When we’re facing a battle, one of the most important things we can do is to take our problems to God. In the midst of his crisis, Jehoshaphat ‘set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast.’ Prayer is often the last thing we think of. But when we’re facing a battle, prayer should be our first resort, not our last. When we’re praying, we also need to be listening to God. It can be easy to cry out to God about our situation, but sometimes we forget to take the time to listen to what He wants to say to us about it. Sometimes God can lead us to fast alongside our times of prayer. Fasting isn’t something mystical and mysterious; it’s about focus. It helps us to turn to God and be focused on Him. Maybe we need to give up social media for a while, and use that extra time to pray. Maybe we need to fast from TV or a certain type of food that we go to for comfort. Fasting is a way of acknowledging that we need God’s help to win our battle, rather than seeking help and comfort in other things. It’s a way of focusing on God until He shows us the answer to our problem. In the Bible, Cornelius fasted and prayed for four days, asking God for direction. As a result, God sent Peter to his house to preach the gospel and in the process changed the course of history (have a read of Acts 10). When we turn to God through prayer and fasting, He’ll show us the way we can win our battle.

What Now?

Tell God all about the battle you’re facing and listen to what He wants to say to you. If you feel able, why not try fasting from something for the rest of this week, and spend the extra time seeking God’s help?