Fasting to Humble Ourselves Before God
Fasting is a valuable way to humble ourselves before the Lord, so that we can seek His will from the right perspective of heart. That is what Ezra and the people did before his group returned to Jerusalem from the exile.(Ezra 8:21,23) I believe this is still effective today, because people have not really changed, and God has not changed, at all.
Fasting is not depriving our body of food to somehow help our soul. Fasting is refraining from food to show God we are serious about seeking Him and to be able to spend more time seeking Him with increased sensitivity to His voice. It is a proven fact that food makes us sluggish after we eat it. When we fast, our senses are much more alert, and we are not as likely to have our minds drift during our prayers. God is inclined to answer us more because He loves to answer humble seekers who call out sincerely for Him.
The people with Ezra fasted and prayed for themselves, their little ones, and their possessions. They needed God's protection for their long, dangerous trip. However, we need to seek God for those three things all the time. If fasting would help us to focus on the Lord and hear from Him, it is well worth it. I want to encourage all of us to consider fasting, as I have asked our church family to do, as we prepare for Pentecost. It has been a blessing for me, and I know it will be a blessing for you, if you do it in the right way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 1.
Fasting is not depriving our body of food to somehow help our soul. Fasting is refraining from food to show God we are serious about seeking Him and to be able to spend more time seeking Him with increased sensitivity to His voice. It is a proven fact that food makes us sluggish after we eat it. When we fast, our senses are much more alert, and we are not as likely to have our minds drift during our prayers. God is inclined to answer us more because He loves to answer humble seekers who call out sincerely for Him.
The people with Ezra fasted and prayed for themselves, their little ones, and their possessions. They needed God's protection for their long, dangerous trip. However, we need to seek God for those three things all the time. If fasting would help us to focus on the Lord and hear from Him, it is well worth it. I want to encourage all of us to consider fasting, as I have asked our church family to do, as we prepare for Pentecost. It has been a blessing for me, and I know it will be a blessing for you, if you do it in the right way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 1.