Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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!

This is an awesome book. The principal of fasting has not been focused on like we as Christians need it to. I'm thankful for Bro. Franklin and others like him that give us insight on its worth and how America is in desperate need for us to practice fasting. I highly recommend this book to anyone curious enough to disclipine themselves to reading it. It will definitely get your spiritual attention.

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

I have read many books on fasting and prayer, but this book is by far the most comprehensive and informative of them all. Brother Franklin writes as he teaches: with insight, with practicality and with simplicity. He writes from his own experience with fasting and his own in-depth study of God's word. I believe that God has chosen him to help restore the discipline of fasting to the church today.

Fasting as a spiritual discipline had always seemed like a good idea, but I had felt it was impossible for me. I began viewing the author's telecasts, and found him to be a very solid theologian. After hearing about fasting at Freedom Chapel in 2007, I decided in 2008 to try it. I bought "Fasting" and read it, as I continued to view Franklin's telecasts, and found the book and his message very "palatable". Reading the book convinced me that I could fast, and I am now in my 5th week of a fast which will continue to the end of Lent. Hallelujah!

This book is awesome! Pastor Franklin presents the material on fasting in such a clear and precise manner. I decided that I needed to again incorporate fasting with prayer for some strongholds in our music ministry that I knew could only be broken through fasting coupled with prayer. I ordered a copy and folks were so moved by my enthusiasm that I order a dozen more. Those went quickly and I ordered 10 more. The reports have been phenomenal. People who are reading it and seeing results from their fasting are sharing with others who now want to read it and fast also. Some people are seasoned Christians like myself who are familiar with fasting and others knew nothing about it. We are all being blessed beyond measure. I recommend this book highly.

The book was incredibly helpful on learning more about fasting by someone who is actually doing it and seeing results. I am taking notes from the book to incorporate it into our own church. We are already seeing results. Plus since receiveing the book on Jan. 2, 08 I am seeing personal resutls. It truly has "opened the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful realationship with God"! Very encouraging book; I highly recommand it.

This is one of the best books I've ever read on Fasting. I learned the significance of a 1 day, 3day, 21 day and 40 day fast, and how to make any of them effective. The book ignited such a passion and hunger for God, that I then purchased Jentezen's Fasting CD and prayer journel -- WOW, what a power pak! At the end of my 21 day fast I was so amazed with how God had opened my eyes to things going on in the kingdom (much like he did for Daniel after his 21 day fast), till I decided to continue on into a 40 day fast. I'm already seeing breakthrough not only in my life but in the life of my children. Thank God for His word, his annointing, and his servants, such as Jentezen Franklin!

Fasting, by Jentezen Franklin is a wonderful book that not only explains fasting, it's purpose and benefits but also explains what Fasting is NOT. A must read for those who want to know more about fasting.