We need to fast and pray

Throughout much of the history of the Church, fasting was considered an important spiritual discipline. In Matthew 6:16, Jesus said “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” In the previous verses, He gave similar instructions for giving and prayer. Today, we consider giving and prayer to be essential, but for some reason, we treat fasting differently.

We live in a nation of great abundance and comfort. This can dull our commitment to seek the Lord with all of our hearts. Our appetites can demand our attention and lead us to put off things God wants us to do. Are we willing to say “no” to our appetites so we can be more sensitive to God’s leading and more fervent in our prayers?

The United States is at a pivotal point in our history. We are deciding what we will do with the freedom God provided to us through the faith and sacrifice of our forefathers and what kinds of sacrifices we are willing to make for future generations—for our children and grandchildren. Do we care enough to afflict ourselves through fasting as we seek His wisdom and His intervention?

Our freedom of religion is under assault as our government seeks to force all Americans to support and pay for health care practices that violate foundational Biblical principles. It is difficult to know how to respond. Are we willing to give up some of our comfort to seek Him?

In times of national turmoil and distress in the past, our elected leaders called on Americans to fast and pray. That isn’t happening anymore, but the need is no less desperate. As God’s people, we need to act.

We included a reprint in the mailing of our September newsletter of an article about fasting from the June 2009 newsletter. The need today is probably even greater than it was then. Please consider joining in seeking the Lord in fasting and prayer as we cry out to Him, both before the coming elections and after.