Recently I faced some very hard situations that I needed the Lord's Saving Grace to get over. I didn't know what to do, but knew something must be done. I had heard and remembered hearing a scripture that says "...this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" Mark 9:29. I finally got an answer, it was FASTING. But, what is fasting really all about? Is it just suffering and giving up food and drink? I haven't heard too much teaching on this. So I decided that I needed to search it out.
I looked up fasting in the Old Testament and found some key part. First, Psalms 35:13 David says "...I humble myself with fasting..." when fasting we are realizing that this spiritual thing is greater than my physical needs. We must humble down and realize at this time there are things of God that are of such importance and are delicate that I need to put MY norm aside and spend this time sacrificing myself to God in a fast.
Jonah gives a great visual of another part of fasting and for the sake of space I won't quote it, but look at Jonah Chapter 3. When the warning came forth the King made a decree that everyone will put on "sackcloth" and "let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water" v. 7.
Sackcloth is an item that is typically worn when in mourning. Here, and in much of the Old Testament, they wore sackcloth when fasting. They were acknowledging their sorrows for their sins. When fasting if we have sin on hand we must acknowledge that first and foremost. We mustn't play around. These people were so serious about this fast and having God hear them that even the animals were affected. Through their denial of food and their seriousness concerning the matter at hand, the Lord heard and honored their fast.
I don't have all the answers or the perfect way to a fast. But, it is biblical. From the Old Testament to the New Testament. Jesus flat out said "Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting" Matt 17:21. There are some things that a fast is just required or we won't break through to God. When fasting we must deny our temporal needs in order to sit in Heavenly places, we must humble down, and we must confess our sins if any. Barnes commentary says "That faith is produced and kept vigorous only by much prayer, and by such abstinence from food as fits the mind for the highest exercise of religion, and leaves it free to hold communion with God." May the Lord bless and help along these lines.
Damar D. Randle
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