“That you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer” (1 Corinthians 7:5).
Fasting and prayer demand concentration to be effective. Paul describes it as something you give yourself to. The phrase “give yourselves to” as used in our text literally means to take a leave or holiday from everything else so you can give full attention to whatever you are doing. In our case, it is prayer and fasting. When the early apostles wanted to shield themselves from the distractions associated with attending to the daily needs of their converts, they made a firm decision saying, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). What they meant was that they would apply themselves fully to the responsibility of prayer and preaching the word of God, which was the core reason for their calling. The positive impact of that decision on their output in ministry was immediate: “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 1:7). Whatever you give the required attention yields the needed dividend. For prayer and fasting to yield the best result, those who are engaged in them must give the needed attention and make them their primary activities within the given period.
Set your face towards God and expect a deeper connection with Him.
The Bible is replete with examples of men and women who prayed and fasted with remarkable results. We can learn a lot from their attitude while they engaged in the holy exercises. Daniel testified of his experience: “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). To Daniel, the time of fasting and prayer is the time to focus one’s full attention on God. He made the statement, “I set my face towards God.” This means he made a deliberate and intentional decision to seek God’s presence and guidance, to align with God’s will and purposes, and to surrender to God’s authority in all things. Daniel’s prayer and fasting yielded the expected result as God sent Angel Gabriel with a message: “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.” What followed was a download of God’s program for the coming Messiah and for the nation of Israel (Daniel 9:20-27). Fasting and prayer, when done properly, prepare the ground for the unveiling of God’s will for His children. When the church leaders at Antioch prayed, the Holy Spirit spoke to them about His plan to send Paul and Barnabas to take the gospel round the world saying: “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Expect definite encounter with God as you fast and pray this season.
To give ourselves to prayer and fasting is to prioritize them over other activities that clamour for our attention. In this age of endless entertainment, fasting must necessarily involve cutting down on the amount of time we spend on social media. There are so many good stuffs in the social media as well as so many things that feed our carnality. Abstaining from those and turning the time, we spend on them to pray and bible reading will impress God and attract blessings from Him. If while you fast you spend more time on social media than you spend in prayer, wouldn’t you be surprised if God takes you seriously? Do the following to reap the most benefit from fasting and prayer. First, prioritize time with God in prayer, worship and bible study. Second surrender to God’s will as he reveals them to you during prayer. Thirdly, align your values and actions with the provisions of the word of God. And finally, forgive your offenders and pray that God will bless them. With the above in place, you will be setting your face on God and will soon experience a deeper connection with Him. This will bring you greater spiritual clarity and direction that will not only add value to your prayer and fasting but will also enable you live in a way that honours and glorifies God. Enjoy the fasting festival in Jesus’ name.
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