 Okay, so the recording has started. So let's go ahead, we will try and then begin to discuss more about today's topic, which is fasting. Okay, so I would like to request someone if you haven't played in a while, or this class, you could unmute and pray please anyone. Yeah, I am just thinking maybe someone else if you don't mind because it's been a while I haven't heard the voices of others. Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for your understanding. I just wanted someone else to take up. I don't want to call anyone's name because I don't know maybe you know you're in a place where there's a lot of noise or something that may not be comfortable. Someone volunteers that would be great. Yes, yes, please go ahead. Oh, sorry, was it Elisha? Yeah, Elisha, please. Okay, I have a name for that. We want to bless you and praise your holy name for this moment of our lives. Father, we pray, commit our class into your hands, O God. It is a prayer that you take absolute control and directs our path in the name of Jesus. Father, your word says that wherever there is an entrance of your word, there is an illumination. Father, as we are about to study your word, may you enlighten our minds and bring an illumination in our thoughts in the name of Jesus. Father, calls us to understand and particularly be able to undertake or to implement whatever that we discuss here in our lives in the name of Jesus. We pray and we give you praise and honor for us in our prayers in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much Elisha. Okay, so we come to this topic called fasting. Since this subject is about prayer, we might wonder, what does fasting have to do with prayer? But definitely fasting is very closely associated with prayer. It strengthens us as we fast and it's not just fasting, praying with fasting. That is what is effective. So we could talk about fasting for various reasons and fasting, which is disconnected with prayer, that has its own benefits. You know, and the world out there is researching all the benefits of fasting. So fasting in itself, you know, that's something that we're not talking about just fasting. But what we are talking about is we are talking about praying with fasting, which makes our prayer life and our prayer journey more effective. So we're going to look at how fasting is helpful in a spiritual sense and that is the focus of our discussion. And today's subject, it will just be introduction of fasting. There's so much more that we have to study about it. So we might take the next class or maybe even the next two classes to complete the subject of fasting. So what is it? What is fasting? You know, we talked about prayer and we said that in our lives, if we can grow to a place where we can regulate or have like a strict way of doing prayer, where we have a schedule, we make sure that we're engaging in prayer, that is a discipline, isn't it? Whatever we are able to control, closely control, it becomes a discipline in our lives. And we know that prayer is beneficial and therefore it has to be a part of our lives. And so we discipline ourselves with prayer. In the same way, fasting is also a spiritual discipline that we must incorporate into our lives and that, you know, this will enrich us, this will strengthen us. And we see several scriptures that will shed light on this. Who is the one who talked about fasting? There are many people in the Bible, but for us it's very, very important to see Jesus' views on fasting. And we see that Jesus himself advocated fasting, Matthew chapter 9 verses 14 through 17. Can somebody read it please? Matthew chapter 9 verses 14 through 17. Anyone? You have access to... Okay, Matthew chapter 9 verses 14 through 17. Yes. Then the disciple of John came to him saying, why do we end the Pharisee part often, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and the tear is not worse. No do they put new wine into old wine skin, or else the wine skin spread, the wine will spill and the wine skins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wine skin and both are preserved. Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Zalitomi. So you see here, Jesus was questioned by people who noticed John's disciples fasting and they asked him, how come your disciples don't fast? But Jesus said, look, there will come a time right now because he was with them. You know, he did not insist that they fast, but he did say that once he would be gone, that all his disciples would fast. So Jesus is talking about fasting just as much as he said, in this manner you pray, he did indicate that his disciples would also fast. So we, these disciples, we must have fasting as part of our seeking, God. And here in his meetings, Jesus did say, when you pray like this, similarly, there are, I've heard someone whose title is when you fast, which is to say that we are supposed to fast. It's not if you fast. For a believer, it is when you fast, because fasting is very much part of our spiritual discipline. Jesus also talked about the proper way of fasting. Remember, in some passages, the references are given here, we won't read them, don't Matthew 6, 16 to 18, again Luke 18, verses 9 to 14 where Jesus says that when we are fasting, that we must not appear like we are really afflicting ourselves and you know, things are so difficult and desperate for us instead to not let others even know that you are actually