Fasting: Jesus practiced it. So did the Apostle Paul. The first-century church often joined it with their fervent prayers. Those of us in the twenty-first century church need to restore this biblical discipline to our spiritual lives.
Why fast? Let me share four reasons that people fasted in biblical times.
First, people sometimes fasted when they repented. In the Bible, people fasted because they were heart-broken over their own sins, as in Joel 2:12-13. They also fasted as they grieved over the condition of people they loved, as in Nehemiah 1:3.
Second, people sometimes fasted as an act of worship. Don’t imagine that biblical characters fasted only in times of grief or dire need or earnest prayer. They also used the practice as a way of celebrating their relationship with God. (See Luke 2:36-38.) It was their way of saying, “God, spending time with you is even more important than food!”
Third, people sometimes fasted in the Bible days when they requested something from God. (See Esther 4:3; Judges 20; 2 Chronicles 20; Ezra 8:21-23.)
Finally, people sometimes fasted in the Bible to refocus on the real priorities of life. They skipped meals to focus on the word of God (Matthew 4:2-4), or when they were busy with the work of God (John 4:32-34), or when they were caught up in the worship of God (Acts 13:2).
To remember these four points in the future, think F-A-S-T! Forgiveness, Adoration, Supply, and Training.
Do you need to lay out some brokenness before the Lord and repent of it? Let fasting accompany your cry for God’s forgiveness.
Do you need to spend time humbling yourself in the presence of our awesome God? Let fasting accompany your adoration.
Do you need something—rescue, guidance, healing? Let fasting accompany your request for God’s supply.
Do you need to discipline yourself to put God above everything else? Let fasting accompany your spiritual training.
This Sunday we’ll talk about how fasting can help your devotional life. It’s part of our campaign called, “Forty Days of Prayer.” Do you have a prayer request we can pray about during these 40 Days? Turn it in at www.hillcrest.church/prayer.
--Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.