God Rewards Genuine Fasting
1. Fasting with the Right Heart Attitude
Matthew 6:17-18
Matthew 6:17-18: "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
- Fasting should be done privately, not for show.
- The focus is on a sincere relationship with God, not seeking approval from others.
Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning
Joel 2:12-13: "'Now, therefore,' says the Lord, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.' So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm."
- God desires genuine repentance and humility.
- Fasting should be accompanied by heartfelt confession and turning away from sin.
"When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them
Jeremiah 14:12: "When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
- Fasting without genuine repentance is ineffective; God seeks sincerity.
2. Fasting in Desperate Situations
2 Chronicles 20:3-4: "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."
- Fasting was proclaimed in response to a looming threat.
- The community sought God's help together, demonstrating unity and dependence.
O our God, will You not judge them?
2 Chronicles 20:12: "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
- Acknowledging helplessness and trusting in God's power leads to divine intervention.
- God fought the battle for them, showcasing His mighty deliverance.
We might humble ourselves before our God
Ezra 8:21: "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions."
- Fasting for protection during a perilous journey.
- It was an act of humbling themselves and seeking God's guidance and safety.
3. Receiving Encouragement and Guidance through Fasting
2 Chronicles 20:14-17: "Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, 'Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!" Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.'"
- God provided encouragement and clear instructions during fasting.
- Emphasized that the battle belongs to God and they should not be afraid.
- Assurance of God's presence and victory over challenges.
4. Fasting to Divert or Delay Judgment
Jonah 3:5-10: "So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?' Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it."
- The people of Nineveh fasted as a collective act of repentance.
- Fasting was a sincere plea for God's mercy and a turning away from wickedness.
- God responded to their genuine repentance and withheld destruction.
5. Gaining Deeper Revelation of God through Fasting
Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 20:6, 12, 20-21*
2 Chronicles 20:6: "and said: 'O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?'"
2 Chronicles 20:12: "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
2 Chronicles 20:20-21: "So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.' And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: 'Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.'"
- Fasting helps shift focus from self to God, recognizing His sovereignty and power.
- Encouragement to trust in God and praise Him for His enduring love.
- Fasting brings deeper understanding of God's nature and His unwavering support.
6. Encouragement for Fasting in Today's Context
- Emphasize the urgency and importance of seeking God through fasting.
- Highlight the need for brokenness over sin and a greater revelation of God's glory and power.
- Encourage sincere fasting for God's mercy, guidance, intervention, and presence.
- Jesus teaches that sincere fasting is rewarded by our Heavenly Father.
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