A Time to Fast and Pray
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”
Luke 5:33–35
The enemies of Jesus were constantly looking for accusations they could make against Him and His followers. Here they complained that Jesus’ disciples did not fast regularly like they did and as the early followers of John the Baptist had done. This accusation was not made in good faith. The fasting of the Pharisees was not a heartfelt, serious attempt to seek God’s face. Instead they had turned it into an outward show to impress others.
The kind of fasting to which God responds is the kind that is an expression of a sincere desire for His work in our lives that takes precedence over anything else. Dr. John Rice said, “Fasting is really putting God first when one prays, wanting God more than one wants food, more than one wants sleep, more than one wants fellowship with others, more than one wants to attend to business.” Jesus told the Pharisees that in the future, once He was no longer with them, His disciples would indeed fast.
There are some situations that are so serious they require more than just regular prayers on our part. Jesus told His disciples this after he cast a demon out of a boy when they had not been able to do so. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). We do not earn favor with God by fasting, but it does focus our hearts and minds on Him, and it does produce results in our lives.
Luke 5:33–35
The enemies of Jesus were constantly looking for accusations they could make against Him and His followers. Here they complained that Jesus’ disciples did not fast regularly like they did and as the early followers of John the Baptist had done. This accusation was not made in good faith. The fasting of the Pharisees was not a heartfelt, serious attempt to seek God’s face. Instead they had turned it into an outward show to impress others.
The kind of fasting to which God responds is the kind that is an expression of a sincere desire for His work in our lives that takes precedence over anything else. Dr. John Rice said, “Fasting is really putting God first when one prays, wanting God more than one wants food, more than one wants sleep, more than one wants fellowship with others, more than one wants to attend to business.” Jesus told the Pharisees that in the future, once He was no longer with them, His disciples would indeed fast.
There are some situations that are so serious they require more than just regular prayers on our part. Jesus told His disciples this after he cast a demon out of a boy when they had not been able to do so. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). We do not earn favor with God by fasting, but it does focus our hearts and minds on Him, and it does produce results in our lives.
Today’s Growth Principle:
When we are serious enough about our praying to fast, we can see God work in powerful ways in our lives.
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment