Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts (8 page)

A private problem requires a private fast. A group problem requires the group to fast with you. Even when the circle of concern becomes national, the circle of fasting should be as large as the circle of concern.

Step 1: Choose Those to Be Involved

My church faced a financial problem in the late ’70s, so we called a fast for the entire church. We asked everyone to fast according to the formula given in Israel for the day of atonement: “Everyone must go without eating from the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth” (Lev. 23:32,
CEV
). The congregation was asked to fast for one day—from sundown to sundown.

My pastor asked everyone to prepare to fast from Sunday night until Monday night. When the congregation came to church on Sunday morning, they were reminded to fast beginning that evening. Because the fast was fresh in their minds, everyone could join as one. Also, they were instructed how to fast—eat a light snack before Sunday evening church; then after church they would only drink liquids until Monday evening. After sundown on Monday evening, they could break their fasts. Once the people were informed about the problem and acquainted with the reasons and the procedures for the fast, the pastor asked for a commitment.

“I want all those who will fast with us this evening to stand.”

The entire church stood with the pastor. The congregation gathered that Sunday evening with a great spirit of anticipation. We believed God was going to perform a great financial miracle for us. I asked the pastor’s wife if her husband really believed that God was going to answer our prayer.

“He really believes God will do it” was her answer.

Obviously, we fasted for a specific answer, but the answer came from prayer as well. There were times of individual prayer, and people also assembled at the church for prayer. In separate groups, the women, the pastors and the youth gathered to pray.

The results? The people trusted God for more than $1 million, and the work of God was accomplished.

Step 2: Share the Problem

Not only must people be asked to fast, but they must also be involved in the problem. Ezra said, “I proclaimed a fast…that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us” (Ezra 8:21). The people following Ezra fasted because they were scared. They wanted safety for themselves and their children. The greater the problem, the more likely people will fast with intensity and pray with sincerity.

Step 3: Fast Seriously

For a meaningful fast, people must not only withhold food, but they must also agonize in prayer. Fasting is more than diet adjustment; it involves spiritual agony and intercession. Ezra’s fast was “that we might afflict ourselves before our God” (v. 21,
KJV
). Originally, when people faced a life-threatening situation, they were too frightened or distressed to eat. They adjusted their diets out of agony and deep struggle of soul.

The
cause
was the problem; the
effect
was diet adjustment. Eventually, people began to see that they needed this deep spiritual exercise to pray properly. Thus they reversed the effect—fasting, so everyone might enter into the cause—spiritual travail in intercession.

Fasting communicated to all people the seriousness of their journey. To get from Babylon back to the Promised Land, Ezra and his fellow Israelites had to cross a threatening terrain. So Ezra communicated the seriousness of the threat to their lives.

Step 4: Fast Before Attempting a Solution

We often approach a problem with the traditional problem-solving strategy. We brainstorm all possible solutions, choosing a solution out of our own human wisdom. But Ezra did something before even discussing the problem with his elders: “I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days” (v. 15,
KJV
). During that time he waited for the Levites to join them (see vv. 15-20).

Notice the timing of the fast:

It is important that you recognize the spiritual nature of the problem before you try to solve it. Actually, we should live in the attitude of fasting because we should live with an attitude of dependence upon God. When facing a money problem, we usually try to cut financial corners, borrow money, arrange payments with our debtors; and when everything else fails, we may pray and even fast. Ezra, however, gathered the people and fasted first. The timing of the fast is just as important as its mechanics.

Step 5: Fast on Site with Insight

A new movement called “Prayerwalking” is sweeping America.
¹
It’s nothing more than following the Old Testament injunction where God told Abraham to walk throughout the land He was going to give him (see Gen. 13:17). Also, God instructed Joshua to walk around Jericho before the battle (see Josh. 6:3-5). Then as Joshua was going to conquer the Promised Land, God told him to walk by faith throughout the land he would conquer (see 1:3-9). Prayerwalking is “praying on site with insight.” When we stand at the place of need, we pray with more heed.

Ezra implemented old-fashioned prayerwalking by bringing the people face to face with their problem—he brought them to the banks of the river before launching out into the wilderness. “Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray” (Ezra 8:21,
CEV
).

Step 6: Fast for Step-by-Step Guidance

During the fast, not before, we seek solutions to our problems. Too often large problems frighten us, and we can’t think accurately or productively about the problems. We need to break down large problems into increments. If we can solve the smaller problems one by one, we can solve the larger problems. We need to fast and pray not only for the final solutions, but also for step-by-step solutions to the problems.

There was more than one road for Ezra and the people to travel to Jerusalem, and more than one solution to their problem. The question was, Which is the right road? Apparently, some roads had more travelers than others. Many of these travelers were soldiers traveling on diplomatic and governmental business. As a result, people felt protected by their presence. Also, some roads were so well traveled that bands of robbers found alternate routes.

Ezra called a fast “to seek of [God] a right way” (v. 21,
KJV
). The Bible tells us that God sovereignly directs our steps, but we should use common sense along the way. “We draw our maps to the destination, but God directs each step on the road” (Prov. 16:9, paraphrased). A modern version says, “We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go” (
CEV
).

