Fasting as Petition and Preparation

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” – Acts 13:1-4  

Why are you fasting? Hopefully you have wrestled with this question prior to embarking upon this focused time of prayer and seeking God. The Bible gives several reasons why someone might fast for any length of time. Two of the most prominent reasons are highlighted in this short yet potent scene from the early history of the church. We might summarize them as petition and preparation. The founding of the church at Antioch marked a unique moment in the history of redemption. It was the first church which seems to have started with a primarily non-Jewish group of believers. It also seems to have been the first multicultural church. As such, it became the birthplace of the moniker “Christian” (Acts 11:26). United not by culture or ethnic heritage, these believers had only one shared identity: they were all followers of Jesus. However, despite all the impediments their differences could have presented to the formation of deep, meaningful community, the church at Antioch thrives. In fact, it thrives to the point of wanting to expand and welcome others across the known world into this newfound unity they’re experiencing in Christ. In short, the church at Antioch ultimately became the first sending church outside of Jerusalem.

The difficult part was figuring out how to begin that mission. Instead of relying on their own perceptions or experiences, they turn to the One who had rescued them and formed this new family. They turn to Jesus in worship and, yes, fasting. In the midst of this corporate time of worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit shows up and speaks with astounding clarity. They quite literally receive marching orders. Notice, however, that rather than charging forward with a clear word from the Lord, there is another season (we’re not told how long it lasted) of fasting and prayer they believe is necessary before sending Paul and Barnabas out. Though they’ve heard clearly what the Lord expects of them, they know that walking in His will is not something they can do alone. Just because God has spoken, does not mean that His part in the mission is over. As the story of Acts unfolds, Paul and Barnabas face tremendous suffering and persecution. Just because God’s will is being done, there is not an attendant promise that the way will be easy. In fact, much of the rest of the narrative reminds us that the opposite is more often true. As I once heard a preacher say, the greater clarity with which God speaks, the harder we should expect following that word to be.

So why are you fasting? Is it because you’re desperate for a word from God, desperate for clarity on a perplexing situation in your life, desperate for Him to simply make Himself known to you? Follow the example of the trailblazing church at Antioch whose primary recourse at such a time was worship and fasting. Or, do you know what God is asking you to do and yet lack the strength to follow where He’s leading? Paul and Barnabas did not know what awaited them in the “work to which I have called them.” However, they did know the One in whose footsteps they were walking and the profound suffering He’d endured to make possible the very life they’d experienced at Antioch. So they fasted and prayed, begging Jesus to bring life from their own suffering both within themselves and among those they’d interact with along their travels. Fasting was at the heart of God’s mission – both the “what” and the “how” of that mission – from the very beginning, and it’s no less the case now. May we gain equally from fasting’s ability to both give insight into God’s will, and its ability to offer the strength to walk in that will.

I’d encourage you to spend some time in prayer today petitioning God for insight in various areas of your life. If you feel He’s already led you with clarity in some way, spend time today asking for the strength necessary to walk in that direction.  

Scott Jones