One day everything seems fine. Then a “suddenly” comes! A teen rebels, an accident takes someone’s life, Covid restrictions cause you to lose a business!
In Esther chapter 4 the Jews were at ease and content in Babylon, when suddenly an edict is issued declaring they would all be killed in 11 months.
What do you do when the “suddenly” hits and takes your breath away? How do you find God when you can barely think, or stop the tears from rolling, unbidden down your cheeks?
Let’s look at one answer today: The spiritual discipline of fasting.
ments of Prayer” show today and speak a bit about fasting. I know I will have much more to say on fasting in upcoming episodes, but we can consider this an intro to this powerful form of prayer called “Fasting.”
Esther 4 (you may want to turn there) opens with Mordecai rending his clothes and donning scratchy sackcloth before going into the midst of the city weeping and wailing “with a loud and bitter cry.”
Verse three goes on to tell us Mordecai was not alone. It says “In every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree (to destroy the jews in 11 months) came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting and weeping and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.”
Is this just an Old Testament Jewish tradition? Well, we don’t run around in sackcloth and ashes too often, but the entire Bible demonstrates that refusing food for a season is the spiritual response to the things that grieve our souls.
Some quick examples. I will include the Bible reference in the show notes below.
* Daniel fasted 21 days for his people to be freed from Babylon (Daniel 9)
*Ezra fasted as he prayed for protection when he was traveling through dangerous territory
(Ezra 8:23)
*Jesus rescued a child from a demonic spirit saying “This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting
(Matthew 17:21)
*The disciples fasted and prayed for direction and to ordain those called to ministry (Acts 13:1-3)
There are many more examples, but in all these Biblical stories, we see people needy, and desperate for God. Desperate enough to give up food.
Jesus gave up food for 40 days. 40 days!! Think of that. Alone in a desert with no food. I have trouble fasting on a day off even with my iPod to keep me company. I cannot imagine being alone in a desert with wild animals, weak from hunger.
And Jesus stated in 9:15 that His followers would fast after he ascended.
My first year as a believer I chose to only read the Bible. I wanted to hear from God, and not all the denominational voices that shouted from every church steeple. One thing seemed clear to me as I simply read the word of God: Fasting was a way to get in touch with heaven.
Does it make sense? Does starving our bodies somehow make us holier or more deserving of God’s presence? No. I know some like to attach a sort of “ethereal” power to the physical act of fasting, but I do not think the power is in the act of going with food.
Rather, the act of going without food demonstrates to God that we are willing to sacrifice something important: Even needful for life, to hear from Him or gain a victory in prayer.
In the Old Testament Bulls were placed on an altar.
As New Testament believers, we offer ourselves a LIVING sacrifice. One way we can do this is to deny ourselves things we crave and find comfort in. Put that pizza on the altar and look instead to the Most High. That is saying “God I crave YOU, your presence, your life, your truth, above even my sustenance.”
God has spoken to me that really ANY act of sacrifice is a fast he recognizes. For instance, a few years back a friend and I drove 8 hours to attend a prayer event, and return the very next morning. That sacrifice of time was a “fast” of sorts. It was giving up my freedom and time off work to meet with God.
There are many ways to fast. People fast social media, coffee, television shows. I recently did a 21-day No-soda fast.
BUT I want to say, what we see in scripture is always a FOOD fast. So while any sacrifice for God’s kingdom is seen and acknowledged by Him, something significant takes place when we fast from food. I think it is because nothing hits us in the gut, (literally) Nothing makes our flesh scream and rant and fight, as much as not having food! If you have never fasted, try it and you will see what I mean!
Fasting places the flesh in subjection and makes it submit to our desire for more of God. God truly sees and honors that desire!
I could say much more about fasting but I want to answer the question I picture some of you asking: “But does it work?”
Did it work in the Bible? Did Daniel receive an answer? Was Ezra protected? Did the Disciples go forth with a fresh anointing to serve? The answer is, of course, yes.
Here’s what I find: When I am fasting something seems to clear the air ways and I am much more likely to experience a touch from heaven. This week I have been fasting from solid food. I had a very difficult discussion with someone close to me about an area we were not seeing eye to eye. That was challenging. The very next morning I opened my Bible to the exact scripture that related to a point that troubled me! It seems when I am fasting God “connects those dots” frequently. My pastor says fasting is like a radio (Anyone remember those?) It tunes us in to God’s frequency to hear Him closer.
My husband’s mother was diagnosed with cancer many years ago, and he fasted seven days. At the end of that seven days, another test showed NO cancer at all!
A young man I was fasting for received Jesus the very day AFTER I completed a 21 day fast.
I don’t say these things to brag on me. I want you to be aware that I personally have experienced breakthroughs and miracles after a season of fasting. Therefore, If I, a simple human living an ordinary life, have known the touch of God through a fast, then I know you can too!
Is it hard? Very.
But is it worthwhile?
Oh it is! That is why we see the verse in Zechariah 8:19 which states “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joyful and happy festivals.”
I always say I hate and love fasting.
I do hate feeling weak and hungry. But I so long and desire the presence and face of my Savior the way I experience it in the times of separating myself to Him through fasting, that I find I love what occurs during a fast. I often will be weepy at the end of a fast, knowing the sense of God’s presence will diminish to a degree as I go back to my normal life of eating, drinking, and being merry.
if you have any thoughts or questions on this subject. I would be thrilled to hear from you!
Email Joni@stormingthegates.net
Thank you for listening!
Credits and acknowledgments
Music by Purple Planet: Hope and Inspire
Visit Joni Scott on instagram @JoniDaScott
