Currently, there is a new diet trend called intermediate fasting for weight loss. Also, there are fasts that you may have to endure because you need blood work completed by the physicians, but these two types of fasts only affect our natural man. From the Christian perspective, fasting can be defined as “abstaining from food for a period of time for the purposes of spiritual growth.” The fast that God has chosen for us is to affect the entire man, both naturally and spiritually.
In Isaiah Chapter 58, the prophet describes how the children of Israel are fasting, but it is not pleasing to God.
Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice? (Isaiah 58:1-3)
Have you ever questioned God and thought you knew how He was going to respond? The children of Israel just knew God was going to agree with them as it relates to their fasting. Not so. God was not pleased.
God let them know they were not fasting to honor Him, but they were fasting for themselves. They were mistreating their workers, fighting amongst themselves, and fasting to be seen by men. This is not what God wanted for His people. In the rest of Isaiah Chapter 58, the prophet Isaiah went on to explain the type of fast God requires of us and what we will obtain if we follow the guidance of this chosen fast.
When we fast the way God intended, strongholds in our lives will be broken. Yokes and bondages will be destroyed. Hindrances will be removed. Why? Because we are humbling ourselves and saying, “Father, we want You more than food.” We desire our relationship with Him to flourish, so we go without food for a time and set our affections totally and completely on Him.
There are many types of fasts mentioned in Scripture. There is the Daniel fast mentioned in Daniel Chapter 10. Many have said this is more a consecration than a fast. However, many have fasted in this manner and still seen miraculous breakthroughs.
In Esther Chapter 4, Queen Esther called a fast for her and her people; this is considered a corporate fast. They were fasting to hear from God and get guidance as Esther’s people were sentenced to die. They fasted for three days with no food and no water, and they received a breakthrough in their situation.
We do not fast to get God to do what we want; it is to kill our flesh and bring our soulish man under subjection. When we couple fasting with prayer, those demonic hindrances, and bondages in our lives must go. Our flesh is weakened and instead of feeding it food, we feast on the Word of God. We worship and praise. Fasting and prayer give us a one-two punch as we uproot those demonic strongholds in our lives.
So, whether you fast for one day a week consistently or you do a 3-day, 7-day or 21-day fast, fasting should be a lifestyle. It will aid you on your Christian journey by drawing you closer to God, as well as helping you to uproot any bondages or hindrances that block you from going to the next level.
Prayer~ Lord give us a deeper hunger for a relationship with you. Lord, we will humble ourselves through fasting and prayer. Lord, we want you more than we want things. Lord, we desire a true close intimate relationship with you. As we draw closer to you in fasting and prayer, reveal yourself more to us. Hide us in you Lord. We want to know you more Father. Let your glory fall upon us as we seek your face. In Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen
This devotional is an excerpt from my book- Uprooted~Removing Bondages and Hindrances with the Word of God
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