Fasting with Esther-ROFLwLOVEx4-Unveiled DAuthTerS
Draw closer to God with fasting and prayer
As a Christian Woman, I am searching my heart and creating a new fasting experience in my life. From reading the Fasting book and the Fasting Journal by Jentezan Franklin, I am growing in faith and wisdom. This book explains the purpose of fasting and demonstrates several Biblical events where fasting occurred. It details seven different fasting plans, allowing some flexibility within each plan. Since I am reading the book of Esther and studying Beth Moore with my Christian Women’s group, I wanted to learn more about fasting.
In a Biblical fast, the men, women and children all fasted together. In the book of Esther, this beautiful young woman was hiding her faith from her husband and her people. During a difficult season of her life, Queen Esther made the decision to fast for three days. She asked every Jewish person to fast with her and was not fasting in private. In the soory, we’re not sure she made this decision and we are left to our own imaginations. We don’t know what was Esther doing during the fast: did she pray, read scripture, and worship God.
In this part of the story, Esther was asked by her cousin to approach the king and beg for the lives of her people. Protocol at this time disallowed her to approach the king, and if she did, Esther risked being killed for breaking this law. She did not want to risk her life without the full armour of God. To create that amour of confidence and faith, she fasted along with her people. Fasting demonstrated to God, to Esther, and to the people that this was a serious matter- requiring complete attention and focus upon God. Esther showed obedience with her fasting, and showed she had the support of God’s people. When she approached the King with her request, she was armoured of God.
My own experience with fasting has been one of tranquility, openness and contentment. As I hear my stomach rumble in hunger, I am reminded to pray to God for specific requests. When my mind reaches out for something more substantial than fasting food, I think of my salvation requests and my healing requests. They are more significant than my brain seeking its emotional satisfaction from certain foods. I’m not hearing the voice of God during my fast, I am hearing my own heart. I’m listening as my priorities shift from self-centered, worldly focused and food driven to priorities of praying, salvation, and obedience. I’m content knowing that my focus is not on myself, my children or my family- my focus is on God.
At sunset, my juice fast is replaced with my “Single Girl Meal.” This has been really interesting and more than I expected it to be. I’ve been driven to return to the food I ate when I was living alone, 21 years old, and dating. My dinner diet always consisted of wheat crackers, smoked cheese, and a single glass of wine. As I sat down to eat my fasting meal, I started to remember events that occurred during this difficult time. My parents divorcing after 21 years of marriage, my Dad sold the house, got rid of the family dog, and my entire family had scattered across California. God brought me back to this time through my fasting, and He has a plan for me. As I remember the events that happened, relationships that melted, worldly decisions that were made, God is allowing me redemption. Through my fasting prayers, I am able to recall specific events, relationships and problems. I can pray about the past. My fasting prayers ask forgiveness, healing, salvation for others and closure. What was buried in my past was redeemed in my fast.
Did Esther have a similar fasting experience? Was she fasting and praying and remembering events displeasing to God? Was she reminded in her fasting that she evolved into her wordily culture- idol worship, gluttony, distractions from faith. Did Esther recognize that she hid her identity, not allowing her own husband and King to know she was Jewish? While she fasted, did Esther come to understand that God was more important than the King, her husband, her cousin, and her own life? I can imagine this beautiful girl walking behind an outer shell of beauty and expressing to the world “I am His. I belong only to my Father, and I answer only to Him.” With that armour, she approached the King, faced her fears and risked her life. She walked to the King’s throne with her faith.
What will happen if you chose fasting? Each of us will have an individual answer and we hope you will share your fasting story here with other Christian Women.
Life Verse for Fasting
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
Recommended Reading
Esther: Its Tough Being a Woman
The Hidden Power of Praying and Fasting
Online Resources
