Week 2 || Day 5
PURPOSE OF FASTING: TO REPENT
The book of Joel is a mysterious book of the Bible. Joel was a prophet of whom little is known, but he was charged with a major task. Joel was responsible for highlighting Israel’s need for repentance in order to restore a right relationship with God. In Joel’s day, the nation of Israel was guilty of playing pretend when it came to repentance. They would go through all the motions of holiness without allowing their hearts to be turned to God. However, putting on false displays of piety mean nothing if the heart is unchanged. In the second chapter of Joel, the prophet is speaking for the God of Israel when he says this:
“That is why the Lord says, ’Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.’ Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” (Joel 2:12-13 NLT)
“Tear your hearts.” Other versions say “rend your hearts.” To “rend your heart” in repentance is to deeply recognize your brokenness and your desperate need for God’s forgiveness and restoration. In “tearing” our hearts, we discover that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18 NLT). When we’ve wandered from God, and we acknowledge a need to turn back to Him, what He desires is “a broken spirit,” for God “will not reject a broken and repentant heart” (Psalm 51:17 NLT). We open the door for a restored relationship with God when we tear our hearts before Him.
So fasting without repentance is futile. In typical repentance we may say a few words and ask for forgiveness before moving on with our day. But combing fasting and repentance goes one step further. While it isn’t a requirement for God’s forgiveness, it does help us in our repentance by forcing us to deal with our selfish desires.
Throughout the Word, God couples fasting with repentance. Look at the account of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. He’s ambushed by his enemies and they go to God and acknowledge their desperate need for Him and their powerlessness apart form Him. Jehoshaphat calls the people to fast one day. Just one day. They fast and pray and God sends them out in the morning and “the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor.” (2 Chron. 20:21 NLT) What happens next is miraculous! Verse 22 says, “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moah, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.”
Then enemy killed themselves! The enemy took out the enemy. That’s what happens when we pray and fast. Darkness is effectively crippled and the enemy turns on himself. Read through the account of Jonah and the pagan nation, Ninevah. God sent Jonah to tell them to repent. So Jonah walks around throughout the land, saying, “In forty days, you’re going to be wiped out. In forty days, if you don’t repent, you’re going to be destroyed.” And the people are convicted and the king is convicted as well. And he sends out a decree. “All right everybody, for one day we’re going to pray and fast and put on sackcloth and ‘LET EVERYONE CALL URGENTLY ON GOD!’ (Jonah 3:8 NIV)
God’s response to a pagan nation repenting and turning to Him is that He preserves the nation. If he will do that for them, what will he do for one of His sons or daughters?
Illustration: “Sandra Bullock won the 2010 Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Ann Tuohy in The Blind Side. The sensational film chronicles a Christian family who took in a homeless young man and gave him the chance to reach his God-given potential. Michael Oher not only dodged the hopelessness of his dysfunctional inner city upbringing, but became the first-round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. At a recent fund-raiser, Sean Tuohy noted that the transformation of his family and Michael all started with two words. When they spotted Michael walking along the road on a cold November morning (the movie depicts it as nighttime) in shorts and a T-shirt, Leigh Ann Tuohy uttered two words that changed their world. She told Sean, “Turn around.” They turned the car around, put Michael in their warm vehicle, and ultimately adopted him into their family. Those same two words can change anyone’s life. When we turn around, we change directions and begin an exciting new journey. Some may need to make an about-face concerning their disbelief in Christ, or it could be a Christian needs to turn around and reconsider the value of fervent prayer. Whatever your situation, a great story of wonderful change could be just two words away.” - In Other Words
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Kids SEEK, too!
Kids’ Illustration: A soap maker and a pastor were walking together down a street in a large city. The soap maker said to the pastor, “The Gospel you preach hasn’t done much good, has it? Just look around. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and a lot of wicked people, too!”
The pastor said nothing until they passed a dirty little child playing in the mud near the road. Seizing the opportunity, the pastor replied, “I see that soap you make hasn’t done much good in the world either; just look at all of this dirt, and all of the dirty people around.”
The soap maker said, “Oh, well, soap is only useful when it is applied.”
And the pastor said, “Exactly. The same is true of the Gospel.”
God’s Word says many things about saying sorry (and really meaning it!) for things we’ve done wrong. Forgiveness is always possible - but it is still true that our job is to do what the Word says and admit that we’ve done wrong and ask for that forgiveness.
Kids’ Activities for Today’s Prayer Focus:
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Bible:
"You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” (Proverbs 28:13 GNT)
“Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.” (Lamentations 2:19)
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Quotes for Today:
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” - C.S. Lewis
“Our God is a holy God and prayer is the vehicle that God has given us to approach Him. Indeed, prayer offered by a Christian harboring sin is akin to a plane without wings, a car without wheels or a boat without a rudder. Make no mistake about it—God wants to hear our prayer but flagrant disregard for the commandments of God will quickly stop His ear.” - Homiletics class at West Coast Baptist College
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Points to Ponder:
As you are fasting, be sure to ask God to open your eyes to areas of your life that require repentance. When He does, confess them and seek forgiveness. You will soon discover that a repentant heart is a peaceful heart.
It is possible to fast and not be heard by our Father God. Isaiah 58:4 says, “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” How were the people fasting? Without repentance. Make sure to make repentance a part of your fasting.
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CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you that your name is powerful. I thank you that it is by the power and mercy in your name that I am able to approach your throne boldly. I step into your presence today, Jesus, and ask that you would reveal anything in me that is out of line with your will for my life. I repent for the things I have allowed to creep in and the things I have willingly opened the door to. I commit to turn to you and I ask for your help in staying true to you in all things. I lay my heart bare before you and ask that you would cleanse me of all unrighteousness so that I may be blameless in your sight. It’s in Jesus’ mighty nameI pray, amen.
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