Who Fasts?

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; Joel 2:12

This was eye-opening. I subscribe to a website where I get my pictures to put up with my posts. When I went to look for a picture for the “Fasting and Praying” post I entered those words for a search and got 136 photo options. Several were of Eagles or hawks – I’m still not sure how they relate to fasting and praying but the rest were of people in Muslim garb.

It would seem that the world does not relate fasting to the Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth according to the scriptures but I’m afraid it may be true in reality. As I have thought about this it’s not just that most churches don’t preach about fasting but very few of them have anyone who models it.

When Paul and Barnabas minister in Derbe and then return to Lystra (the place where Paul was stoned and left for dead earlier), Iconium, and Antioch, many come to faith and churches are started in those cities. Acts 14:14 indicates that Paul and Barnabas relied on fasting to help them choose the elders the Lord was calling in each of those churches. Act 14:23, “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

The elders in many denominations are elected by the congregation. The scriptures make me wonder if we should be doing some fasting and praying about elders. For the record I am sure there’s prayer about who goes on the ballot but I also suspect that some people are elders for reasons other than spiritual. The state of the churches today is clear evidence that somewhere along the line many have come into leadership who are not following the first of the ten commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3.

Programs, numbers, budgets, and influential people all sway the leaders. If someone in power believes the Word of God is too hard for new people to take and the numbers are down – the Word of God gets compromised. If contributions are shrinking and budgets are not being met, some churches have opted to tickle the ears (2 Timothy 4:3) of their congregates to get them to stay and give.

Clearly, without sincerity and humility, no prayer – with or without fasting – will be heard on high. God wants our hearts not just our empty rituals. People who fast and pray without sincerely seeking the Lord are destined for His wrath as He states to his people who ask Him in Isaiah 58.

Isaiah 58:3 – 6, ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.  Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

If we are living in sin and oppressing others God will judge the one who fasts and prays. But, are there other times when we may find a benefit in fasting? Certainly Paul and Barnabas did. In the Old Testament Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Jehoshaphat did. This is a great verse: 2 Chronicles 20:3, “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”. The whole nation of Judah was in serious trouble and he called a fast for everyone. They went before the Lord united and He answered them and saved them in a dramatic way (you’ll have to read the chapter!).

Important verses to look at are Jesus’ own words in Matthew 6:16, 17, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”

Fasting doesn’t guarantee that God will answer our prayers as we wish. David fasted and prayed but God took his baby boy’s life anyway. What it does is show spiritual humility. When we are willing to allow our bodies to be deprived so we might have a keener awareness of the presence and leading or purposes of God, then we have no other god before Him. We yield to His sovereignty.you fast. When questions are hard and direction seems difficult to discern (like Esther), when children are ill and it seems certain they will die (like David), when men have wronged you and seem to be attacking you (like Jehoshaphat), when you need to know whether to stay or go (like Nehemiah), and when you choose leadership for your ministry and church (like Paul and Barnabas) – fast and pray. Those are examples set for us in the Bible. 

Living Biblically includes fasting. It is not just for other religions. I would like to think the world doesn’t know because of Jesus’ command not to pray like the hypocrites but I’m afraid it’s more because it’s a lost discipline for the Christian.