Today is day twelve in our 40 day journey of prayer and fasting for our upcoming election. Are you praying daily? Have you fasted? The idea behind fasting is denying oneself something we normally depend on in an effort to heighten our awareness of God and dependence on him. The Biblical principal of fasting goes hand in hand with sacrifice, which is to give up something of value to the Lord. It can be your time, your talent, and/or your treasure. As it pertains to sacrifice, fasting is also denying the flesh and disciplining your body to the glory of God.
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).
Unfortunately, some Christian’s idea of fasting is to skip a certain meal that they don’t really like, or to eat a large late lunch so that they can easily fast that evening. Is that really a sacrifice? Perhaps you do skip dinner this evening. Why not deny yourself other pleasures for the whole day, or for a week, such as television, your cell phone, social media, or your favorite recreation? What are you sacrificing during your times of prayer and fasting? What’s convenient or what’s costly?
“Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.” – Andrew Murray
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20-21).