doing this for the Lord, you're seeking God in this way. So just the way he said, when you pray, you know, don't go out there and like the Pharisees make a show of it. Similarly, when we fast, we're not here to make a show of it that, ah, I'm fasting, look at this, you know, God is going to answer me because I have fasted like this and like that. So it's not to make a show, but it's similar to prayer, where we are consecrating ourselves in a very private way unto the Lord. We also fast in a private way and we know that God is the one who sees whatever we go through as we fast, then God will reward us openly and also Jesus said how like you oil, oil yourself or in other words, don't make yourself look so desperate and needy when you are fasting. But do it after the Lord, do it joyfully and let that be an act of worship. So that's the manner in which we need to come before the Lord. So fasting is a part of a believer's spiritual discipline and this is something we must develop. Here at Bible College, since you're all joining online, you know, you don't have, you don't have that, but here when we have our in-person, on-campus classes, we have every Friday we set aside for fasting, so all the students they fast. And post 1pm, we generally have a prayer session every Friday where the students get together, there's a time of worship, there's a time of ministry of the word, there's a time of intercession that takes place. Fasting, you know, Friday is that day when you kind of set aside for seeking the Lord along with fasting. Yes, classes go on as usual, but fasting is very much a part of the training that is given to students. And I know Bible College students three years, right? Those who have stayed with us and studied three years, completed their bachelors, this is something that they learn. Some of them they don't have this as a part of their spiritual discipline, but once they come to college, they pick it up, they develop the spiritual discipline of fasting as well. But know that the fasting that we're talking about, it's not starving, there's a difference. If we just give food, if we just, you know, let go, give up some, some sort of pleasure and we think, yeah, okay, I've done my part now, God, you bless me. That in itself is not what God is desiring, but you know, we are here to seek God. So fasting is a part of seeking God. That's how it should be. So fasting is to seek God. So there's always prayer associated with fasting. So a prayer or worship, all of those things, because then the fasting is meaningful in the spiritual sense. So fasting is a discipline that you and I can develop and discuss about it. We could expect these disciples to fast and pray. Now, talking about fasting, you know, we will touch on very many aspects of it. So let's just take it one by one. Now we've understood it's essential that it is something that we do from our hearts as worship unto the Lord. We don't make a big show of it. And here's the next thing. Fasting can be partial or it can be absolute. So it really depends. It really depends on what we have committed to do unto the Lord. So there are certain fasts which are known as absolute fasts in which one would not eat anything, right, or even drink anything because we see Moses do that when he is encountering the presence of God, you know, in 40 days and 40 nights, we know that he didn't eat anything, he didn't drink anything. But that's something really supernatural because, you know, if you generally see like, you know, 40 days fast and all that, you see that people don't eat anything, but they do drink water. And the inference that is taken from Jesus is fast. Jesus also, he didn't eat anything, but people derived that he probably drank water. So a human body to go without food and water, food and water for 40 days can be, it's actually medically, you know, a very difficult thing. So I've heard of people go without food and water for maybe up to a three day period, but not beyond that. If there's a 40-day fast or a 21-day fast, people generally go without food, they do drink water. Right, so absolute fast, absolute fast, we do use the term absolute fast for, you know, no food, no water, or it could also refer to no food. Okay, so absolute fast, partial fast, partial fast is generally when foods are allowed. So Daniel is a Daniel's fast, people go by that. Daniel, if you recall, he did not eat anything that gave him pleasure. So he did partake of the assigned food for him in Babylon. But he just said, give us basic, give us vegetables, give us water, and that should be sufficient. So there was a choice of foods. And why did Daniel do that? We know that Daniel did it because it's likely that the choicest foods of Babylon were dedicated to gods. And there was pagan worship associated with that. So he did not want to touch those foods. He only wanted to have foods that were consecrated unto the Lord. So maybe that was the reason why he did not pick, you know, meats and certain other kind of foods. He just picked the food which likely was not given to a worship of other gods. So he just managed on those, those items. And we saw how he and his friends, you know, the people, the people of God, they still did very well in health and in performance as compared to the Babylonians. So Daniel's fast is generally referred to as the partial fast, because he did eat, he did drink, but he just left out certain category of food items. Okay, so we can either do an absolute fast or we can do a partial fast as we decide, you know, in our hearts unto the Lord, we can also fast individually or we can fast in groups. Now individually, you remember when David lost his son, he goes, he shuts himself and alone, like he is not eating or drinking anything when his son is sick, but when the child dies. Okay, he kind of gets up, he comes back, he eats and he goes about his life. So individually, he fasted when Paul, Saul encountered God's presence on the road to Damascus, he couldn't eat either. So he didn't eat till Ananias, Ananias, he came and he ministered to Paul. So he also individually, he was fasting for a while. So as individuals, we can just keep it in our hearts that, okay, God, you know, I want to fast up to you and make up prayer. And individually, we can fast or as a group, we find that the elders in the church of Antioch together, they pray, they fasted together. So can we do this as a team? Can we do this as a family? Can we do this as a congregation? Yes, you have examples in the world of God where people fasted in groups. So even Ezra, he calls for a fast and you have an entire community fasting together. So fasting can be done individually or a group of people can also fast together. So the key thing, the main thing however, as we've been saying so far, it's not just about fasting. Okay, or if we are just abstaining from food and drink, we may well, might as well call it starving, okay, or dieting, because there is no spiritual implication to that. But when fasting is engaged or rather associated with prayer, that is when it is of spiritual value. So fasting must be associated with prayer. You may also say that we can spend time on God's word. So when we are fasting, it is good that we take time reading God's word, meditating on scripture, and you're just worshiping the Lord seeking God. So fasting is seeking God and other things associated with that prayer and reading God's word. So we must combine these and that's when it is really meaningful. Okay, so how long does one need to fast? No, it can vary. Again, in the Bible, in our notes here, there are so many examples, you can look it all up there, we could fast for a day, we could fast for three days, three nights, Esther is an example, she called for a fast, three days and three nights, and people fasted along with her. So it can be done for three days, or it can be done for seven days, it can be done for 14 days, 21 days, 40 days, or you pick another example. Some people only go by the numbers given in the Bible. What if you choose to fast for five days? What if you choose to fast for six days or 18 days? I think the key is to be led by the Spirit of God, which is what makes our fasting acceptable to God, rather than going by formula, because I've also seen people who do the Daniel fast, but they get preoccupied in, okay, what are the foods which Daniel ate and what are the foods that Daniel didn't eat? Okay, let's make a list of that and what are the recipes or that can be made from, you know, by eliminating certain foods. So they are both part of the recipes. So, but that's not what it is, right? Fasting is seeking God. So why are we, why are we refraining ourselves from either completely or absolutely not indulging in eating or partially refraining ourselves from food? Because you're giving your attention to God. If your attention is not on God and it's on food or skipping food, again, you have missed the point and how long should we do it? However long the Lord puts it on your heart and it's possible. So these are some basics that we have, we have now looked at about fasting. So why should we fast? This is in our, just we will look at the benefits, but yes, you're going to look at the benefits of fasting thoroughly, you know, as we go forward. So just what are some of the main benefits? You know, it is a way of expressing our dependence. It is a way of expressing our dependence. I think in the Bible when you see communities repenting unto the Lord, repenting unto the Lord, we find that they do not eat food. They put on sackcloth. We say they, they, they tore their clothes. These are all expressions. These are all expressions of coming before God and saying, God, we are sorry. Oh, God, these things have happened in our lives and, you know, we are repenting. We are repenting. We are giving ourselves back to you. So fasting can be a way of expressing one's repentance. Okay. And so we could just seek the Lord and tell him that God, you know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for the sin or I'm sorry for the sins of my land. I'm sorry for the wrongdoing of my, my family or my team. So you come before the Lord with fasting. So in other words, you know, you humble yourself. So what is fasting? Fasting is you're humbling yourself before the presence of God. So it expresses one's repentance. And so we want to seek God and repent fasting is something really good that we can, we can adopt. Now, it strengthens our focus. I've heard this said many times that fasting is not easy. Okay. Ask anyone, everyone will tell you that, Hey, anything but fasting, nobody loves to fast. And if they do, they probably have some goals that they are working towards. But it's a challenging thing to do to let go of food. But when we fast, you know, in a way, we are working our will, because our will is getting