The Fast that God Chooses is Loaded with Benefits

Yesterday I shared how fasting and prayer can affect world events click here for Fasting & Shaping History. Today I'd like to talk about the two kinds of fasting described in Isaiah 58.  One is a fast motivated by pride and religion.  The second is the fast that God chooses.

A religious fast that is motivated primarily by pride and works yields works that God takes no notice in.   Their prayers for justice go unheard and their affliction is unseen by God.  Why?  

Isaiah 58:3-4  
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?'  "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. NKJV

God won't hear because the purpose of the fast primarily motivated by pride.  Pride blinds a person from God's righteousness therefore their prayers and actions are misdirected.  They are not right.  Their prayer and actions do not line up with God's word.  This is evidenced by how they exploit or take advantage of people and secondly misdirected justice.  Wicked is the root word of wicker like in wicker furniture.  It's called wicker because it is twisted.  Wicked means twisted or evil.  Therefore justice is misguided and correction is brought in wickedness.  James sheds some light as to why this is.

---

James 4:1-3
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. NKJV

The Fast That God Chooses
The Fast that God chooses yields very different results. Isaiah 58 starting in verse 6 lists the benefits as well as some of the characteristics of God's chosen fast.  Those characteristics include:

• Take away the pointing finger and the antagonistic speech that pride provokes you to criticize others with.  
• Share your provision (food, shelter, clothing) with others less fortunate.  The Lord might direct you personally or it can be accomplished through your giving to other ministries.  The key is to pray and obey.
• Remember the Lord of the Sabbath and don't do what you want on His day each week but rather delight yourself in and honor the Lord.  In the new covenant one man esteems one better then others while another man esteems each day the same.  Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord.  The bottom line is to seek to do whatever you do out of relationship with our heavenly Father.

The fast that God chooses is one way you can deny yourself and carry your cross (Luke 9:23, Matthew 8:34).  Jesus adds to the teaching on fasting saying don't fast as the hypcrites do in Matthew 6:16-18.  Their motive is wrong.  The root issue here is again pride. This is why Jesus urges us to fast in secret.  When we combine the lessons of Isaiah 58 with Matthew 6:16-18  we can enjoy the following benefits.

• Our Father who sees you fast in secret will reward you openly
• God will loose you from bonds of wickedness and deliver you from oppression in your life
• Your light will break forth like the morning sun (fasting is one of the disciplines of the sons of light)
• Your healing will come quickly
• God's glory will be your rearguard 
• You will call and God will hear you and answer
• God will cause your light to shine in darkness (fasting is one of the keys to ministering in a dark world)
• God will guide you continually
• You will experience supernatural provision in poor economic conditions, droughts and famines.
• You will become an effective minister, a restorer and a repairer of the breach to many generations.
• You will enjoy the heritage of the Lord and all of its associated priviledgesand benefits