“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards, He was hungry.” (Matt 4:1). The New Testament word for a fast can be seen in two ways. First, it means “to abstain from food .” It also means “to be made empty.”A vessel that is already full cannot be fulfilled. Similarly, a heart that is already full cannot be filled by God. Those who need to be filled by the Lord must come to Him with hunger and thirst. We fast:
· To develop a hunger for God. When we fast, we turn away from food to turn toward God. We empty ourselves of everything that hinders our relationship with the Lord. The physical hunger we feel must create in us greater hunger – a hunger for God.
· To show God what is in our hearts. You cannot say that God is more important to you than everything else and yet not be able to put aside food for His sake. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations during and after His fast to show that His heart was all for the Father.
· To learn to live by God’s Word. When we fast, we stop depending on food for sustenance and instead allow the Word of God to sustain us. It is essential to spend time in the Word of God during fasting. Let us draw our strength from God’s Word and Spirit. When our hearts are set on the Lord, it is easier for us to hear from Him.
