One of the reasons for fasting is to know what is in us. In fasting it will come out. You will see it. And you will have to deal with it or smother it again.
Fasting reveals the measure of food's mastery over us - or television or computers or whatever we submit to again and again to conceal the weakness of our hunger for God.
On of the reasons food has this amazing power is that it is so basic to our existence. Why did God create human beings that needed bread for life? He could have created us to not have a need for food in order to live. He is, after all, God. Why bread? Why hunger? Why thirst? Could it be that He created bread so that we could have some idea of what Jesus is like when He says, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35)? And could He have created thirst and the satisfaction of thirst so that we could have some idea of what faith in Jesus is like when He said, "He who believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35)?
Paul says everything is "from him and through him and
to him" (Romans 11:36).
"To him" means everything exists to call attention
to Him and to bring admiration to Him. Colossians 1:16 says more
specifically that "all things were created by [Christ] and for [Christ]."
So bread was created for the glory of Christ. Hunger and thirst were
created for the glory of Christ. And fasting was created for the
glory of Christ.
This is saying that bread magnifies Jesus in two ways: by being eaten with gratitude for His goodness, and by being forfeited out of hunger for God Himself. When we eat, we taste the emblem of our heavenly food - The Bread of Life. And when we fast we say, "I love the Reality above the emblem." In our hearts, both eating and fasting are worship. Both magnify Jesus and both send our heart to the Giver. Each has it's place and each has it's danger. The danger of eating is that we fall in love with the gift. The danger of fasting is that we belittle the gift and glory in our willpower.
There is an appetite for God and it can be awakened through
fasting. The more deeply you walk with Jesus, the hungrier you get
for Jesus......the more homesick you get for heaven.....the more you want
"all the fulness of God".....the more you want to be done with sin.....the
more you want the Bridegroom to come back.....
the more you want the church revived and purified....the
more you want a great awakening to God's reality in the cities.....the
more you want to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ penetrate
the darkness of all the unrelated peoples of the world.....the more you
want to see false world views yield to the force of the Truth.....the more
you want to see pain relieved and tears wiped away and death destroyed.....the
more you long for every wrong to made right and the justice and grace of
God to fill the earth like the waters cover the sea.
If you don't feel a strong desire for the manifestation of the glory of God, it could be because you've nibbled too long at the table of the world. There is an appetite for God and it can be awakened. Through a simple fast you can say: "This much, O God, I want You."
There are different kinds of fasts: a total fast from
foods and liquids for a short interval of time; a liquid fast in which
you only drink water; a juice fast in which in addition to water you would
drink juice at your normal meal times; a fast from meats where only fruits
and vegetables are eaten. And then there are things and activities
that the Lord may lead you to fast from. Pray first, and be led by
the Holy Spirit as to what kind of fast you are to choose.
MY PRAYER
Father, I humble myself before You and I consecrate this
fast to You Most High God. I obey the Words of Jesus not to flaunt
my fast before others so that no one will suspect that I am fasting.
Father, I delight myself in You and and I choose the fast which You have
chosen. Thank You Father for cleansing me - spirit, soul,
and body. Thank You Father for creating a hunger in me for more of
You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen