Have you ever wanted something, very much, but for some reason you just could not get it? I am sure you have.
Maybe it was a bicycle but there just was not enough money. You were faced with two options. The first was just to give up and just do without. The second was to get busy and try to find a way to get the money on your own rather than sitting around waiting for someone else to get it for you.
When I first gave my life to Jesus, I began praying and all the other things I was expected to do. I was blessed by each new experience or activity I was introduced to. With maybe one exception. That was fasting. It seemed to be the way to get spiritual growth, power, and maybe even wisdom, but I did not notice that I understood anything more than before and my prayers were not being answered any better or quicker -- even after fasting in every possible way that I had heard others had tried --from fasting food to fasting something that I enjoyed doing. Then I hit a major stumbling block. (Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”)
Not by any works can I obligate God, or put him in a place where he is put in a box and forced to give me what I am asking for because I have earned it by my works. Neither have I become so righteous that I can receive anything because of my good deeds.
Just within the past two weeks have I come to what I believe is the most accurate reason behind the call to fasting and prayer.
First, we must go to (2 Timothy 2:15) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
We are called to actively pursue being approved as a workman of and for God.
That is accomplished by studying to find the truth, the whole truth, so help me God. You study the whole of the Word to find the whole truth. You do not search until you think you have found one verse that seems to lean the way you want it to. That is feeding yourself deception based on your wants.
Second is the need for fasting. Here is what I believe fasting is. I believe it is a self-imposed test to reveal the depth of your commitment in finding the answer you are seeking.
Fasting does not reveal anything new about you to God. Neither is the work you put into it going to impress God. Fasting is all about you. You learning about your personal conviction and commitment to get to the place where knowledge for service is received, demonic powers are put in their place, people are healed, and much more.
It is all about being committed to the goal, no matter the cost. Had you been in the Garden with Jesus as he prayed the Father’s will. Would you have boldly said, “I will not run away, I will stand with you.” Maybe what you meant was, “I will stick with you until I see the first Roman soldier.”
Fasting reveals your degree of commitment to yourself. It is putting on the whole of the armor of God and then to stand. It means walking with Jesus even when the road is full of potholes. Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Still dealing with the thoughts about why you should fast.
Have any of you ever made a New Years resolution? I am sure you have!
The problem is that most of them are made for all the wrong reasons plus the fact is no one actually expects you to do it. That includes yourself.
The diet works until someone brings in fresh doughnuts to work. At first, you are a hero. You turn your back and walk away but have you ever noticed how all the doughnuts disappear except one. The more you look at it, the more you want it. Then, when no one is watching, you stroll by the counter and as smooth as any pickpocket, you slip the doughnut out of the box concealed by a handful of papers you had conveniently in your hand.
Fasting is all about learning about yourself. It is about knowing what you want or where you want to be and then making the commitment to stay the course until you get there.
If you decided to give up food for two days, I am sure that most of you could do that. But if you were asked to give up your phone for two hours the vast majority could not do it.
We do not understand how much the world has control on our thinking and our activities until we are made aware and fasting is the means whereby God has initiated a test that you give yourself and accurately give a proper grade for the level of achievement or lack thereof.
God has instituted two tests that he offers that do much the same as far as letting us recognize how far we have advanced in our walk with Him or how much we have failed in our efforts.
The first one is communion. We so often fail to consult our past when examining [testing] ourselves. (1 Corinthians 11:28-29 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.)
Teachers give exams when they want to see how much of what has been taught has been retained by their students. Doctors give exams to find out what needs his attention. Car mechanics run tests to see what needs fixed.
Every day we examine things in our surroundings that we need to move or fix or even replace. Why not an exam administered by ourselves to ourselves to figure out what is broken so it can be fixed or changed out for something better?
Most people seem to fast when major problems have arisen. That seems like closing the coral gate after the stock has already left.
The purpose of examining is so that we can repair what needs it and to be ready.
The second test is that of the Holy Spirit. I know you have heard of him but some of you may know him as your conscience. The ability to know right from wrong is the Holy Spirit at work bringing conviction to the hearts of all people.
All these things, including the witness of the Holy Spirit in your life, are given that you have every possible means to get ready for the major event that will come on us unawares. When the trumpet sounds. In that moment it will be too late for fasting and praying. Examine yourself and be prepared to leave everything behind. Food, phone, wealth, family, and fame. So be careful not to give too much importance to them now. You won’t have a carryon bag when the trumpet sounds.
