Fasting as Submission and Repentance
The accepted understanding of fasting in modern society is to abstain from food for certain periods of time, often for a spiritual reason. In the Bible there are many instances of people fasting in conjunction to taking time to spend in deep prayer with God. The definition of “submit” is accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. Food is a necessity to sustain basic human life, however, there are situations where absolute surrender to God is necessary, this act of surrendering including fasting. Joel 2:12-13 reads as follows: ““Yet even now”, declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.”
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 reads as follows: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, the end piece of verse 3 was quoted by Him, emphasizing that it is equally important to live with God, as it is any other basic human need. Fasting is a way through which God can test our hearts. It is a humbling experience, to feel the physical weakness which is obtained through a lack of food. It is often through weak states that we really feel connected to God.
The well-known Bible story of Esther illustrates this surrendering to God beautifully. The first two chapters of Esther, originally Hadassah, we are provided with the background to who she was and how she became the Queen to King Xerxes. He ruled 127 provinces and was regarded as a powerful ruler. Her cousin, Mordecai, who had raised her instructed her to stay silent about her Jewish nationality and heritage. After various events explained in chapter 3 onwards, we are introduced to Haman, a noble, who grew a hatred for the Jewish people because Mordecai would he not bow down to Haman. As a result, Haman decided to plot a way to destroy the Jewish people in King Xerxes’ territories. A decree was eventually issued to destroy the Jewish people, putting Queen Esther and the nation in trouble. After correspondence with her cousin, she realized that the Jewish people had to surrender to God with their whole hearts to be delivered from this hopeless situation. Esther saw the importance of fasting and prayer in the dire situation in which the Jewish people found themselves. “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” While the story turned out positively, with the Jewish nation saved, Esther trusted God’s will and believed that whatever the result was, would be meant to be. She, and the other Jewish people, surrendered fully to Him through prayer and fasting.
Repentance begins with submission, surrendering all control to God and recognizing that His will is best for us. John Blanchard, a well-known Christian author, said the following: “The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.” Therefore, it is vital in our Christian Walk that we repent and submit fully to God. Fasting is a miraculous means to connect with God and grow spiritually in this regard.
Invitation:
Fasting is something that ought to be done solemnly. If there is something serious in your life which feels as though it has been impressed upon your heart, take time to pray and fast about it. Full surrender to God through prayer and fasting can lead to miraculous spiritual results and connection to God.