Prayer and Fasting

.... As we consider the basics of prayer to God, our attention must eventually be drawn to the purpose of fasting. This is something we may not resort to often, but we should still understand its purpose for the occasions when it does seem appropriate. God has a special respect for this sort of prayer, which is best understood in relation to Jesus Himself.

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.... At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). This makes fasting a Divine initiative and we are following in His footsteps when we do it. Somewhere, the mind of Christ is at work in it. Although this conclusion may seem simplistic for the moment, let's examine two further elements that will complete our understanding:

.... "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart."

(Psalm 35:13)

.... If we carefully examine every instance of fasting that is shown in the Bible, we'll find an application that is usually missed. With only one exception in the Old Testament, and another in the New, no one ever fasted on their own behalf. Instead, their fasting was intercessory in nature. This means that those who fasted were almost never doing it for themselves, or at least not exclusively so; instead they were fasting and praying on behalf of another person, or at least for a common cause such as their entire nation facing an invasion.

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.... And here is the second insight, to complement our first. What would happen if we fasted for an extended period of time, say, for several months? Someone will smirk and reply. "You would die, of course!" Yes, and that is exactly the point! Through this extreme application the subtle, underlying principle of fasting stands out more clearly:

.... "My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness."

(Psalm 109:24)

.... Death is the process that fasting begins, and in fact it is the very purpose. When we are fasting we are beginning a slow, controlled descent into death, as life itself ebbs away from us. Now let’s put this together with our previous element, in which fasting was intercessory:

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.... When we pray and fast on behalf of another person, we are actually beginning to lay down our lives for their sake, that they might somehow find the favor and grace to stand before God. This is a very Christ-like thing for God to see in us, and therefore it is the sort of the petition He respects from us (Isaiah 53:12; Ephesians 5:1-2). This is the key to the mystery of fasting, and we will discuss it further in our next postings.

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Daily Bible Reading: Acts 28