"And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days" (Luke 5:34)
There remains much controversy on the issue of fasting. There are those who say that it's useless and accomplishes nothing at all. Others say that it's the only way to get God to do certain things for us. But what does the Bible say concerning fasting?
Fasting has been defined as the willful abstinence from something. It is a voluntary refusal to participate in an activity, such as eating, drinking, or even watching TV. In all scriptural mentioning, however, fasting referred to abstaining from eating food and/or drinking liquid beverages.
"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession" (Daniel 9:3)
Fasting was a regular observance for the children of Israel. As a matter of fact, Jeremiah 36:6 references "the fasting day" as a time when all of the household of Israel assembled themselves to hear the words of the Lord. It was a time generally set aside for the people to humble themselves before God, offering sacrifices of repentance unto Him.
This fact was confirmed over and over in holy scriptures, even as is recorded in Joel 2:12-14. The prophet wrote "turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God". It was a time dedicated to the acknowledgment of God as the only hope for provision and sustenance.
"And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 20:3)
The children of Israel had established a very dangerous habit of forsaking God when times were good, and running back to Him when things were bad. They would become proud and arrogant, acting as though they didn't need God. But when their enemies came upon them, they quickly and fervently cried unto God for deliverance, and fasting was their way of demonstrating true sorrow for their sins.
But what about today? Is fasting necessary in our times? How should we govern ourselves during a fast? Is it OK to work or should we wait until our days off? Many of the answers that we need concerning fasting have been laid out in Isaiah 58:1-12. He details the things that we should/should not do during our fast and the rewards/benefits that arise from it.
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke" (Isaiah 58:6)
God loves for us to voluntarily humble ourselves before Him. 1 Peter 5:6 tells us to "humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." James 4:6 tells us that "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." 2 Chronicles 7:14 says "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, . . . . , then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land".
"His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:28-29)
Jesus fasted regularly and taught his disciples to do likewise. If we expect to walk in victory in the kingdom of God, then we should also set times of fasting and prayer. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual, and fasting helps to cancel the carnal effects, the weight and the sin that so easily besets us.
Our society is sick and we need healing desperately. Most of our children are growing up with no fear of God before them. The economy is heading in the wrong direction, and our government officials don't seem to know what to do about it. The traditional family model is eroded daily, and we need answers to the reasons for our demise. We can find these answers by seeking the Lord with all our hearts, loving Him with all our soul and strength. Fasting is one of the weapons available to us to bring about much needed change.
"Then I proclaimed a fast there, . . . . , that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. . . . So we fasted and besought our God for this: and He was entreated of us" (Ezra 8:21-23)
