Daily Devotion

December 31, 2013

Why Do We Fast?


Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

Why do we fast?

Seasons of fasting and prayer help you get your sensitivity back to the things of God.

This answer may seem too simple. But it is at the heart of why we fast and pray—to get closer to our Creator. When you choose to begin a fast, you are doing something out of the ordinary. You are breaking out of your routine. You know the old saying, you can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. Fasting is doing things differently and expecting God to move in a supernatural way!

You may be a believer who once had unquenchable passion for the Lord but somewhere along the way you lost your edge. Or maybe you’re a new believer and want to be as effective as you can for the Kingdom. Fasting and prayer are the tools that will sharpen your edge. It releases so much more in your life than you can comprehend.

In my book, The Fasting Edge, I talk about the story from 2 Kings 6 where one of the sons of the prophets lost his ax head in the river. Elisha made the iron float and the man reached in and got back his ax head—his lost edge. When you decide to fast and pray, you are reaching into the river and picking up that sharp edge God has for you!

A short-term fast will yield long-term results. No one is saying it will be easy. But a few days of sacrifice out of the entire year is worth the reward. A closer, more intimate relationship with God is on the other side of your fast.

The Fasting Edge

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