God so Loved the World that He Gave His Son: The greatest Spiritual battle ever fought – part thirty nine
As I was considering what to write about this morning I had no idea what direction to go. My mind went to many of the issues that are currently happening in this country and around the world. There is no end to the list of concerns that I could focus on. The question, however, is not what I want to write about, but, what does the Lord want me to write about?
Fasting and prayer came to my mind. In my blog posts I often suggest and encourage prayer, but I hardly ever include fasting with the prayer. Our church is currently conducting 21 days of fasting and prayer to start the year 2024. A Christian broadcast that my wife and I were watching this morning did an entire segment of their program on the importance of fasting, and praying as we fast. Okay… I’ll admit that fasting, and praying as I fast, has not been one of my strengths! The Holy Spirit is without a doubt, getting my attention however! By fasting and prayer, I can cover all the areas of importance and accomplish it from a position of Spiritual power!
You may be asking the question, is fasting all that important? Jesus Himself considered fasting to be, not only important, but crucial as He was preparing to begin His earthly ministry. Check this out:
Matthew 4:1-10 (MSG)
1 Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. 2 Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, 3 which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.” 4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” 5 For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.” 7 Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.” 8 For the third test, the Devil took him on the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. 9 Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.” 10 Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”
In the following scripture Jesus says, “When you fast,” not if you fast.
Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV)
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
So… what types of fasts are appropriate and available for us to choose from? Good question, here are just a few ideas:
- Fast a favorite food
- Fast one or two meals a day
- Fast one day per week
- Fast all food for a period of time, just have water
All fasts could be for a predetermined period of time, and are decided between you and the Lord in prayer.
Remember… it’s vitally important to pray when you would have been eating!
The Apostle Paul made the following statement:
1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV)
27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Lord, please help each one of us to be diligent in a fasting and prayer lifestyle! Amen