Fasting God's Way

In scripture, the only time the Jews were required to fast was on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:31). This was a day the man is reconciled back to God. Fasting is more than abstaining from eating food. A fast could be giving up something that the body craves but for simplicity sake, let’s keep with abstaining from food. During the time of fast you should spend a great deal of time in the scriptures and in prayer. I have found in my own personal situation that I am unable to fast when I have a busy schedule ahead of me. For me, I must dedicate the day(s) to God for the fast.

There were other times that people in the scriptures fasted. I have listed four (4) times when people would fast.

They would fast during a Time of Mourning. In 2 Samuel 1:12 David and his men fasted upon hearing of the death of King Saul. Nehemiah records in 1:4 that upon hearing of the conditions in his home country of Jerusalem, he fasted prayed. 2 Samuel 12:16 David fasted for several days because his son became critically ill.

The people would fast during a Time of Sorrow for Turning Away from God and Following Pagan gods. We read in 1 Samuel 7:6 where Israel repented for following after other gods, they fasted and repented. Jonah 3:5 records that the people of Nineveh upon hearing Jonah’s prophecy put on sackcloth covered themselves with ashes and fasted. During the Nehemiah’s governorship Nehemiah (9:1), the Israelites came together fasting, and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads, confessing their sins.

The people would fast during a Time for Salvation from God. 2 Chronicles 20: records how King Jehoshaphat called for national time of fasting for all of Judah because they were being invaded by foreign nations. God saw their fast, heard their prayers and delivered them. Likewise God spoke to the prophet Joel (Joel 2:12-13) calling for a fast to restore then from destruction. "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Queen Esther called for all the Jews to fast in preparations of her going before the king and Jesus told how his disciples would fast when he is gone.

Most people when they feel a tugging by the Holy Spirit to enter into a ministry they pray about it, have others pray about it and then heed God’s calling. May I suggest that you fast when you feel a Time of Calling from God? Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights when he was on the mountain with God receiving the commandments of God. Prior to Jesus beginning his earthly ministry, he fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. Upon Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus he fasted and prayed for three days before Ananias came and placed his hands on him. At Antioch (Acts 13:1) the followers were worshipping the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit spoke to them telling them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work in which they were called to. In Acts 14 tells about the setting aside of elders and when they did so they prayed and fasted.

These are just a few examples that there even though fast was only required once per year, people fasted at other times giving us scriptural backing of the need for fasting.
There are times when a fast is wrong.

The first is To Be Seen of Men. Matthew 6:16-18 “Don’t be like the hypocrites who look somber or gloomy to be noticed by men, but Jesus said to put oil on your head and wash your face and not to be noticed of man but rather of the Father. What the Father sees you do in secret he will reward you openly for.” In the Parable of the Pharisee recorded in Luke 18, The Pharisee brags to God about who he isn’t (a robber, a person who does evil or and adulterer, not even like the tax collector) what he does, i.e. I fast twice a week and I tithe. He who exalts himself, God will humble. Jesus tells them that they have their reward.

Fasting is wrong when you do it Because of Tradition. In Jeremiah 14 the land was devastated and the people confessed their sins to God but didn’t repent of them. God told them that there fasting was of no avail. He would destroy them. You would have thought they would have learned form history that God is not a good luck charm, i.e. placing the ark in front of the battle only to lose it to the Philistines. Isaiah 58 tells of the people fasting but God not honoring their fast. They were being religious towards God and not relational with Him.

Fasting does not make you right with God. Fasting does not impress God. To be effective in you fast, you must be of the right frame of mind, heart and soul. Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. Deuteronomy 4:29 says that “we are to seek the Lord and if we look for him with all of our heart and soul we will find him.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jesus was at the well with the Samaritan women. When the disciples returned and brought him food, Jesus’ comment to them was, “My will was to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Jesus was hungry, but the need of the Samaritan women was far more important that his physical need. How about you?

God wants us to fast. He wants us to seek him. He wants us to draw closer to him. He also wants us to take care of the needs of his people. This is evidenced in Isaiah 58 (may I suggest you take the time right now and read all of Isaiah 58), and also in Zechariah 7:3-10. God told them not to do what they have been doing year after year, but rather “administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In you hearts do not think evil of each other.” James 1:27 tells us that we are to look after the widows and orphans in their distress.

Our very being should be taken up by doing service to others. Get wrapped up in God’s work. People need the Lord. You may be the only Jesus that some will ever see.