What Is the Purpose of Fasting?預覽

Fasting in a crisis

Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. (2 Chronicles 20:3)

In times of great uncertainty, when you’re not even sure if you will make it out alive, the only thing you can do is turn to God and seek refuge in Him. This is exactly what we see king Jehoshaphat do when he heard that a great army was coming to fight him. He was afraid, and perhaps even hopeless. He knew that the only one who could rescue him was God. He gathered everyone he could from around the nation to seek God in prayer and fasting.

The Jews in the time of Esther did that, too, and believers today can do the same. God saw the trouble Jehoshaphat and Esther were in and He came to rescue them. Fasting doesn’t guarantee answered prayers, nor is it a way to “win over” God, but in a time of crisis, you can seek the Lord’s help not only with prayer but also with fasting. Seeking God in prayer for an extended amount of time is great, but if it is possible, why not accompany prayer with fasting, setting food aside and devoting yourself completely to God?

You commit yourself to Him, because you know that in times of greatest fear, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) This is always true, no matter the situation!