June 1
DO YOU UNDERSTAND FASTING?
There is power in prayer and fasting. All the great saints in the Bible fasted—Moses, David, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus Himself. A fast is a conscious, intentional decision to abstain for a time from the pleasure of eating in order to gain vital spiritual benefits.
Have you ever thought something like the following? I wish I had the faith of Joshua, who made the sun stand still. I wish I could be like Paul, whose very clothes caused the people who touched them to be healed or delivered. I’d like to be like John, who received the Revelation from God. We admire these believers, but we don’t understand how they manifested such spiritual power. It was because they committed themselves to high standards in the practice of their faith so God could use them to fulfill His purposes; in accordance with this, prayer and fasting were an integral part of their lives.
Fasting is mentioned in Scripture one-third as many times as prayer. It is a pillar of the Christian faith that was once recognized as valuable and significant in the church. For example, early church leaders prayed and fasted in order to receive direction for ministry. (See Acts 13:2–3.) Throughout Scripture, people of God fasted in times of crisis or danger.
(See, for example, Esther 4:15–16.) Yet most Christians deemphasize fasting. Many consider the regular practice of fasting to be almost fanatical. So little is taught about fasting that it is not understood by many believers, especially Christians new to the body of Christ, who conclude the practice has only historic significance.
Fasting has become a lost art.
Thought: Fasting is a pillar of the Christian faith.
Prayer: Father, I want to follow Jesus’ example of fasting. Open my spiritual eyes to understand the importance of this practice. In Jesus’ name.
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