September 10, 2024
"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”
- Luke 4: 1-2 (NIV)
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that primarily involves abstaining from food to seek the face of God. Our text shows that fasting is a powerful biblical practice which Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated.
As believers, we must consider fasting to be a regular and essential part of our journey as Christians and not view fasting as a one-off special supplementary action to prayers for difficult issues or petitions. On this side of eternity, circumstances and challenges will compel us to fast. It is therefore preferable to fast voluntarily rather than out of compulsion.
The Bible gives us examples of different types of fast with varying intensity. In Luke 4:1-2, Jesus fasted for 40 days without food. This is referred to as an Absolute fast. This type of fast is considered extremely challenging both for humans and from a medical perspective and should be exercised with caution. Individuals who are led to partake in this spiritual exercise are sustained by the literal presence and power of God.
Fasting empowers us to achieve God’s mandate for our lives by unlocking the power of the Spirit.
A shorter variation of this kind of fast is the 3-day ‘dry fast’. In Esther 4:16, Esther fasted for three days without food or water and the result of that fast was astonishing. A more common kind of fast is the ‘Daniel fast’. For this kind of fast, believers fast intermittently for specific periods or hours in a day and eat (break the fast) at the end of the day. Like Daniel, the purpose of breaking the fast is solely for physical sustenance and not an opportunity to indulge in overeating. In Daniel 10: 2-3, Daniel fasted for 21 days and abstained from ‘choice meals’ during the period of the fast.
The mystery of fasting is revealed in the fall of man. Man succumbed to the temptation of the enemy in the Garden of Eden by indulging in food. Adam and Eve’s lack of control over their physical hunger allowed them to fall prey to the Devil’s scheme. Likewise, when we fast, we are declaring to God our intention to subdue the desires of our flesh to satisfy our spiritual desires. Fasting rejuvenates our spirit man and draws us closer to God.
Another mystery of fasting that unveils its potency is that fasting provokes the power of the spirit. In Luke 4:1-2, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit to fast however, it was only after His 40 days fast that the scripture records in verse 14 that He “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit”. Here, the power of the Spirit was not released until He fasted.
Likewise, we can engage and have access to the power of the Holy Spirit through fasting. Fasting enables us to unlock the power of the Spirit. We desperately need the power of The Spirit to propel us towards God’s purpose, mandate, and destiny for our lives and we can access this power by fasting. In other words, fasting empowers us to achieve God’s mandate for our lives. As we engage in fasting, may we receive the empowerment to begin to operate in the power of The Spirit, Amen.
Song of Worship
We will wait upon the Lord.
And our strength Will be restored as we wait upon the Lord
Song We will wait by Ron Kenoly
Prayer - Dear Lord, please give us the grace to continue to wait on you this period so that we can be empowered by The Holy Spirit to fulfil Your divine mandate for our lives. In Jesus name – Amen.
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