Let's Get Back to the Basics (Fasting) (September 13, 2026)

Many times, people get it in their minds that fasting has to be THIS or THAT and they also start to think that “when I fast, God is gonna give me what I want!” This is NOT the case!

The main purpose of fasting is to:

•     Humbling Oneself Before God:

•     Acknowledging human weakness and God’s greatness

•     Psalm 35:13 “But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.”

•     Seeking guidance or protection:

•     Intensifying prayer during times of crisis, like Esther’s fast for her people

•     Esther 4:16 ““Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.””

•     Expressing repentance and grief:

•     Showing deep sorrow for sin or morning a tragic event

•     Jonah 3:5–9 “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.””

•     Aiding concentration:

•     Replacing something that you do (eating, TV time, social media, etc.) with prayer and meditation on God’s Word

Again, you must realize that just because you fast, doesn’t mean God is going to answer the way YOU WANT!

•     David fasted and weeps for his son, yet his son still died.

•     2 Samuel 12:16 “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.”

•     Yes, we see that in verse 13, David humbled himself and confessed his sin before the Lord.

•     No attempt was made to rationalize or justify his behavior; no excuse whatsoever was given by David.

•     David’s life is spared; however, a fateful pronouncement of chastisement and judgment has been pronounced upon the child.

•     David spent night after night on his face in prayer, fasting and begging for God to spare the baby’s life.

•     There are several things we must realize in this passage:

•     God will forgive sin; but if we sin, we will bear the chastisement of God’s discipline for our sin.

•     So it is with all believers: we reap what we sow, suffer the consequences of our sin.

•     We must always remember, though, that confession and repentance are essential in seeking forgiveness.

So, let’s fully simplify this topic of fasting and look at the fast that God recognizes.

Isaiah 58:1–7 ““Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” 

•     We find actions that are done by hypocrites in verses 1-4.

•     Isaiah pointed out that these hypocrites are inside the church, they are a part of the church, they try to make those around them believe they are super spiritual.

•     2 Timothy 3:5 “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

•     Their hearts are far from God and their daily behavior does not conform to the commandments of God.

•     Isaiah described how they would act; note the feeble behavior of hypocrites:

•     Verse 3 - Some hypocrites complain to God that He has not noted their fasting or prayer, not met their needs or blessed them.

•     Verse 3 - Many hypocrites live selfishly. Using fasting as an example, they will set aside a day to fast, but instead of spending the day in prayer, they selfishly go about their regular daily routines and activities.

•     Verse 3 - Other hypocrites are guilty of exploiting those who work under their supervision. One moment they proclaim to know the LORD, and the next they are like slave drivers who abuse the people working under them.

•     Verse 4 - Several hypocrites are divisive. The picture being painted by Scripture is tragic. Some were arguing and fighting even after fasting and as soon as they walked out of worship.

•     Verse 4 - Most, if not all, hypocrites expect God to bless them despite their sinful, wicked behavior. Nevertheless, God is very clear in this passage.

•     Verse 5 - Hypocrites are themselves deceived, for they think the LORD will accept their religious behavior.

So, Isaiah goes further and discusses what we, what the hypocrites even, must do to fast in a way that is accepted by God.

•     Verse 5 - Humbling oneself or afflicting one’s soul means to acknowledge the LORD and one’s total dependence upon Him. It is not enough for people to set aside one day a week to seek the LORD through worship or fasting. God is to be acknowledged seven days a week. If people profess the LORD, they are to humble themselves before Him, acknowledging that He alone is to be worshipped and served.

•     Verse 5 - True believers pray continually throughout the day, offering up praise to the LORD for His great salvation and blessings. Moreover, when they spend a daily time in worship (devotions) or sense the need to set aside a special time for seeking the LORD, they do it privately, in secret, without attracting attention.

•     Verse 5 - Seeking to make one day a week pleasing to God is not enough, not to the LORD. Every day is to belong to the LORD. Every day is to be a day of prayer, a day of seeking His guidance and protection. God is not interested in people just one day a week. God loves and cares about what happens to us all the time - seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.

•     Verse 6 - To God, a true fast is living an honorable and equitable life, treating others as we wish to be treated. The chains of unrighteousness and injustice must be broken. Every yoke of bondage must be removed. Any control or restraint that subjects or enslaves must be loosened, untied. The oppressed and exploited must be set free. Mercy must be shown to all who suffer and are burdened. It is only the merciful who will be blessed by God. Only the merciful will receive the mercy of God.

•     Verse 7 - The only behavior acceptable to God is feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, and clothing the poor. Turning a blind eye to the needs of others is clearly disgraceful. Furthermore, a person must not turn away from helping a family member who truly needs help.

Fasting is just as much a part of our basics in our walk with God as PRAYER and GIVING.

Take time to re-watch the services on PRAYER and GIVING by clicking the links below:

• Let's Get Back to the Basics (Prayer) - Part ONE (August 23, 2026)
• Let's Get Back to the Basics (Prayer - Part TWO (August 30, 2026)
• Let's Get Back to the Basics (Giving) (September 6, 2026)

Next Sunday we are going to look at CHURCH GROWTH and then on the 27th, we will be looking at BIBLE STUDY.