“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew (show) my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

Wherefore (how) have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the days of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

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

Is it not to deal (give) thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” ISAIAH 58;1-7

The beginning verses of this chapter are given as admonishment, the prophet is told to cry loud and spare not, meaning that all would hear, and all would understand what the Lord desires when it comes to fasting and seeking him.

Examples of wrong attitudes, motives and behaviors are given that would be absolutely reflected in the Pharisees and other religious groups of Jesus” day, such as this example:

” And he spake this parable unto certain (people) which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, the other a publican (tax collector).

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I FAST twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” LUKE 18: 9-14

You can see all the behaviors that Isaiah had addressed, the Pharisee is so self-righteous, he is naming what he perceives are his good deeds while bashing the tax collector and making his voice loud enough for all to hear. 

Boasting that he fasted, doing so only as an attempt to make others feel inferior.

As Jesus has shown us the truth of what we are to do in our crying out to God and asking for his mercy with a humble and repentant heart.

I wanted to go over that because I think sometimes fasting is misunderstood.

I do realize that it is even taught that it is not a necessity and that is true, your prayers can be answered without ever having fasted a day in your life.

But I personally believe that there are times that it should be done.

As you read in our verses from Isaiah, the Lord does not want us to fast for ourselves, or anything that we desire.

We are to fast on behalf of others.

This is why he said that the fast he had chosen is to loose the bands of wickedness. to undo burdens, and to free the oppressed.

Let me ask this, if you or your loved one were being held hostage anywhere, starved, abused, wounded or maybe just missing and you have no idea where they are or what condition they may be in, would it not be a comfort to know that someone, somewhere cared and was praying fervently for you or your loved one?

Let’s get on down into it, children sold or neglected, abused never knowing kindness or a gentle hug.

People male and female who are in abusive relationships and feel they have no way out.

The elderly, those who are lonely and poor, those who are unable to care for themselves but have no help, so they do the best they can.

Those who have no food and do not know where the next meal is coming from.

Those who are crying out in desperation as they tend terminally ill loved one their own souls crushed under that pain and physically drained.

Those who have no homes, rejected, ridiculed, and mocked.

Those trapped in prisons of drug and alcohol addictions, prison doors of the mind and soul that only, only the power of the Living God can turn that key.

Animals tortured in labs, lost, strays hurting starving, neglected, left to die alone.

Standing in faith with one who feels they can stand no longer, praying and fasting that those heavy burdens be undone.

Covering the naked not only literally but spiritually, covering them with prayer, especially those who are not saved, they are spiritually exposed to the devil and all the evils of this world

So many, so many we could go on and on, but this, this is why he said this is the fast that he has chosen, it is for them.

It can be as easy as skipping one meal, it can be a period of giving up something that you enjoy, it doesn’t always have to be food.

You choose what you want to fast and for the amount of time you want to do it.

Take that time and cry out to God concerning your reason for the fast and express your desired outcome, or it can be many different things, that choice is up to you and do not tell anyone that you are doing it.

“Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance (look sad): for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou (you) when thou fastest anoint thine head, and wash thy face:

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” MATTHEW 6:16-18

Again, you can see this mirroring the passage from Isaiah. Jesus pointing out that they have their reward because they were never doing it for the right reason, they were only wanting others to see that they were religious, which has nothing to do with true salvation.

God will often heal us while we are praying for the healing of others, sometimes you just realize something you had struggled with is no longer a problem.

You just want to talk to God and ask him for that mercy and provision, rescue and relief be sent divinely.

It is about dedicating that time and that activity to God, pouring out your own heart so that you can pour out your heart for others.

Regarding it as deadly serious as it should be, not doing our own pleasure during those times, truly dedicating it all to him. 

I do believe you can tell another after the fast is over so that they can be encouraged.

Jesus taught us there are situations that will only change through prayer and fasting.

” And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, knelling down to him, saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed (greatly troubled): for oftimes (often) he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me.

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart (privately) and said, Why could we not cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place: and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”  MATTHEW 17-14-20

Another beautiful aspect to fasting is that you are actually benefited in ways you may never image, the more time we spend in prayer, the closer we become to the Lord and remember prayer does not always have to be on your knees, you can pray anytime, anywhere, in your heart, you can pray in the bathroom at work for that matter, in secret, God sees and hears in secret. 

You can have times of being alone and just wailing out prayers, tears, brokenness.

There is no such thing as a formula, maybe thoughts to get people started but our relationship with Jesus is meant to be one on one.

We are all differently, intentionally created by him, on purpose and that is why we have to develop what works best for us, he does not wany us to be carbon copies of one another.

” Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (reverence to the Lord and seriousness).” PHILIPPIANS 2:12

Finally, we will head back to Isaiah and pick up where we left off and listen to what the Lord tells us is the benefits that he will give us and even to those of our family when we keep his word concerning fasting.

This does also reference the Sabbath; we’ll try to hit that one in detail soon.

“Then thy light shall 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 (rear guard, always has your back).

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou shalt take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity (don’t accuse people or gossip, be boastful or proud);

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 noonday.

And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy 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 (never goes dry).

And they that 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,

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD, honourable: and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words (keeping the sabbath holy and about God).

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth (overcome and be blessed) and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” ISAIAH 58: 8-14

That is blessing upon blessings! I hope you will consider all this as we go into the holy seasons, although this is for any time and all the time, and it can truly change not only your life but many lives.

Peace & Love, 

Φλογιζω NBJ 2025/ REV. N Brown Johnson