I’ve noticed that fasting is always connected to prayer. For example, in Luke 2:36, Anna was known for fasting and praying. (Nehemiah 1:4 also says “fasted and prayed,” as well as many other times in the Bible when major change needed to happen.) When the disciples were trying to cast out a demon, Jesus said that certain demons could not be cast out unless someone fasted. Jesus also fasted, and for some reason it was sin for Him to eat a piece of bread during that time, or Satan would not have tempted Him with this. Jesus was weakening his body to connect to God the Father in an even more intense way so that He would know what He was supposed to do as far as ministry. Jesus did not begin His formal ministry until after the fasting took place. Paul prayed and fasted after choosing new elders for a new church, before leaving them (Acts 14:23).
I’ve never heard a sermon about fasting, and whenever I ask a pastor, most of them avoid the issue by quoting that Isaiah verse that says that God is not happy with the people’s fasting, but that was because their hearts were wicked. Also, they say that we are not under the law, but we are supposed to imitate Jesus, and if Jesus was God and still needed to fast, who are we to say that we should never fast?
Someone asked me to fast for her husband who was in a serious, unrepentant sin. I was afraid of fasting because I didn’t know anything about it. This is why I looked up every fasting verse in the New Testament to see what the Bible really said. I asked my husband permission to fast on that day (that she asked me) until sundown, as long as I could take care of the children. I drank juices. I felt weak. I cast myself on God. Seriously, I ran out of words as to how to pray for this man, since I was continually praying the whole day, too. Instrumental praise music caused my heart to be even more engaged while praying. Then I listened to hymns with words. I ended up praying the songs (which I’ve never done for others before), that it would be well with this man’s soul, for example. Anyway, it was all a very strange experience, and I don’t know if I’ll ever do it again. I wish more pastors would preach about fasting, and educate people more about this subject.
Here is a conversation I had with my son about predestination vs free will.
