Prayer and fasting
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13:3
Prayer and fasting. You don’t hear much about it today. We have a national day of prayer and occasionally there may be a national “call” to prayer. In Jesus’ day, it was a common practice, so common that religious leaders of the day were fasting so those around would think they were “super spiritual.” Jesus said, “when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:16) Notice Jesus said, “When you fast”, not if you fast. He was teaching them the right way because it was the right thing to do.
So, what is fasting all about? Fasting is a time of separating from the things of the world to “tune in” to the things of God. It doesn’t have to be food, though it certainly can be. It could be things such as social media, scrolling, news, or gaming, anything that takes time that you can turn your attention to God instead. The things you fast aren’t necessarily bad things, it’s just a time you purpose in your heart to spend with God in the place you usually spend with those other activities. Fasting can also be a time when you decide to reach out to others more or in a different way than you usually do, a time of giving of yourself. When fasting foods, it can be for a time of cleansing in your body for more healthy living. The timing is also flexible. It can be one day as the Israelites did weekly on the sabbath or three days as Esther did to seek God’s wisdom. Daniel fasted twenty-one days, he still ate food, he just fasted “pleasant foods” and Jesus and Moses fasted forty days. Fasting is not a ritual practice; it is a spiritual discipline. In fasting, your physical body is forced to submit to your spirit so it must obey what you tell it to do instead of you obeying what your flesh demands to be comfortable. It is not something you do to try to get God to move closer to you or in your behalf. It actually produces the opposite effect for you to move closer to God and to act on His behalf.
In today’s reading, members of the church in Antioch set aside a time of prayer and fasting. In fact, the passage says when they fasted, they were ministering to the LORD, which in my opinion is amazing. During that time of fasting they were impressed by the Holy Spirit to separate to the LORD Paul and Barnabas for the work God was calling them to. Their sensitivity to God’s spirit was heightened because the were setting aside the things of the physical realm to press into the spiritual.
I know this is not so interesting to some, but it is truly a powerful practice. By putting your flesh in subjection to your spirit and submitting to the Holy Spirit, your spirit becomes stronger and more discerning to the things God is speaking to your heart. Today I would ask that you consider a time of prayer and fasting. Read about it in the Word and listen to what God has to say about it. It is not a bad thing, for sure, and it is not obsolete. Start small, maybe just a morning to evening fast? The same results can be had today that were given all through Bible times. If nothing else, in fasting you show yourself just how serious you are about the things of God. In establishing this discipline today, your body will be ready to submit every time you need to press into the Holy Spirit for answers to storms you may be facing and the best part is that it is actually a gift you can minister to the LORD that blesses Him.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 13:1-3
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
The Daily Dose 