trained to say, No, no, I'm not eating now. No, I'm not eating this. So, so you're shifting your focus every time from the things that give you pleasure or things that make you comfortable to other things. So you're training your will. So when you're fasting for spiritual reasons for seeking God, we're training our will and our will is saying, No, I'm giving this time to God. Yes, I know this is lunchtime, but I'm going to spend some time in the Word of God. I'm going to spend some time worshipping the Lord. I'm going to spend some time singing right now. So our will is being shifted. It's being trained. And our focus is directed towards God. So what focus is being strengthened, our focus upon God is being strengthened and our focus on other things is being we can. So I was going to say something, but you know, my thought process went elsewhere, but I was going to say that I've heard people say this, that, you know, when you fast, the cry of your heart becomes louder than the cry of your stomach. Okay. But your will comes to that. Initially, yes, we are concerned so much about our stomach or feeling hungry, I'm feeling tired, you know, I can't do this. But the kind of our hearts, which is to say, you know, God, I'm seeking you, I'm pursuing you, or you know, I depend of this or God, I want to see a breakthrough in this area or I want to see my brother healed or, you know, whatever is the cry of our hearts, but that becomes stronger. Our focus is strengthened on those matters as compared to your growling stock. Okay. So fasting strengthens our focus. Our will, our will becomes strong. We are able to say no, you know, I am not going to worry about that. I'm going to trust God. You know, I'm not going to worry about, you know, my food right now, or my interest. Yeah, it's going towards all the nice things that I could be eating, but no, I'm going to focus on the world. So your will, your focus is strengthened in many ways towards the things of God. And anyone who practices fasting would tell you that indeed our will has been strengthened, our determination for spiritual things, for the things of God, you know, our passion for the things of God, it really is renewed and revived when we fast unto the Lord. And also in strengthening our focus, we could also say that when we are giving so much attention to God and God's will, many things become clear from God's work, many things, you know, on the direction that we must move it, that becomes clearer to us. So fasting has all these spiritual benefits. And fasting also increases our spiritual intensity. So by that, we could say that, you know, our faith is strengthened when we fast. You remember in Matthew 17, when the disciples come to the Lord Jesus versus 2321, and you know, they say, oh, why couldn't we cast the demon out? Jesus says, you know, this kind will not come out except by prayer and fasting. So how do prayer and fasting help us? But prayer and fasting will strengthen the spirit man, it will strengthen our faith. So when our spirit man is strengthened, when our faith is strengthened, and then, you know, we go and serve God or minister or cast out the demon or something, you know, we can see because of that increased focus and faith, we can see, you know, God's power being released. So it also kind of increases the intensity, you could say. We already have faith, but it increases our faith. It increases our passion for God, increases, you know, the spiritual aspects in us. So it increases our intensity. And I, again, I've heard somebody say that, you know, it's like, these are all analogies, okay, don't go by, don't take it technically. There is the verse and scripture for it and all, but I understand what they're saying. So somebody said that, you know, your spirit rises above. When you fast, your spirit kind of takes charge, it takes charge, okay. And you know, it's true, because something about seeking God through fasting strengthens us in such a way that we feel that strength and the spirit is able to decide as compared to your soul, you know, fleshly soul might say, hey, no, let's let this go, you know, I don't want to go and pray now. I don't want to go to church now and be part of that meeting or, you know, I don't want to set aside time right now and not feeling fine emotionally. But when we have this discipline of prayer as well as fasting, the spirit overrides the suggestions of the soul. So that strength of the spirit can come in when we are fasting, okay. So these are benefits. These are benefits that we can read from fasting. So I'm just trying to help us understand that this is really, really useful. So we will experience that spirit becomes stronger, intensity becomes stronger, passion for God becomes stronger, okay. Develops discipline, you know, needless to say anything that is hard, you know, you can't play the guitar, but you play it for six months, same two, three chords. Obviously, if you're closing your eye, you'll do it discipline. Over time, discipline is like whether you like it or not, it's become a part of you, brushing our teeth. We don't think about it, right? We just wake up, go discipline. We don't think I feel like brushing and don't feel like brushing. It's not about our feelings anymore. You wake up, you have to brush. So it's like that. It becomes a part of us. It really develops, you know, that strength within us where we know, okay, yeah, there's the