Use your own ingenuity
. Ezra fasted to solve his problem, but he did more than fast—he used his ingenuity. When you face a problem, don’t limit yourself to prayer. Prayer is wonderful, but when you only pray, you haven’t done enough. The Bible teaches both “faith and works.” On our knees we pray as if everything depends on God, but we get up and work as if everything depends on us. Our work involves sweat work, planned work, intricate work, determined work and smart work.

So Ezra began, “We went without food and asked God himself to protect us” (Ezra 8:23,
CEV
). Then Ezra devised a plan for the tremendous amount of money that had been given to him. He realized that part of his caravan might be lost if they were attacked by a large band of thieves, so he divided up the treasure and distributed it among the 12 priests, so some of it might get through even though some might be lost (vv. 24,25).

By dividing the money, Ezra did more than protect it from thieves without. He also made each priest accountable for an exact amount of the treasure. Because the human heart is sinful, it might have been easy for one of the priests to keep a portion of the treasures entrusted to him. After all, if a family had a ton of silver, it might be tempting to keep a few earrings. So Ezra took specific measures to prevent this from happening.

Just because Ezra was a spiritual man didn’t mean he was naive or stupid. He understood human nature. Everyone in business knows that people are more likely to be honest when they are made accountable.

The problem-solving Ezra Fast is not an attempt to escape problems, but to enlist the Holy Spirit’s aid in tackling them. As previously noted, we will never escape problems. This does not mean we fast for every problem. Fasting is a serious endeavor, so we fast primarily for serious problems.

In doing so, as Step 6 indicates, practical steps as well as fasting and prayer are required. In turn, the following are some practical principles for problem solving.

Three Causes of Problems

You can deal with your problem better when you understand its cause. There are three primary causes of problems.

Change causes problems
. The Duke of Canterbury once said what many think: “Any change for any reason for any purpose should be deplored.”

No one likes to change. Changes in the church’s program especially invites problems. Therefore, when facing major changes such as a change of location, changing the doctrinal statement or even changing personnel, call those who are affected to a fast.

The church in Acts fasted when facing a major change in strategy—they planned to send a missionary team to evangelize the lost. Before
they sent out Barnabas and Paul on the first missionary journey, the Bible mentions twice that they fasted. “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2).

This church’s new strategy was the outcome of fasting, but referring to this once was not enough. Notice the second time the word is used: “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away” (v. 3).

In the physical world, all motion causes friction. The friction from motion in human relationships leads to breakdown and more problems. When you go through major changes in life, whether marriage, a new job or the threat of losing your present job, friction and stress occur. Therefore, use the Ezra Fast.

Differences cause problems
. When people from different ethnic, doctrinal or family backgrounds come into a church, they often want changes. The solution is to put all people on the same starting line with the Ezra Fast. Fast before any major change. Just as Ezra gathered the people at the river to look into the threatening wilderness, unite all church people in a fast so together they can see their problem, and together they can pray for an answer.

The question is not whether differences among people will cause problems in your church, but rather what you will do and how you will respond to problems that
will
arise because of people’s differences. Although we do not call for the Ezra Fast to give the church a sense of unity, a sense of unified action is surely one of the byproducts of fasting.

Circumstances cause problems
. Whether we are talking about your personal circumstances or those in your group, circumstances cause problems. These problems are not interpersonal or spiritual in nature. The church may want to buy land, relocate, face city zoning or institute a new program that is radically different from the existing program. A bank or business may fail with your money. When you face a problem you did nothing to initiate, call for an Ezra Fast.

When your community faces an extended union strike or a large layoff in an industry that affects your church, call for an Ezra Fast.

When your church doesn’t have enough space for the people who want to worship, or the facilities are old or you face a money problem, call for an Ezra Fast.

Three Questions to Ask

When you enter the Ezra Fast, do more than just ask God to solve the problem. Begin applying problem-solving strategy to the issue at hand. In attempting to solve your problem, you must first assess it. It is helpful to ask three questions to determine the size of your crisis.

How big is the problem?
Problems often seem much larger than they actually are. During the Ezra Fast, take time to think through the problem and its ramifications. Sometimes in the Ezra Fast the problem will shrink because you realize it is not as large as it appears. You gradually see it objectively. At other times in the Ezra Fast, a problem will loom larger than you thought because you understand its magnitude.

When you are fasting, determine the basic issues involved in the problem. Write these issues down. As you pray through the problem, you must first define it. Remember: A well-defined problem is a half-solved problem.

Who is involved in the problem?
When you define the problem, ask who has explained the problem to you or to the group. In any church, certain people always seem to alert the pastor to minor problems. The way these people describe the problem suggests that it is much larger than it actually is. Make sure that you see the problem through objective eyes, through God’s eyes and then through your church’s eyes. Never limit yourself to the eyes of the person who brings the problem to you.

Pray through motives. During the Ezra Fast, you need to ask
why
this is a problem. Sometimes the problem is rooted in the motives of the people involved. Sometimes it stems from motives of people outside the church. Most problems are really a conflict of attitudes between people rather than a conflict of circumstances or schedules. When people get their attitudes right, most problems will solve themselves.