Hi Friends! We are excited to welcome Elda McAteer as one of our devotion writers. Her contributions are very insightful and I know you will be blessed and encouraged in your walk with the Lord.

God has impressed me to write about fasting. There are times when we feel the need to fast, but what kind of fast should we choose?

There are times we need to go to the doctor and we have to fast = no eating.

There are times we’re preparing for surgery and we have to fast = no eating.

When we want to lose weight = no eating like we did before.

These are fasts that we either choose or the doctor prescribes.

Are these the only fasts we should be concerned about? Do we care? Following the doctor’s orders about fasting for a non-spiritual reason is important. However, God’s instructions for fasting are far more important than any doctor’s, such as:

Do we fast about the poor?!

How about the homeless?!

How about the oppressed?!

How about the blind?!

How about the unsaved?!

What about fasting for Israel? (Isaiah 58:8)

What about children that need to be delivered?!

What about fasting for the marriages that are in serious trouble?!

When we see someone who appears different, acts abnormally, or doesn’t smell good—Do we run from them– or do we run to them?

Many children are going to and fro, not concerned about the Lord’s coming.

THERE’S GOT TO BE AN AWAKENING!

In Isaiah 58: 6-12 GOD SAYS;

“Is not this the fast the that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burden, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day:

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy they soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations: and thou shalt be called, the repairer of the breach. The restorer of paths to dwell in.” KJV

God teaches us to not only be concerned about our needs but to reach out and care for others. I wish I had applied this type of fasting in my life when I first received Christ as my Savior.

I truly believe that if we will do and be what God has called us to, we will see changes in our churches, families and friends. Captives will be set free and the lost saved!

So, LET’S GET REAL and commit to fast in the way God describes in Isaiah 58.