right thing to do and that's, I shouldn't be doing that. So when we are fasting, you know, discipline regarding the things of God, we will develop that because our spirit man is becoming stronger, okay. And also, of course, the aspect of self-control, self-control, it's so hard to pass. So your will gets exercised and you're saying no to the things that give you pleasure. Obviously, self-control is developed and we also know that self-control is a fruit of the spirit. So when we are demonstrating self-control, it's like the character of God, right? It's coming from the character of God. So self-control is something that will become evident when we fast and pray. And when we have self-control, the things of the flesh, I already said that, you know, we are able to override the suggestions of the soul, suggestions of the flesh, and we can do the right thing because our will is now, we've exercised that self-control, okay. It deepens consecration. It deepens consecration. So we talked about consecration, dedicating ourselves unto the Lord. Now fasting along with prayer, that is also a way or setting ourselves apart for God, setting ourselves aside for God. So one example which is given in our notes here is Paul and Barnabas. Before they went on to the missionary journey, they were dedicated, they were dedicated unto the Lord to do this work, this special calling, this ministry which God had given them. But what was the initiation of that? You know, the time of prayer and fasting of the elders of the Church of Antioch, okay. So that's how they, the elders consecrated themselves, they gave themselves to the Lord, they ministered to the Lord and as a result, you know, God spoke to them and he said, okay, now that you all are, you have sought me in this way, set aside for me Paul and Barnabas for the work of the ministry. And they were also specially dedicated, they were commissioned for this special work. So it really deepens our commitment or our consecration unto the Lord. So you see, there are all these benefits. So in a way, you know, spiritual maturity, spiritual growth, we talk about, okay, when we are given to God's word, right, over a period of time, we can see so many changes in ourselves because the word has changed us. Let's say we now have learned the importance of prayer, okay, prayer is a part of my life every day. Over a period of time, we look at ourselves, we'll be amazed, oh wow, I'm a different person now because prayer has changed us, okay. Or relating to God in such an intentional way, it has changed us. In the same way, fasting, what does fasting do? Fasting changes us. We just saw the effects that has on our focus, on our intensity, you know, on our, on our consecration, on our discipline, right, or on the kind of expression that we have with the dependence. And yes, it helps us walk humble. Usually fasting is, I told you, referred to as humble ourselves, humble ourselves before the presence of the Lord. So what is the intention of fasting? It brings a certain growth. It brings a certain change in me. That is why I should fast, okay, not so that others can say that, oh wow, this person has self-control. They have fasted 40 days. They have fasted 80 days. It's not for other reasons, but the primary reason for us to fast is to seek the Lord and at the same time to experience changes in ourselves, okay. So that is the, the value of fasting. I'm just coming to the comments here. Okay, okay, yes, comment there. So, and okay, so, yes, you know, that's fine. Okay, yes, it's not continuing on the call to the, all right, that's fine. Okay, now let's just move on. So fasting is meant to change us and not to change God. I remember this one incident and this was, even I didn't have much understanding about fasting actually. I had a friend of mine, we used to encourage each other and the Lord and all. So she was going through a particular situation. I remember that attitude, you know, with which we, we sought God and I know God is gracious and he is very loving and kind. So he definitely answered that prayer, but it was more like, you know, she wanted certain opportunities in her life and she was not at all good at music, okay, but she wanted to do something in music and that instructor was not giving her the opportunity to, you know, play the instrument or something. So for that she decided that, hey, I'm going to fast 21 days because that is what I want. I don't want all these other things. But it was quite clear she didn't have capacity in that area. But she literally wanted, it was as if, you know, I'm not going into the details of it, but it was literally like she wanted God to change his mind about what she needs to do. So with that kind of an attitude, it was an extended fast. I don't even remember how, maybe 21 days, I don't know. So, but an extended fast and you know, even I kind of went along with it and I said, yeah, you're fast. So she did it. She actually did it. She pushed herself to fast and but at the end of it, did she get those music opportunities? No, even till today, she's not nothing music, you know, a little bit of music, yes, but not the way she wanted to get into music. It never happened because she didn't have the aptitude for it. So the point I'm trying to make is, see, sometimes we think that fasting is going to change God's mind. If I can fast 21 days, it's like God will get irritated and he will just give