1 Kings 17: The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
“The best of all medicines is fasting and resting.”— Benjamin Franklin.
Dietitians recommend eating three meals a day. The average adult requires about 2,000 calories a day and spreading the intake over three meals will avoid over feeding ourselves. Hence the general recommendation by health practitioners is consistent and adequate intake spread throughout the day.
However, the Lord God put Elijah on intermittent fasting! This was not a fast that he chose but it was a ‘forced fast’ as land was parched and the country was in severe famine. The Lord took him to a brook where the ravens brought him food only twice a day – morning and evening. The Lord was preparing Elijah for the crescendo of his calling where he would stand face to face all alone with the wicked King Ahab and his army of sorcerers and occultists. God was going to bring fire and rain on the dry famished land on the same day. The people, magicians and the king were going to witness fire fall from heaven and also the heavens gathering rainclouds and drenching the land after 3 ½ year just at the word of Elijah. So, this was an intermittent fasting, praying and preparation time for Elijah. The ravens brought meat and bread at sunrise and sunset. So, Elijah was on a magical 16/8 hours intermittent fasting (8 hours eating and 16 hours fasting).
Fasting is inevitable before we venture into a new season. A New Year, new job, new business opportunity, new relationship, goals or visions would need the backing of fasting and prayer behind it. Before a new start, fast and seek the Lord for guidance. Get alone with God to seek His guidance. Before the Lord took him to a public platform on Mt. Carmel, He hid him in the ravine to fast and pray.
Fast, Rest and Prepare:
1. Start: Fast before you make a start. Many do it the other way around. They would start a new venture and then, fast and try to twist God’s hand to make it work. Fasting and praying is step one, not step two or three. Fasting and praying will help us to understand God’s plan to either go forward or step back and stop.
2. Seek: Fasting is to seek God’s thoughts, ideas and plans. His thoughts are way higher than ours and His plans are much more structured and fastidious than ours. Fasting prepares us for the next season of our life.
3. Siphon: Fasting siphons divine wisdom, sharpness, boldness and understanding. Fasting feeds our inner man with supernatural strength to face and overcome the challenges.
Fasting and prayer prepares us for the new seasons, challenges and missions.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I humble myself in fasting and prayer to seek your wisdom and guidance. Please strengthen me, teach me and show me the way that I have to go. Amen.
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