Saturday, January 18, 2020

200119 Why Fast and Pray? (3)

In the Bible, fasting often accompanies prayer for the purpose of intensive intercession, repentance, worship, or the need for direction.
Daniel demonstrates an example of intensive intercession that involves repentance when he was in captivity. He…  turned (his) face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. (Daniel 9:3-5). That certainly was a desperate situation. Daniel could see that their captivity was a result of their sin and separation from God.
Later Daniel was faced with a need to understand the vision.  In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.” (Daniel 10:2-3). At the end of Daniel’s fasting and praying he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a terrifying Angel. I would encourage you, later, to return to Daniel 10 and read the description. Right now we want to see why Daniel didn’t get an answer since he clearly met the conditions of fasting. He fell on his knees and the angel comforted him. “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” (Daniel 10:11). The angel then explained that the first day Daniel prayed for understanding the angel was dispatched to give him the answer but, ”the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13). Even God’s most powerful angels may be limited in their ability because of demonic activity. The fasting and praying of Daniel, a human, helped this angel breakthrough with the message. When we are called on to pray with fasting we must never give up until we have an answer. If our need for God and if the answer to our problem is strong enough for us to seriously fast along with prayer God will answer! I don’t mean by this that God will do what we want them to. However, the answer may not be what we desire or expect. We must always remember that God is God!
I am reminded of the explanation of C. S.  Lewis, in his book, “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. In the words of Mr. Beaver, when Susan asked him about Aslan. “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
Aslan is the central figure in the book and is an illustration of God in Christ. And we need to remember that God is not “safe”! He’s the King!
When we fast and pray we are calling on God! We are not asking him to serve us! Yahweh God is the creator of the universe, the King of Kings and Lord of lords! Be careful what you ask for.
Isaiah tells us about Israel’s religious rituals. In chapter 58 of Isaiah’s prophecy, he spoke of people going through the motions but having no change of heart. They pretended they wanted to know and follow God’s will. They even fasted expecting God to do something for them. They claimed to have denied themselves but God did not respond. God did respond to their accusations. Their fasting did not affect him because it was superficial and not real! Instead, God told them “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6).
When the people fast properly their fasting will be connected to behavior that helps set the captives free. Our fasting should result in helping others in true obedience to God.
In the New Testament, we find Anna, the prophetess, in the temple every day. She was worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day in anticipation of the coming Messiah.  Luke tells us that she greeted the baby Jesus with thanksgiving that was quickly turned into a gospel witness. (Luke 2:36-38).
When the church in Antioch was “worshiping the Lord and fasting” the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I called them” (Acts 13:2). Immediately the church entered into a time of continued fasting and prayer and when they sent Saul and Barnabas out on their first missionary journey they fasted and prayed and laid hands on them before sending them off.
Even though the New Testament does not specifically require fasting Jesus certainly assumed we will fast.
In Matthew chapter 9 beginning with verse 14 “Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave specific direction on the subject, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matt. 6:16-18).
I will close my part of the message today with a quote from, Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, page 391.“Most Western Christians do not fast, but, if we were willing to fast more regularly — even for one or two meals — we might be surprised how much more spiritual power and strength we would have in our lives and in our churches.”

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