Warriors for the Faith, Series 2, Lesson 3: When You Fast

Authorized Sword Ministries

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Where We Left Off

Last time we talked about keeping a clean vessel for the Master's use. Today is Lesson Three. It's called "When You Fast."

Fasting is a quiet weapon. It is not a way to impress people, and it is not a way to twist God's arm. It is setting aside food for a time so we can seek the Lord with a whole heart. Jesus expected His people would do it. He said "when ye fast," not "if."

Our Key Verse

"But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
— Matthew 6:17-18 (KJV)

Just before that, Jesus warned us not to put on a sad face so that others will notice. The hypocrites already have their reward. A warrior fasts before God, not before an audience.

Jesus Fasted, and So Did Anna

Our Lord began His public ministry with a fast:

"And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred."
— Matthew 4:2 (KJV)

He was truly hungry, and then the devil came to tempt Him. Fasting does not make the battle easier. It makes us more dependent on the Father.

Anna was a widow who lived a very different kind of life, but she knew the same Lord. Luke says she was about fourscore and four years old, and:

"…departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."
— Luke 2:37 (KJV)

A young Saviour in the wilderness. An aged woman in the temple. Fasting is for men and women, young and old, in the hard moment and in the long, quiet years.

Esther and Her Maidens

In Series One we met Esther's courage. Before she went in to the king, she asked her people to fast, and she did not leave her maidens out:

"…fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
— Esther 4:16 (KJV)

They fasted together, then she took the hard step. Ezra did the same kind of thing on a journey:

"So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us."
— Ezra 8:23 (KJV)

And in the church at Antioch, the believers ministered to the Lord and fasted, and the Holy Ghost set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work. Then, "when they had fasted and prayed," they laid hands on them and sent them out (Acts 13:2-3). Fasting and prayer often go together when God's people need light for a hard decision.

The Fast God Chooses

Fasting is not only about what we do not eat. The Lord asked a searching question:

"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 (KJV)

A true fast should soften us toward God and toward people, not make us proud. Joel called the whole nation back with these words:

"Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:"
— Joel 2:12 (KJV)

As an application, if you have never fasted, start simply. Skip a meal and use that time to pray. If your health will not allow you to go without food, ask the Lord what you can set aside so you can seek Him. The point is the heart, not a show.

Closing Thought

A warrior for the faith learns to fast in secret, as Jesus taught, and to come with a soft heart, as Isaiah described. Next time, in our last lesson of Series Two, we'll talk about a battle many of us fight on the inside: forgiveness.

Let Us Pray

Father, teach us to seek You with all our heart. When we fast, let it be unto You, in secret, with a willing and humble spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.

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