Fasting

“…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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

So how do we humble ourselves?

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. Ezra 8:21 (When the first group of exiled Israelites were preparing to return to Jerusalem.)

When they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. Psalm 35:12 (King David)

Why fast?

Fasting helps us to return to God with all our heart. We, like the Israelites, should turn back to God and confess our sins, get rid of anything not of God, and commit ourselves solely to him and promise to serve him only.

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend (tear to pieces) your heart and not your garments.” Joel 2:12

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 

So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 

When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” 

1 Samuel 7:2-6 after the enemy returned the ark which was causing them problems.

The Old Testament has examples of amazing results from people fasting and humbling themselves. After Jonah warned Ninevah it would be overthrown in 40 days, the king called a citywide fast and for people to give up their evil ways and violence, and God relented. Queen Esther asked the exiled Jews to fast and pray for her before she approached the King, with the result of saving the Jewish nation. Even King Ahab, who had done much evil in the eyes of God and caused the Israelites to do evil, had the punishment given to him postponed due to his fasting: “God said to the prophet he has sent to warn King Ahab, “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”” (1 Kings 21:27-29)

You can fast to inquire of God or to seek his help and remind him of the promises he has made. When Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah was being approached by the massive Edomite army, he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah and prayed to God, honouring God, and reminding God that he had promised to hear Israel and save them if they called out to him during a calamity. God ambushed the enemy armies, and they attacked each other and were dead before the Israelite army got to the fight! (2 Chron 20) After Israel had been in exile for 70 years Daniel, and Nehemiah each fasted and prayed to God, honouring God, confessing Israel’s sins and reminding God that he had promised that the exile would end.

However, fasting must complement a lifestyle of listening to God, obeying him, and doing what is right in his sight. There are three Old Testament passages where God clearly told the Israelites that they could not expect him to listen to them on their day of fasting because of not living in obedience to him. If they did not listen to him and obey, he would not listen to them. See Jeremiah 14:10-12, Zechariah 7:1-14, Isaiah 58:1-14.

Jesus expected that his disciples would fast after he had left the earth. When Jesus was alive, John the Baptist’s disciples questioned Jesus as to why his disciples weren’t fasting like they and the disciples of the Pharisees were. Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15). Jesus also said, “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others 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.” (Matthew 6:1, 16-18)

Fasting is useful to help not give in to temptation. Jesus was fasting and able to withstand 40 days of the devil tempting him. Fasting gives space for God to speak. Paul, Barnabas and the other teachers and prophets of their church in Antioch were worshipping and fasting when God spoke to the group about sending Paul and Barnabas out as missionaries. We can fast when we commit something to God. When Paul had started a new church, he would appoint new elders and commit them to God with prayer and fasting. (Acts 13:1-3, 14:21-23)

Let’s cry out for God to heal our land. Let’s humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face, ensuring that we are living his way so he will listen to us.

Written by Julie Young