Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Elmer L. Towns
Authors: Elmer L. Towns
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Promised Land? He could call the people to what we are calling an Ezra’s Fast.
P RESCRIPTION FOR THE E ZRA F AST
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.
----
F ASTING P RODUCES
Spiritual introspection
Spiritual examination
Spiritual confession
Spiritual intercession
----
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
P RESCRIPTION FOR THE E ZRA F AST
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.
----
F ASTING P RODUCES
Spiritual introspection
Spiritual examination
Spiritual confession
Spiritual intercession
----
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
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