But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:17-18, ESV

I admit that I am somewhat reluctant to talk about fasting. It is seen only a handful of times in the New Testament, and even in the above passage the instruction is given prior to the cross, so there is some uncertainty as to whether Jesus is talking to future Christians, to His contemporaries under the Law of Moses, or both. Still, we have a couple of instances in the book of Acts where the New Testament church practiced fasting and prayer, so I believe it is a worthwhile topic to at least consider, and especially during the distress of our current world situation.

So, since I am not personally sure that fasting is commanded for Christians, I am not suggesting that you are sinning if you don't practice this act of worship. Another reason that I hesitate to imply that fasting is required for Christians is that there are some people whose health makeup might not permit the act of fasting - at least not for extended periods of time. For people with genuine medical conditions, such as diabetes or hypoglycemia, the practice could potentially have severe health consequences. Having said that, it is very clear that some Christians did fast, (As seen in Acts 13:3 and Acts 14:23) and it is also clear that this act of fasting was well received by the Lord.

My suggestion is that you study this topic and determine for yourself if it is indeed a requirement or, even if not required, if it might be something beneficial to you and pleasing to God. One of the things that make fasting so effective is that there is a continual feeling of discomfort from the hunger that triggers your memory that you are needing to pray about something in particular. In other words, each time the person fasting feels his hunger pangs, it causes him to remember that he has dedicated himself to a specific line prayer for a worthy reason, and this reminder then prompts him to follow through with the act of prayer.

For those whom fasting is impractical, there might be another way to spark your memory in such a way as to remind you that you have devoted yourself to a specific topic of prayer. Going a day without soft drinks or coffee would surely prompt that memory cue for a lot of people. Giving up sugar and chocolate would be an extremely effective memory device for many others. I don't want you to think that I am making light of fasting, but I do want you to think of specific ways that you can provide yourself with a continual reminder that you are devoted to a particular goal of prayer. It is a type of free-will offering, if you want to look at it in this way.

Free-will offerings were often used in Old Testament times. They were just what they sound like, an act of worship that was not required, but which was often practiced and was pleasing to God if it was followed through. A free-will offering or pledge to God that was not carried out was looked upon with disfavor and punishment by God, so the people were commanded to make sure that they were serious about this previously non-required sacrifice prior to making it something that God would now look upon as a requirement once the people made such a free-will pledge to the LORD.  

Now, moving on to the present. Our world is in a mess! Hatreds and enmities abound and are being continually stirred up by those who think they will benefit from their propagation. We have wars breaking out all over the world. We have been experiencing natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and fires. Our nation, America, is being torn apart by rival factions within our government to the point where it seems that we are almost on the brink of another civil war. Many of these problems are the direct result of unrepented sin, and we just seem to be doubling down on that sin instead of ceasing it and asking for forgiveness.

At different times in American history, religious and civil leaders alike have seen the need to call for national days of fasting and prayer. Any politician who made such a suggestion today would likely be laughed all the way out of office, but men of no less stature than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln have made such pleas to the nation in their day. 

Perhaps it is time to do so again in ours.

Some will say that such a thing would be ineffective and even absolutely worthless in our modern times. Perhaps so, but I for one can see the benefit of prayer and fasting today. I am convinced that we have an urgent need to beseech God to forgive us of our foolish ways before it's too late. Otherwise, we might find that those who refuse to get on their knees in repentance might just be brought to their knees from a punishment that none of us could bear. What do you think about this? Do you think that fasting and prayer might be of benefit to us today?