One of the common sins in the church today is indifference and apathy towards the work of God. This is nothing new; Nehemiah dealt with this same issue in his day.
When Nehemiah set out to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3), several families came up with him and committed themselves to repair portions of the city wall and its gates.
One of the families in this group was the Tekoites. However, they did not have a good report for their diligence or work ethic. Here is the narrative according to scripture.
Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. (Nehemiah 3:5)
Another translation of this passage says, “…but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.”
The apostle Paul dealt with those that were not fully committed to following Christ and doing His will. He notes one of these incidents in his letter to Timothy, his son in the faith.
9) Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10) For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; (2 Timothy 4:9-10a)
It appears Demas had started out well but later became distracted with the cares of the world or craving for other things.
No one wants to be remembered as the weak link in the chain, or the person who lets others down on the job. We all want to exude excellence and integrity in our service to the Lord, but at times we can all become lax and focus more on our own comfort and well-being.
When we see this attitude creeping in, it’s a good time to seek the Lord with prayer and fasting. Even praying through a lunch hour or missing an evening meal to seek the Lord for a few days can help turn our hearts around.
When you look at the past year, do you see times you were slack or indifferent about the things that are on the Father’s heart and agenda? Or the things He has ordained for you to accomplish? If so, consider taking time to seek the Father in prayer and fasting to rekindle your love, focus and zeal.
During your fast, allow the Lord to show you areas of your heart that are growing cold or indifferent towards Him and His work. Do not be discouraged when things come to the surface that He wants you to deal with. Simply confess them, repent, and ask His forgiveness, cleansing and renewed strength. Purpose in your heart to turn from those besetting sins and to walk closely to the Lord. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Again, even fasting an evening meal to spend time before the Lord in prayer and consecration can be impactful. It’s a heart posture, not an empty religious exercise.
Fasting does not change God. He is already willing to save, heal, deliver, and bless. He gave us His Son; nothing can compare with Him.
Fasting allows us to draw near to God and bring our flesh under submission. It allows us to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and remove hinderances from our hearts (fear, doubt, unbelief, bitterness, pride, etc.) which obstruct our faith in God’s word and impede the answers to our prayers.
Although we’ve encouraged you to fast in these posts, there are no specific letters written to the New Testament church about when to fast, or how long to fast. It seemed to be something individuals were accustomed to and practiced as they decided or were led by the Holy Spirit (Luke 5:35; Acts 13:1-3; 10:30-33; 14:23).
What we have shared in these posts is not intended to bring anyone into bondage or condemnation concerning fasting. Nor is it to cause us to erroneously believe we can earn anything from the Lord when we fast. He has already given us all things in Christ Jesus.
3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:3-4
The Father is good all the time (before and after we fast) and has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Our job is to discover those blessing and to walk in them and use our authority over the devil (James 4:7).
We are the ones who need to adjust our thinking to agree with Him. Setting aside extra time alone with the Lord in prayer, fasting, worship, and meditation upon His Word will facilitate that process.
Our spirits are already redeemed and new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) but our minds need renewal to the Father’s ways (Romans 12:1-2).
Fasting a meal or two to spend time alone with Him is extremely beneficial when done correctly. It will aid in changing you and me.
Until next time, may our God and Father give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, and keep you, in the center of His will by Jesus Christ.
James Brown
CST 01/05/2025