What Difference Does It Make?

Why Fast/Pray?

For Moses – the difference – His preparation made way for God’s expressed will

Deuteronomy 9:9-10 (MKJV) 9 When I had gone up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which Jehovah made with you, then I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 And Jehovah delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them according to all the words which Jehovah spoke with you in the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

Deuteronomy 9:17-18 (MKJV) 17 And I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands and broke them before your eyes. 18 And I fell down before Jehovah, as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sins which you sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of Jehovah to provoke Him to anger.

In all the people an atmosphere was established for the battle to be won by God

2 Chronicles 20:3-4 3 And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek Jehovah, and called for a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves to ask of Jehovah. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 20:13-15 (MKJV) 13 And all Judah stood before Jehovah with their little ones, their wives, and their sons. 14 And the Spirit of Jehovah came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah…, in the midst of the congregation. 15 And he said, Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! So says Jehovah to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

2 Chronicles 20:20-23 (MKJV) 20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you people of Jerusalem. Believe in Jehovah your God, and so you shall be established. Believe His prophets, and so you shall be blessed. 21 And he consulted with the people, and he appointed singers to Jehovah and praisers to praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise Jehovah, for His mercy endures forever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who had come against Judah. And they were beaten. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the people of mount Seir to completely kill and destroy. And when they had made an end of the people of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.

Esther’s preparation, together with the people’s, saved the nation

Esther 4:13-16 (MKJV) 13 And Mordecai commanded them to answer Esther, Do not think within yourself that you shall escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. 14 For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this? 15 And Esther said to return to Mordecai this answer, 16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, night or day. My maidservants and I will also fast in the same way. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish.

Daniel’s intervention for the sins of the nation

Daniel 9:3 (MKJV) 3 And I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek by prayer and holy desires, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel 9:18-19 (MKJV) 18 O my God, bow down Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and behold our ruins, and the city which is called by Your name. For we do not present our prayers before You on account of our righteousnesses, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Jehovah, hear; O Jehovah, forgive; O Jehovah, listen and do. Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

Daniel 10:1-3 (MKJV) 1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. And the thing was true, and a great conflict. And he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no food for delight, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Jesus’ preparation for His purpose

Matthew 4:2 (MKJV) 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterwards hungry.

Prepared in authority

Mark 9:14-29 (MKJV) 14 And coming to His disciples, He saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, seeing Him, were greatly amazed, and they were running to Him to greet Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, What are you discussing with them? 17 And one of the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I have brought my son who has a dumb spirit to You. 18 And wherever he seizes him, he dashes him. And he foams and gnashes his teeth and pines away. And I spoke to Your disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not. 19 He answered him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me! 20 And they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, the spirit immediately convulsed him. And he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming. 21 And He asked his father, How long ago has it been since this came to him? And he said, From childhood. 22 And oftentimes it has cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. 23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. 24 And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. 25 And seeing that a crowd is running together, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter no more into him! 26 And the spirit cried out, throwing him into convulsions, and came out of him. And he was like one dead, so that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And He entering into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could we not cast him out? 29 And He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer and fasting.

Gained direction

Acts 13:2-3 (MKJV) 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them. 3 Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they let them go.

What Difference?

James 4:8 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones.

1 John 3:21-22 21 Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

The greatest challenge to our fulfillment of purpose in the kingdom will not be the persuasion of God, but rather the silencing of the voice of our flesh in the presence of God.

Preparation of fasting:

Separate the flesh as a hindrance from the presence of God.
Magnify God through His Word.
Cast cares upon Him in faith.