Fasting and Prayer.  The bible is very clear of the necessity of fasting and prayer in the life of the Christ follower - it is  “not just an Easter thing.”   There are 92 scriptures in the Bible referring to fasting and prayer.  Yes we should pray without ceasing, but we too should have a specific, daily, intentional time to pray.  We should have intentional times of fasting too.  Prayer does not always include fasting, but fasting always includes prayer.  The bible gives many examples of men and women given to fasting and prayer - Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Paul, Esther to name just a few.   Anna, the Bible says, “served God with fasting and prayers night and day.” (cf. Luke 2:37)   Jesus was our most perfect model of fasting and prayer.  Jesus gave no specific command to fast, but assumed His disciples would fast and pray too.  Motive for fasting is not to be done to be seen by others (cf. Matthew 6:16). Nor does fasting make you “religious” or justify you before a holy God.  Fasting is not a way to manipulate God into doing what you desire.   Fasting demonstrates humility and acknowledges our dependence on God.  It helps us to focus and rely on God for strength and provision.  We fast to seek God’s face and to help know His will for our lives and situation.  We fast to nurture our hunger and thirst for God (cf. Matthew 5: 6).  We too fast during times of crisis.  King David was at a time of crisis in his life when he fasted and prayed for his son.  Crisis brought David, a man after God’s own heart even closer to his LORD 

(cf. 2 Samuel 12: 13-23).   Why Fast and pray?  It is of necessity!

In His Service,

Pastor Rodney