Grace, Truth, and Love

(By Jenni)

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I’m not going to be excavating at Shiloh this season.

It pains me to say that because I had earnestly wanted to participate! Everything was in place for it to happen, but then I was completely redirected.

So, did I miss God? Did someone thwart His will? Why did I think I was supposed to go? Did I not pray enough? Am I being chastised? Is it just not my season yet? Again? Still? UGH!

I will admit that I’m scattered. I acknowledge that I need to focus on God’s priorities for my life, and there are some specific goals I believe He wants me to accomplish in the coming weeks and months, but what’s in front of me looks like a mountain, and my little engine just can’t get over the hill! I need some serious power! I need a breakthrough!

Are you stuck? Is something hindering you? Do you need clarity? A miracle? Are you facing an impossible, impassable mountain? God wrote a prescription for moving mountains!

Isaiah 58 is not a magic formula or a way to twist God’s arm; it is an inspiring passage of Scripture that describes God’s purpose for fasting and its incredible benefits.

What is Fasting?

Fasting is abstaining from some or all foods and/or other activities for a period of time. For instance, when we’re sleeping, we’re not eating; we’re fasting, so the meal we eat to break the fast is called Breakfast.

Different Forms of Fasting

There are different ways to fast, depending on your desired results.

A Complete Fast. This involves not eating (or drinking) anything for a period of time. Moses (Ex. 34:28) and later, Jesus (Mt. 4:2; Lk. 4:2) both fasted from all food for 40 days and nights, and Moses “neither ate bread nor drank water” (Exodus 34:28, ESV).¹ These were supernatural fasts. If God had not sustained Moses, he would have died of dehydration long before the 40-day mark.

Although God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, His identity is clearly understood through Queen Esther’s call to fast and pray. Her situation and that of her people was a matter of life and death, and she was in a unique position to change the outcome, but it could have cost her life. Esther called for a complete, three-day fast before risking her life by presenting herself to the king of Persia on behalf of her people (Esther 4:16). This was an emergency situation that called for a radical strategy, and only Esther’s God had authority over the king of Persia and the power to thwart the plans of wicked Haman. Esther needed to be sure she was in alignment with God’s will before facing the scepter that would decide her fate. There may be circumstances that call for this kind of militant prayer strategy, but a complete fast is not my goal right now.

Intermittent Fasting is a popular form of dieting to lose weight by abstaining from all foods for a certain number of hours. It’s not a diet, in that it doesn’t change what you eat; just when you eat it. And while there are some great physical health benefits to fasting this way,² our focus is on a method of fasting that provides spiritual benefits.

Maybe you’re not trying to lose weight; maybe you can’t or shouldn’t skip meals for health reasons. There may be an alternative way to fast that will yield a blessing for your individual needs.

Some do a liquid diet: everything is a smoothie. This could potentially meet all your nutritional needs while depriving you of the pleasure of biting or crunching your food.

The idea behind Biblical fasting is to deprive yourself of certain forms of physical pleasure so you will be more spiritually sensitive, but this must be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be spiritually beneficial. This is not a transaction or a legal requirement to obtain favor from the universe. It should be done for the purpose of focusing more on God: His face, not His hand.

The Daniel Fast

Based on elements from the Biblical book of Daniel (Dan. 1:12-16; 10:3), a typical Daniel Fast can be thought of as a vegan diet (no meat, eggs, or dairy) with no “delicacies” (which equate to desserts) and only water to drink, usually for 21 days (based on Daniel 10:3). Daniel’s fasts serve merely as examples for us; they are not mandated to us. This model works well for me because it meets my nutritional needs without indulgence, and it can be sustained for more than just a few days. You may feel led to do your fast differently, but this is the model I’m using, although I may extend it beyond the typical 21 days.

As a public service announcement, let me just add that I never go off coffee cold turkey, anymore. It just isn’t necessary to endure two days of debilitating headache when you can taper off the caffeine with green tea. And all the better if you don’t like unsweetened tea!

I have some significant dietary restrictions, but my only challenge conforming to a Daniel Fast “diet” is to find high-protein substitutes for grains. More about this in upcoming posts.

God’s Reasons for Fasting

The context for God’s prescription for fasting in Isaiah 58 is a time when His people were doing the right things outwardly, but they were doing them with the wrong attitude and for the wrong reasons. They were wondering why God wasn’t answering their prayers, so He sent them a message through the prophet Isaiah, which could be paraphrased to something like, “Do you think I just want you to be miserable? No! Here’s why I want you to fast!”

“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? (Isaiah 58:6)

God’s purpose for fasting is liberty from bondage. “Bonds of wickedness” refers to spiritual bondage. Whether that’s your own bad habits or someone else’s demonic oppression or possession, simply depriving yourself physically isn’t sufficient to empower you spiritually. We are not “promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body” because these approaches to spirituality “are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23). It is the Holy Spirit, indwelling us through faith in Jesus, who empowers us, and our battle isn’t merely physical; it’s spiritual.

“3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5).

The Benefits of Fasting

One of the benefits of fasting God’s way is answered prayer!

“Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am’” (Isaiah 58:9).

Who wouldn’t want their prayers answered? Just keep in mind that God may want to move a bigger mountain than the one you have in mind, and try to remain flexible to His leading, because that’s what it’s really about: your relationship with HIM!

Join me on a journey of fasting and prayer. I’m not telling you about it to be seen as spiritual (Matt. 6:18), and I’m not an authority on fasting; I’ve just done it several times, and I’ve had such significant blessings come from it that I want to share this beautiful, God-given tool with you. I do need accountability, and although I don’t know what the future holds, I feel compelled to share what God is going to do through this journey, as it unfolds. Yes, this is an act of faith! You can fast with me, or ease into it, or you can read along while you eat bon-bons. I’ll post more details in the coming days, such as what kinds of foods I’ll be eating, and some of the incredible benefits of fasting God’s way, described in Isaiah 58.

I’ll be starting the fast on Memorial Day: Monday, May 26, 2025. Not because it’s Memorial Day (it is a memorable day), but because it’s a Monday (an easy “fresh-start” day for me), and it’s more than a week away, which will give me time to prepare for the fast. If you’re planning to have barbecue and pie on Memorial Day, you might want to wait until after that to start your fast, but you can still read along.

I don’t expect God to send me to Shiloh, now that it’s too late to sign up for this season. I’m not fasting to twist His arm. But I do want Him to move the mountains in my life that are standing between me and Him – His will and blessings – and I’ll be praying for my team in Israel while they’re living my dream.

If you’ve never fasted, or if you need a major breakthrough, please consider joining me for this time of focused dedication to prayer. I can’t guarantee your results, but if you’re sincerely seeking Him, I trust that God will richly bless your efforts!

“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

1. This and all other Scripture references are from the ESV, accessible through blueletterbible.org. https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/exo/34/1/t_conc_84028
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/intermittent-fasting/faq-20441303