My wife and I felt impressed upon to have communion and prayer every night during the remainder of the month of April, and possibly beyond. In addition, one of our prayer partners told us the Lord impressed upon her to fast during the last couple of days of the month and invite all who want from our prayer partners to join her.
After all, the deadline of May 1st, when we have to let the sellers of Eagles Wings know if we have the money to buy it, is only a few days away, with nowhere near the funds needed in our possession.
So we are intensifying our prayers with an Ezra fast. In Ezra 8, he proclaims a fast to entreat the Lord with a specific request: protection on their journey back to Jerusalem. He had not asked King Darius for an armed escort but had told him the Lord would protect them. They were about to head into hostile territory where that bold statement of faith would be put to the test.
We are in a similar situation – backs against the wall, in need of a miracle. Enhance the call to fast to empower our entreaty to provide for what we believe He wants us to use as a ministry center in Kenya.
Fasting and taking communion with Jennifer every night got me thinking about the relationship between the two.
I believe there is one. And it is beautiful.
Every time we take communion, we commemorate and celebrate Christ, allowing His body to be broken and blood to be shed on the cross for our sins. Offering Himself as a sacrifice for us who don’t deserve it is the ultimate act of self-denial. He denied Himself food, comfort, dignity, justice, and life preservation for our sake.
Fasting is also a form of self-denial. We deny ourselves food and creature comforts for God’s sake – to replace our hunger for sustenance and comfort with a hunger for Him, to humble ourselves before Him, to draw nearer to Him, and to implore Him for His provision with greater earnestness and faith.
Jesus told His disciples: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).
He set the ultimate example by laying down His life for us, which is what we celebrate with communion.
Fasting is one of the ways in which we follow that example – by laying down some of life’s basic needs to draw closer to Him.
It’s a beautiful relationship that reaps rich rewards. Jesus’ reward was exaltation above every name (see Philippians 2:9-11). Ours is deeper intimacy with God and answered prayer. They all exceed the reward of creature comforts.
The next time you take communion or fast a meal, rejoice in how self-denial draws you closer to God and brings spiritual blessings that far outlast everything else in your life.
Let it make you hungry for God and thankful for His self-denying love.
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