Photo by David Beale on Unsplash
The short answer is yes and probably.
I mentioned a few posts ago that I began a 21-fast.
You can read it here if you are interested.
As that fast ended, I felt I needed a second go at it. I felt this way for two reasons.
First, and most importantly, the purpose of fasting (giving up something like food—which is what I did), is to draw closer to God to hear from him.
It is one of the things I like about this discipline—getting closer to God. I have a heightened awareness of his presence and purpose in my life.
It was no different with this fast. So, as it was ending (the most important part), I sensed that I needed to do it again.
Allow me to explain this because I believe it will help someone.
The first question would be, why not continue? You are already into the discipline; why not keep it up?
There would have been a time when I would have done precisely that. However, I committed to my wife to have a special Valentine’s Day dinner. The fast ended just before Valentine’s Day.
I could have explained that I needed to postpone the dinner, and she would have understood. And, as I have said, I would have done that in my younger life.
But it was important to me to honor my commitment to her.
If you have much knowledge of the Bible (or you have been watching The Chosen), you could say, but didn’t Jesus say if you prefer your family over me, then you don’t deserve me? You would be correct; Jesus did say that in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew.
However, I believe, and there is a fine line here, that it is a matter of the heart.
My heart is to follow Jesus. My commitment to fast was for 21 days. I honored that commitment.
The commitment to my wife was a special Valentine’s Day dinner, and I honored that commitment.
In other words, I was not looking for a way to get out of beating up my stomach by depriving it of food. Instead, I was committed to honoring my word to my wife, as I had honored it before the Lord.
There is more here than can be explained in this post but understand that it is a heart issue, not a disobedience issue.
The second reason for extending the fast is that there were answers I had not received. Although I deeply sensed the presence of the Lord, the matters I brought before him had not changed, nor had I felt a release from seeking him about them.
I began the fast (the second one) the day after Valentine’s Day.
Why bring this up?
I bring this up for these reasons.
There was a time in my life when I fasted often. I fasted weekly, seeking the Lord’s direction regarding sermons.
I fasted annually because it seemed spiritual—when, in fact, it was religious.
I fasted at the prompting of the Lord, even doing two 40-day and countless 21-day fasts.
Did they produce anything?
Of course, they did. I always had a greater sense of God’s presence. But it wasn’t until years later that I realized how religious I was about it.
Let me explain.
Back then, in my mind and the mind of the religious, if I put a piece of bread to my lips while fasting, it was a sin. I was consumed with observing every line of perfection.
Fasting isn’t about giving up something—that is part of it—fasting is about getting close to someone—God or the Godhead.
If I justify how I can sneak into many mouths and still say I am fasting, then I have a heart issue. In other words, my heart is not into it, and I am doing so to please someone else.
Jesus addresses them in the Gospels. He tells them (those operating that way) that they have their reward—they have pleased whoever they are attempting to please.
If, on the other hand, you eat something because you are weak, you are sustaining your body while you continue to seek the Lord.
There is an Old Testament story about this. Jonathan, son of King Saul, encouraged the soldiers to eat something (even though the King had commanded everyone to fast) so they would have the strength to complete the battle.
You can find the story in I Samuel 14 if you are interested.
The purpose of denying (fasting) yourself of something is to get closer to God. In getting closer to God, you set your heart on him and “deny” anything that would get between you and him.
So, I have begun a second round of fasting because I want to get close enough to God to hear his answers to what I am asking for.
It does not mean I will immediately have an answer—it could, and I celebrate it when it happens—but I will have a sense that the answer is given before I have seen it.
With that, I circle back to the beginning of this post. I did not sense the release or that the answer was given.
An interesting side note
One of my questions related to our oldest son receiving a raise. On the first day of the second fast, he texted me that he received a $10,000 annual raise.
Is it a coincidence?
I do not believe so. I think he would have received a raise, but I also believe the amount of the raise was because of my willingness to extend my commitment too fast.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead provides you a living hope. It is a living anticipation full of expectation of something good happening.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. As I learn, I will pass it along so you, too, can learn. I hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.
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