The Fast God Blesses

Physical Actions Release Spiritual Blessings

Fasting. Just the mention of the word can release a growl out of your belly. Seriously. You can finish a meal stuffed but if you know that you are going to be fasting the next day – immediately feel hunger pains. I know I’ve certainly experienced it. To put it mildly – fasting isn’t a lot of fun. However, it can release a lot of power.

Fasting, when done right, is a physical expression of faith. Physical action has a far greater spiritual impact than most people realize or want to admit. Coming out of Egypt, the Amalekites attacked Israel from the rear and tormented the people. Moses instructed Joshua to pick some men to meet Amalek in battle while he went to the mountain to intercede. As long as Moses’ hands were lifted, Joshua and his warriors were winning. But as soon as his hands went down, the battle swung in the Amalekites’ favor. There was a direct correlation to Moses’ hands in the air and God’s help on the battlefield. [See Exodus 17] In a similar manner, your fasting in the natural for the purpose of seeking the Lord is a physical act with powerful spiritual ramifications.

Fasting Gets Results

When we fast God’s way, we get God’s results. When done correctly, fasting is very beneficial to our natural health. But Biblical fasting is more. It means to do without food for a spiritual purpose. And it isn’t just an Old Covenant discipline. It is a strong physical discipline that releases a spiritual blessing in this age of Grace. Jesus doesn’t teach fasting as optional for disciples but as expected. [See Matthew 6:16] And the Apostle says that He, the preacher of grace, fasted often. [2 Corinthians 11:27], during a fourteen-day fast, Paul stands up and declares, “But now I advise you to take courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 22 For there stood by me this night the angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve…” [Acts 27:22-23] A spiritual breakthrough came in response to the physical action of fasting.

God’s Fast

God describes the fast that He blesses in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. In doing so, He rebukes the idea that the goal of fasting is merely the act of humbling oneself. “Is this such a fast that I have chosen a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the LORD?” [vs. 5] The physical act of giving up food is most often an act of humility and God will honor it. But God’s fast is more than a physical action! Remember God’s words to Samuel, “For the Lord sees not as a man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” [I Samuel 16:7]

Many fast but with a hunger strike mentality instead of a desire to indeed seek God. They think that when they do without it forces God to do something for them. The Lord highlights this wrong approach by pointing out, “Certainly, on the day of your fast you find your desire and are exacting on all your laborers. Certainly, you fast for strife and debate…” [58:4] He says you fast to get God’s attention, but you continue to pursue your pleasures and mistreat others. While pretending to delight in Me, you use others for your gain delighting instead in the pursuit of your desires. The Lord says, “Is it such a fast that I have chosen…?” [Is. 58:5]

Others

What then is God’s fast? His desire is for His people to experience freedom from the bondage of living for themselves. He wants our pursuits elevated beyond those that merely meet our needs and fulfill our dreams. Fasting should lift us above self and free us to love God and others more! As we let go of the things of earth, we should grasp the ways of Heaven. Our doing without should motivate us to give to others who do without but not voluntarily. His fast is that we feed the hungry and help provide clothing and housing for those in need. God’s desire is that our fast will bring a loosening of the bonds of wickedness, a releasing of heavy burdens and will result in the oppressed going free with every yoke broken! Breakthrough in us and through us!

I read that General William Booth, the great revivalist and founder of the Salvation Army, sent a telegram in the early 1900s to the Army leaders around the world. Needing to keep his message concise and to the point, He searched for one word that would strengthen, encourage and inspire his team. After searching, He finally decided on the word and sent the telegraph – O.T.H.E.R.S. This story illustrates the primary result of fasting God’s way – we get God’s perspective! Jesus said the whole of God’s law is summarized like this, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all our soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “You shall love our neighbor as yourself.” [Mark 12:29-31]

God’s Results

It is an undeniable reality that everyone who seeks the Lord finds Him and when we do things His way, He releases His blessing. Here are some of the promised results of God’s fast:

• Light in the dark place (vs. 8 & 10)
• Healing will manifest quickly (vs. 8)
• God’s glory will be your reward (vs. 8)
• Answered prayers (vs. 9)
• Guidance (vs. 11)
• Satisfaction (vs. 11)
• Strength (vs. 11)
• Revival (vs. 12)
• Enabled to rebuild and restore (vs. 12)
• You will be lifted to the high place as an overcoming child of God (vs. 14)

Are you ready in this season of your life to walk in these powerful blessings?  It’s time to ride on the high places and eat the heritage of Jacob. Are we ready to delight in the Lord and realize the depth of His delight in us? Then let’s set our primary goal of fasting to fulfill the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” [John 3:30] More of Jesus and less of self for His glory and the good of others! Let it be so!

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