Here’s My Heart Lord
Fasting has always proved to be a bit enigmatic. Beyond the occasional reading about fasting that one will encounter when reading the Scriptures, it wasn’t something I grew up practicing or talking much about. In fact, it wasn’t until my first semester in Bible College that I began to get some kind of grasp of the practice. Over the years I have gained a deeper appreciation for the practice. I’ve seen it presented in all sorts of ways. I recall years ago that one church we attended launched a 21 day prayer and fasting event to raise money for a permanent church building. Another time I remember the pastor of a small Baptist church I attended asking us to pray and fast for a young girl who had fallen ill with terminal cancer. As you can no doubt see, the spectrum of reasons for fasting is quite broad. It is worthy of note though, you can pray and not fast, but you can never fast and not pray. Think about how absurd it must be for the one who seeks to only fast and not pray, the cravings of their body might drive that person to insanity! One of my early attempts at fasting was an embarrassing display of whining and complaining for three days that ended up with me consuming a large pizza just after the stroke of midnight. Let me tell you with all sincerity, that fast was a complete waste of time. Why do I share such a self deprecating story with you? Because when we fast, the target is our heart not our stomach.
We know from Scripture that the practice of fasting is still a discipline for the contemporary believer. Our Lord Jesus fasted (Matt 4:1-11), expected his people to fast (Matt 6:16; 9:14-17), and the early church fasted (Acts 13:2). So why then do we still have trouble with the practice? I believe it is a heart issue. The church seems to trend towards a legalistic understanding of spiritual disciples even in your more charismatic circles. For some fasting becomes this excruciating practice that if left undone, perhaps God might strike them dead where they are. For others, fasting is reduces the King of Glory to a genie in a bottle whom they seek to grant their requests. Biblical fasting though focuses on how we can become more like Christ. Have we submitted our hearts to the King? Sure we have our series of requests and we might be seeking the precious wisdom of God during a tumultuous time, but do we see it as a chance to sit at the feet of our Heavenly Father, to taste and see that He is good (Psalm 34:8)?
All of this does not happen by accident. With little ones running around, work, school, or the other ten thousand things going on each day it is easy to abstain from fasting or reduce it just skipping a meal. We must enter with some expectations of our self for our hearts are prone to go astray. We deny our bodies, the fleshly cravings we so quickly satiate, but fasting is not merely self denial. We supplement the time gained and physical nourishment with the the Scriptures and prayer. We put that old man to death, we offer our undivided attention to the King of Glory, connect with our Father, we say here is my heart Lord and begin to realize man does indeed not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matt 4:4).