Faith and Fasting
When we add fasting to prayer, we increase our faith and our spiritual power. Sometimes the answer comes the first time we fast and pray; sometimes we need to fast and pray many times to get our answer or to get the results we are looking for.
The story of Esther in the Old Testament is a great example
of someone who uses fasting to help in a difficult situation.
It is against the law for anyone – even
the queen herself – to go unbidden in to the inner court of the king. If the king doesn’t hold out his golden
scepter, then it is punishable by death.
It has been 30 days since the king has called for Queen Esther so she doesn’t have any reason to believe he will be happy to see her. On the other hand, if she doesn’t do
anything, her people will be destroyed.
Esther understood the importance of
fasting when facing a difficult challenge. Through a servant she sends this response back to Mordecai:
“Go, gather together
all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and 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)
When Esther goes in to see the king, he
does extend the golden scepter, and she is ultimately instrumental in saving
her people. Esther, through fasting, faith, and
courage, saved a nation.
While you may or may not be called on to save a nation,
there are many times when you may need some extra guidance or courage to get
through a difficult time in your life.
Here is an example of how I have used fasting in my own life to increase
my faith and help me know what to do:
When we had our first child, my
greatest desire was to be a stay-at-home mom. I quit my job a few weeks before he was born and was so
happy to be living what I thought was the dream life! It didn’t take very long for that dream to be crushed as I
realized that we didn’t make enough money to meet all our needs every
month. We were still fairly fresh
out of college, and my husband wasn’t quite making enough money to meet all our
financial obligations. I was
devastated!
Fortunately, in my devastation I turned
to God. I took verse 29 to heart,
and I fasted and prayed to know what I could do to be a stay-at-home mom. Two days after my fast, I received a
phone call from a friend. She was
looking for someone to watch her 9-month-old while she worked and wanted to
know if I was interested. My son
was 6 months old at the time, and I felt a little overwhelmed at the thought of
caring for two young children. But
I couldn’t deny that this was an answer to my fasting and prayer (the amount
she offered to pay me was the exact amount that we needed each month to make
ends meet). I expressed my
concerns to her and we agreed that I would do it on a trial basis, and if I
felt like it was too much for me to watch both children, then she would find
someone else to watch her daughter.
To make a potentially longer story
shorter, watching her daughter was not only the answer to the prayer I had
asked, but was also the answer to prayers I hadn’t even asked yet. Our two children became best friends
and were a positive influence on each other in ways we could not have foreseen!
I know that fasting, coupled with my strong desire to find
the solution so I could remain home with my child, brought me a fast answer.
Most religions practice some form of fasting. I would encourage you to experiment
with this in a way that feels comfortable to you. Be sure to begin and end your fast with a faithful prayer.
Daily Challenge: Every day for 30 days in a row, I want you to say the following out loud at least 10 times each day!!! Be sure to say it cheerfully and enthusiastically! This scripture is found in Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
You've now completed this challenge eleven days in a row!
Be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done!
Be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done!
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