Fasting And Praying

We concluded yesterday’s offering with a commission to think of prophetess Anna in a certain light. What was that light? It was in the light of Moses’ unseen and unheard position on the hill of prayer, while Joshua and his fighting men were facing the fierce and formidable Amalekites. Neither Joshua, nor the army of God, is seeing or hearing Moses as he renders his service of prayer. It was noted that Moses was like the hidden, back lights on a Christmas tree, which help to give brilliance and glow to the entire lit tree. However, if those lights are removed there would be a sad difference in sight and drastic diminishing of spread and glow. Likewise, if Moses’ prayer, in the specific action of uplifted hands was removed, Joshua and the army of God would have never realized God’s miracle victory. Then we were asked to give some thought to prophetess Anna, in that light.

Don’t you see her in such light? Do you honestly believe that she is behind the scenes, praying for praying sake? Do you feel that she is there praying and fasting for herself? Do you reckon that prophetess Anna is engaged in this service, because it’s a holy, right and good religious exercise to practise? No way! None of the above, or any suchlike either. We believe that she has taken on this service of praying and fasting, because of God’s ordering. 

Why do people pray and fast? What do we know of praying and fasting in those early times? This is what we read of Nehemiah, a Jew, when he heard of the distressing situation of his people, how the walls of Jerusalem were all broken down and her gates burnt with fire. This man of God was totally overwhelmed with sadness. So it was when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1: 4. Here, fasting and praying come with tears, as God is being sought, by one person, on behalf an entire, totally devastated people.

Many of us are well acquainted with King David and his response to the illness of the child he had with Uriah’s wife. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 2 Samuel 12: 16. Here is a man completely forgiven of his gross sin and given new life, fasting and praying for the life of his ill child. Fasting and prayer are offered up to God by a grieved parent for a very ill child.

When we look at Ezra and how he inclined his ears unto God and obeyed God, it is no wonder that his faith allowed him to forfeit asking for any escort from the king, to travel with him and his people to their destination. So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. Ezra 8: 23. Prayer and fasting are done for travelling mercies and protection.

You and I have personal experiences and reasons for our times of praying and fasting, as God-ordains. Indeed, it is necessary to stipulate that fasting and praying are God-ordained, because there are believers, God’s own people, whose fasting and praying are amiss. We fast and pray, but receive no spiritual benefits or blessings. Do not ever be taken in by the mere ritual, show, tradition and expectations of fasting. Jesus was very clear and firm on this exercise.

He never ruled out fasting as a power source to come to God, nor did He ever cancel it as not of God. Why! He Himself fasted and prayed in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights, when He was about to take up His earthly service and ministry on earth. Jesus, Prophet, High Priest, Shepherd, Master, Lord and King, Himself fasted, to do His Father’s business here on earth.

Most assuredly though, He did rule out and cancel all the self-aggrandizement, self-show, self-piety and all the self-conceitedness which bury their ugly heads in such a divine act of God. I’m sure we can still hear Jesus saying. Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countinence. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. Matthew 6: 16.

A useful and most revealingly illuminating chapter to read on this matter, is Isaiah 58. Just listen! Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Isaiah 58: 5

May this Service Light of prayer and fasting find illumination in us all.