me what I want. But fasting doesn't change God. Fasting changes us. Okay, so that is the goal of fasting. Fasting is meant to change us. And everything that we have discussed about prayer so far, we said that we, what is effective prayer? We spoke about effective prayer, we spoke about believing prayer. When is it possible to pray a believing prayer? When we are praying in the will of God, that's what Jesus also taught us, isn't it? We are praying according to His will. When we pray according to His will and the Apostle John writes, he hears us. God hears us when we are in line with His will. So similarly, when we fast, it is important for us to go by God's will. We don't, we should not think that just because I'm fasting, I can change God's will. That would be the wrong motivation and the wrong intention to fast. Fasting is for us to be changed in accordance to God's will. So at the end of the really right fast, I'm sure, suppose we were saying something else before we started the fast, at the end of the fast, hopefully our hearts would have aligned then serves to the will of God, the purpose of God. So that is the meaning of a true fast. And fasting is meant to move us and position us into a place where we should be in order to receive from God. So fasting does a work in us and we must receive it and welcome that work that fasting does. So what are all the kinds of fasts so far? So I have only mentioned refraining from food as in my sharing. But you see fasting is about committing ourselves to God, isn't it? It's about seeking the Lord. It's about giving our attention to God. It's about saying no to the things of the world that want our attention. So it may not only be about food. Let's say for example, I am able to fast. Okay, I can skip two meals a day and keep doing that for let's say 40 days. I can do it. I can just have one meal every day. But what if I am addicted to my form and I'm addicted to other things which have my attention. So how does having self-control in the area of food and not having self-control in some other area? I just gave you one example. But it could be something else that we have no self-control over, some weakness of us, personal weakness. So fasting is really showing our commitment to God, our pursuit of God by saying no to the things that have our attention. So for example, if I say okay, how about, you know, I also, all my time is going on social media. How about I fast that time and I give that time unto the Lord? It might be a very hard thing for me to do because my self-control is that one area is very weak. Okay, so power issue here. No, continue. I hope you can let me know. Yes ma'am. Yeah, okay. Okay, thank you. Yes. So basically I was saying, see it's about, it's about letting go of something that has your attention. So fasting need not necessarily be okay. Thank you. Thank you. So fasting need not necessarily be only about food. So we could either refrain from food or we could refrain from, you know, certain kinds of food. I have some friends who for an extended period, they just decided not to eat what they like. You know, some of them they like sweets. One particular person, she loves sweets. But she said, no, I'm not gonna have that because I want to seek God. So it's like you're letting go of something that you really want. That is fasting. So you may want to let go of certain types of food or certain activities. I just give you an example. Maybe your time on your phone or surfing the net or basically you sit down and figure out what is it for you and whatever that looks like for you, whatever is taking away your attention to that activity, you say, Hey, I am not going to do this. Instead, that time, I'm going to read the word or I'm going to pray or something to seek the Lord. So we can refrain from certain activities. But the Bible also talks about something called as the fastest life. If you look at some people in the world of God, you know, you have Samuel, you have Samson, even Jesus. So they were all people who were dedicated to a Nazarite. Wow. Okay, Nazarite. Oh, I did that. Nazarite. Wow. There was something like the person who was taking up that commitment. They should not cut their hair. They should not drink anything, you know, which is from the grapes and the derivatives of grapes. So there were certain rules that the person had to follow. But why, why was the person, why did the person need to follow that as a sign of consecration or commitment or a holiness, keeping holiness in their lives for God. So that's the Nazarite. Wow. Similar to the Nazarite. Wow. Now, we can be people who say, okay, in, and through my life, I am going to follow a fasted life. And in that fasted life, you may have certain commitments unto the Lord and say, okay, God, I'm not going to do this, this and this throughout my life, because it's my vow to you. It's my consecration unto you. So that's a fasted life. But in a spiritual sense, what does a fasted life look? We will, you know, touch upon that as we go forward in our study of fasting. So I think I'll just pause here. We have a couple of minutes. And I'm sure you all have questions or some comments. So feel free, you know, you could just ask the questions, doubts. We can address that for now. Yes, yes, Divya, please go ahead. Thank you, personality. I have just two questions. One is, like, you might have already addressed this, but I just wanted to