*Fasting for Spiritual Break Through by Elmer L. Towns* This book came highly recommend to me from many trusted friends, who knew I had been led to recapture some of the very basic spiritual disciplines in my life, over the past two+ years. Yep - and I've still not read the Foster book - I may need to look that one up soon. ANYWAY - I was thrilled to be offered this book from a Paperback Swap member.
Elmer Towns is the Vice-President of Liberty University. His book is recommend by the likes of Pastor Jack Hayford, C. Peter Wagner, H. B. London Jr and Bill Bright.
In this book Elmer Towns describes 9 Biblical fasts. He seeks to show the purpose of the fast and how to conduct each type of fast. To do this he chooses Biblical examples. I'll admit he lost me here big time. I'm always a bit lost when authors begin to say "this symbolizes that". I was lost when Kay Arthur said an OT tribe symbolized the flesh and water symbolizes the Holy Spirit...and I was lost here as well. I'm always left saying WHO says it means that? WHY does it mean that? How can you say it ALWAYS means that....just sharing that this was slow reading for me. LOL However, the book IS full of very helpful advice and insights concerning fasting.
The appendix contains snippets from Christian leaders on fasting, a helpful glossary, instructions on how to keep a spiritual journal and an excerpt from Dr. Rex Russell on fasting and physical health.
I do think the book deepened my understanding of the spiritual discipline of fasting.
4 comments:
This was a PWOC class for us in AK.
During this study the Lord led me into my first fast and sustained me w/NO migraine and He answered two longstanding prayers! Having never studied fasting before, I enjoyed it and found it informative. I like the contract/guideline for entering a fast too. I came out of the study knowing fasting isn't "if," for me, but, "when."
Oh, I forgot to mention those contracts - I thought they were great too!!!!
A good general book on spiritual disciplines that I prefer over Foster is Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.
Laura,
Would you mind sharing why you prefer the one over the other? Do they basically cover the same things from different perspectives? Is one "theoretical" and one "practical"? Would it be overkill to read both?
Questions, questions...
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