The Fast God Has Chosen

I have been thinking about something most of us don’t want to talk about or even think about. It has constantly been on my mind for several weeks. I tried to ignore it at first, but it just wouldn’t go away, it has stayed on my mind daily. I am talking about the subject of fasting.

I will be the first to say, fasting isn’t fun. There is nothing pleasant about it in my opinion. Frankly, in the past few years, I have not fasted often or even much at all, however, there was a season I did a great deal of fasting. I went through a year or so where me and several of my friends fasted more than we ate during that year.

People fast for many reason. Several churches call a fast at the beginning of each year for their entire congregation. Some people fast to get closer to God. People fast because they feel it is a necessary devotion to God. Many people, spirit filled Christians, have never fasted at all.

I also know people who say they fast social media, or negative words and while I guess it is a good thing to cut out social media and negative words, that is not what the Bible calls fasting. The Bible says fasting is abstaining from food.

A few weeks ago, our pastor called a fast for a week. She instructed us to fast in a way that hurt. While I laugh at that, I knew what she meant. Abstaining is or should be a sacrifice. For me, that is a complete fast. I can fast a meal a day super easy or do what some call a Daniel fast, with no sweets, meats or breads pretty easily. I don’t have a problem eating only vegetable for a period of time. I am sure it is not the same for everyone – some would find it very difficult to go without one meal. I understand that. Some may even have a hard time going without sweets and meats – I understand that also.

However, a complete fast is hard, extremely hard for me. So, when God begins to talk to me about fasting, it is not something I want to hear.

As I was thinking about it this morning, several fasts went through my mind. I thought about Esther who fasted so an unlawful legal action could be overturned. Then I thought about Daniel, most of us are familiar with the Daniel fast – it produced awesome results. Daniel wasn’t fasting to become close to God. He didn’t fast as a devotion to God. No, he fasted for breakthrough. He continued fasting to break through a strong resistance of demonic spirits that were attempting to delay and block the answers that God sent the first moment he prayed – not the first day he fasted – the first moment he prayed.  Demonic spirits were hindering the answer to his prayers, fasting caused the answer to his prayers to breakthrough and manifest.

Let’s look at what God says about fasting.

Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ (Is 58:6-9)

Fasting is to undo something the enemy has done in our lives or some kind of bondage we are being tied to. God doesn’t give us the tool of fasting simply so we will endure hunger. No, it is actually a legal weapon used to untie bonds that hold us and our family in bondage we were never meant to be in. Or in a bondage that we were released from at the cross by Jesus Christ. It is a legal tool. As we submit to a time of abstaining from food along with a time of prayer and intercession – the result is releasing us completely from what the enemy is trying to do in our life.

Both Daniels and Esther’s fast had legal objectives. Both were tools used to press through resistance and invoke change where the enemy was attempting to kill, steal and destroy. The moment the legal condition was met, breakthrough came bursting through.  Today, we can see the same results as we fast and intercede.

I said all this to say, if God calls you to fast, find your target or bondage that needs to be untied and fast with intention. God has given us so many tools designed to absolutely destroy the works of the devil, fasting is one of those.

While fasting to get closer to God is good. Or fasting to hear from God is admirable. God has called us to fast to destroy the works of the devil. He wants us to fast so that we can be free of every bondage or yoke of the enemy. I don’t know about you, but this causes me to see fasting in a different light. I see it as an incredible and powerful weapon from God. A tool that God says will loose the bonds of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, set the oppressed free and break every yoke. A tool backed by God that will cause breakthrough in our lives. This, my friend, is the fast GOD has chosen.