Dear Heavenly Father,
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, You tell us about him, a prophet who was very loyal in his service to You. The Babylonians worshipped idol gods and did not honor You. When in captivity under Babylonian rule, Daniel was expected by the kings he served to adopt and follow the customs of those in Babylon, but he refused. Instead, he held tightly to his commitment to honor Your Word. I learned more about the discipline of fasting from his example. Because of the revelation he received after fasting, I learned to have an expectation of hearing Your voice more clearly when I do the same. When we place our flesh under the subjection of the Holy Spirit through this practice, something wonderful occurs. I have recently started fasting more often, and it has helped me tremendously.
In Nehemiah 1:4(NLT), Nehemiah said, “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven”. During the time that Nehemiah said this, Your people had returned to Judah after being held in captivity in Babylon, and they discovered that the walls of the city were torn down and much of the city was in ruin. They were devastated to see this, and Nehemiah was hurt to his core to learn of this news as well. Many of us can relate to their overwhelming sadness and disappointment. We have had situations where we encounter such trouble that it seems insurmountable. It looks as if there’s nothing humanly possible that will resolve the issue. If you are a person that has relied upon your own intellectual prowess or physical strength, and you haven’t learned to walk by faith, you might lose it. But if you’re a Christian, you understand that storms require prayer, faith, and often the discipline of fasting as well.
Sometimes we need to give ourselves over to the Spirit’s direction and guidance. Fasting is a powerful way to do this. It invigorates our faith and increases the channel to receive Your divine truth. In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 9, the disciples were endeavoring to cast out a demon from a child and were unable to do it. Jesus had to step in and get the job done. Afterwards, they asked him why they couldn’t cast out the evil spirit. He replied in verse 29, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Their faith needed a boost that only prayer and fasting could provide.
You always hear our prayers, but sometimes we need to do more on our part to free-up the gateway to receive from You. Fasting, denying ourselves food or habitual practices for safe periods of time, can be challenging, but the benefits far exceed the sacrifice. Thank You, Sweet Heavenly Father, for giving us the divine discipline of fasting and prayer. Help us to make fasting a precious part of our spiritual walk in Christ.
Thank You for blessing us to grow closer to You through the Lord Jesus Christ. You are so awesome and amazing, Most Holy God. Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Please help us to be a blessing to Your Kingdom, and let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Thank You for the Discipline of Fasting”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.