know, like, past, like fasting for a particular reason, right? Is it, is it wrong? Because, yeah, ultimately, as you said, it is seeking God. So is it wrong if you're fasting with a particular reason? And plus, another thing is, like, one person whom, like, I've heard of, he used to sing very well, and he was doing, like, in secular field and all he was invited. But then he came to know the Lord and then he made a decision that he will not sing secular music, only the Christian songs. So is that a fasted life? Okay, yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Divya. Good questions, both of them. So yeah, see the first one, yes, we are seeking the Lord, but when we're seeking God, it doesn't mean that, you know, we don't have any wants or needs, right? Even when we pray, Jesus taught us to pray, give us this day our daily bread. So God is a God who needs our needs. So if we are fasting to receive provision or, you know, freedom from some form of oppression or guidance, there can be some reason why we are fasting. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, if we go back to the examples where we saw Jesus before his ministry, he fasted, right? 40 days. So I'm sure he would have fasted so that he can serve the Lord well. Then you had Ezra who commanded the community to fast because they needed direction from God, Nehemiah. He fasted because he wanted to, I mean, one day he was in grief. The other thing is obviously he wanted to know how to deal with the broken wall situation of his people. Esther, you know, there was a very tumultuous time for the Jews and things could have gone really wrong for them, but she passed it for deliverance. So there is always a cause, Vilya, at least most instances, whatever I shared with you. Yes, we can just fast to worship the Lord, that's also fine. But if there is an attached need or a cause, it's fine actually, there's nothing wrong with it. Okay, I hope that answers the first part. Yeah, yes. Okay, great. Okay, great. So the second thing is that the individual who has decided not to sing secular songs, yeah, in a sense, yes, because it's not easy, right? He's done it all along. And now he has chosen not to sing secular songs. So it must be hard for him. So it does, you could say it comes in the category of the fasted life, but we'll see later on, fasted life is not just about letting go of something for God, but it's more than that. Now Isaiah 58, we will see that entire passage, how, what is the fast that the Lord has chosen, and what attitude, what lifestyle God is looking for. So all that put together will help us live a fasted life, not just saying no to something we like. Okay, so I hope that answers your question. Yeah, yeah, got it. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Pastor. Yeah, sure. Yeah, sure. No problem. Yes. So yeah, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that. Anything else at this point? Any questions that others may have also? Okay, so in case you just want to think about it, then please do. But we are going to continue on the same subject, right? So tomorrow and hopefully I think even next week, we will be touching on the same subject. So please do come with your questions and comments. So let's close right now, and I would like to request someone to please say a word of prayer. Can I? Yes, please. Yes, but yeah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Father, for teaching us, Father, regarding fasting, Lord, and the right attitudes, Father, that we need to have, Father, not to let others know or not to, Father, impress people, Father, Lord, but help us, Father, that our heart attitudes be to seek you, Lord, to, Father, Lord, to pour out our hearts to you, Father, Lord, let our fasting, Lord, be always associated, Lord, with prayers, Father, Lord, we pray, Father, Lord, let us align our will, Father, to your will, Father, Lord, help us, Father, that we, as we pray and as we fast, Father, Lord, you give us, Lord, those, the grace that we need, Father, Lord, the fruits of the spirit, Father, that we need, Father, Lord, how we are assured, Father, of all those fruits, Father, in our life and, Father, we draw near to your Father. So, we pray to each and every one of us, Father, who want to draw closer to you, Father, who want to have a deeper walk with you, Lord, you enable us, Father, you speak to our hearts in which ways, Father, which, what kind of disciplines, Father, we need to inculcate in our lives, Father, Lord, I pray, Father, for each and every student, Father, pray for Pastor Nancy, Father, as well, for the enabling of the Holy Spirit, for the anointing and the keeping of the Holy Spirit in our lives, Father, Lord, we bless Pastor Nancy, Father, Lord, we pray for all his needs, Father, may you provide according to your riches and glory, we thank you and praise you, Jesus Christ, we pray, amen. Amen, amen, thank you, thank you to me, thank you everyone, really grateful to be able to teach your class and I trust that everything we are learning that it will impact us right in some way and that we will be stronger for the Lord. So, thank you for taking the time and God bless you for all your efforts, really appreciate it, keep continuing, it's awesome, we've reached almost the end of three months, one more month to go to complete this semester, so excellent, excellent work everyone, take care, have a blessed day, see you tomorrow.