A Heart Posture

“Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Isaiah 58:6–7

In the past, fasting for me has never been a completely simple exercise. I had struggled to fast food and I had persuaded myself that fasting anything else was simply a cop out that allowed me to eat normally. Possibly, like many people, I was missing the point.

It is striking how often in the Bible fasting is not done on its own. Such as when Barnabas and Saul were sent out in Acts:

"Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off." - Acts 13:3

You might have asked yourself this question as we start our 10 days of prayer and fasting. Why do we do both together? I found myself asking the same question a couple of years ago and this is where I came to the realisation that fasting is about two main things:

1. Making room for God in your day. (Focus on God)
2. A heart posture (God working IN me)

Fasting and Prayer are tied together as prayer itself is not just something we do with our minds and voice, but something we do with our entire body and being. Much like kneeling, laying on hands or raising our arms in worship. Fasting is us showing God that our body is His and He can use us, we are ready.

We see in Isaiah 58 that fasting is not necessarily just about what God can do for us as we make room for Him, but also what He can do in us and through us.

Fasting for me is now not only about fasting something (food this time), but it's about posturing my heart towards Gods will, ready to be used by Him.

Date - 4.9.23 | Author - Kyle France | Series - Prayer + Fasting