activities, religious structures and traditions of men, and yet be severely undernourished when it comes to the deeper things of God." It's not until page 163 that he ties fasting to the 'deeper things of God' when he says "... the true cry of your heart becomes:"More of you God and less of me."" The deeper things of God are peppered throughout the book but they take a back seat to the more pronounced theme of the book.

The point that Mr Franklin makes overwhelmingly is that fasting can break down the doors of heaven giving us access to its booty/bounty. Fasting in this book appears as a revised prosperity gospel. Many of the testimonies are of financial gain or other outward needs being met,overshadowing the deeper things of God that Mr Franklin does touch upon. I would have thought that the topic of fasting would have been covered in depth in a 75 to 100 page booklet so when I began this 237 page book I was surprised to find so few and such generic testimonies. I would have rather read several chapter long stories of changed lives than the short anonymous blurbs about temporal successes. As I said the deeper things of God are to be found in this volume. They are just lost in a sea of prosperity.

My main criticism of Mr Franklin however is his misuse of Scripture. Some of his quotations were ambiguous but some were just wrong. The Daniel Fast is an example of ambiguity. In Daniel 1&2 the Hebrew youth's decision to abstain from the rich foods of the Babylonians was not a fast. It was a conviction to obey the ordinances of God by not eating unclean food. They continued to eat this way all throughout their 70 year captivity. Daniel's fast in chapter 10 was not a partial fast. He mourned. Mourning is an act of repentance which includes fasting. Mt 9:15 Jesus answers the disciples question about fasting thusly,"Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn ... but then they will fast." Jesus interchanges mourning and fasting as in many other places in the Scripture. Daniel ate no meat. Meat here and elsewhere refers to solid food. We talk of the meat of fruit, nuts, etc. and the Scripture in many places refers to meat simply as food. Jesus said, "I have meat that you know not of."

Another ambiguous application of Scripture is the chastisement of Isaiah 58 (pg 91 and elsewhere). The pronounced 'Fast I have chosen' was NOT to abstain from food but to behave righteously in their daily lives. The rewards then in vs. 8 and 9 are not associated with fasting from food but with obedience to the Torah.

Also Mr Franklin burdens the believer with what he calls the Christian duties of Matt 5, i.e. prayer, giving and fasting. The point of this discourse by Jesus was not to establish a New Testament law (duty) but to instruct His followers who, by their born again nature (not duty), pray and give and fast. The point of that instruction is to do these things in private communion with our Father in heaven not to be observed by men.

Examples of what I consider wrong interpretation of scripture are: On page 164 he quotes 1Thess 5:23 and says, "Notice that God's priority is concern for your spirit first, your soul second and your body third." This assumes that the order of the words in a verse determine their priority. But on page 158 he quotes Heb 4:11-13 which says in part that the word is "... piercing even to the division of soul and spirit." The positioning of words in a passage is no evidence of God's priority. Mr Franklin could have just as effectively and authoritatively said, "I believe God's priority is ..." without forcing meaning out of a verse when it is not there.

On page 91 he references I Kings 3:10-13 saying,"Solomon humbled himself in prayer and fasting and God greatly increased his wealth and wisdom." This chapter however, says nothing about fasting. As a matter of fact Solomon was sleeping. He had just offered 1000 burnt offerings on one of the high places when God came to him in a dream. This would more probably have been at a feast not a time of fasting. These are just a few of the many passages that cause me to withhold my recommendation.

Mr Franklin seems to be motivating people to seek hard after the Lord and for this I commend him. His heart for the things of God surfaces in several places in this book. If he was forced to reduce the content of his book to 75 pages perhaps what he left in would be the deep things the Lord has burdened him with.

Mark Oliver
Bear DE