Jehoshaphat’s Story – Fasting

Posted on July 28, 2023 by

19 Comments

“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” – 2 Chronicles 20:3

We are continuing in the story found in 2 Chronicles 20. Last week we talked about the first part of verse three. Today we will talk about the latter part – Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.

We don’t know a lot of details about the fast, but we do know they fasted. And what’s amazing is that the entire nation fasted. I believe Jehoshaphat proclaimed this fast in order to get direction from God, as well as protection.

We see fasting a lot in the Bible. Sometimes it will be one person who fasted. Other times it will be a group of people who fasted. And in the Bible we often see fasting for a particular reason.

Something to note – the devil might attack us spiritually when we consider fasting because he knows how powerful it is. In fact, as I was writing the draft for this blog post, my internet went out. Coincidence? Or not!

Let’s talk about some basic information on fasting…

What should we fast from? And how should we fast?

I’m going to touch on these two questions together, because the answers can go hand in hand.

The most common type of fasting, especially in the Bible, is fasting from food. There are full fasts from all food. Often you would only drink water, if the fast is between one to three days. If the fast is longer, perhaps up to a week, then drinking juice is common to help keep your strength up.

In the Bible we do see some fasting for a length of forty days. Scholars believe these are supernatural fasts.

There are also partial fasts. Often this is seen in the form of the Daniel fast and eating only fruits and vegetables. (See Daniel 1 on how this originated.) Many churches will hold this kind of fast for three weeks in January to start the year off in an act of surrender.

Sometimes we might see someone fast from a certain meal, such as breakfast, for a week or more.

Due to health concerns, many people need to be careful in this area. If that is the case, you might consider fasting from a category of food, such as sweets.

Fasting doesn’t have to be from food alone, though. You can also fast from certain activities in your life. Social media or television are good examples, especially in our current culture. Fasting is about our hearts, and removing things that distract us from our relationship with God.

Why we fast and the benefits of fasting.

This is an important topic to consider because (1) we need motivation to help us fast and (2) we want to make sure our motives are in the right place.

Fasting can help us in the following areas:

  • To draw us closer to God.
  • To get discernment for a certain situation.
  • To seek His will.
  • To cleanse ourselves spiritually.
  • For breakthrough about something we are dealing with.
  • To surrender ourselves before God.
  • To hear from God.
  • Mental clarity.
  • Victory over a stronghold.

“For me, fasting has been the secret to obtaining open doors, miraculous provision, favor, and the tender touch of God upon my life.”

Pastor Jentezen Franklin

But we have to check our motives. We don’t fast to lose weight, to manipulate God to do something, or to get attention from others.

There are several times in the Bible when we see people fasting for the wrong reasons. Their hearts aren’t in it. In some cases they fasted to show how spiritual they were or because of misconstrued religious observances. (Isaiah 58 and Zechariah 7 are good examples.)

And you might be familiar with Matthew 6:16-18 where Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

During Jesus’ time, some of the religious leaders fasted to get attention and show how spiritual they were. Jesus warns us against this. Therefore, before we fast and before we talk to others about our fast, we should do a heart check first to see what our motives are.

When should we fast?

  • We can fast when we need help in one of the areas that I mentioned above.
  • And as I also mentioned earlier, many will fast in January as a way of handing the year over to God.
  • I’ve heard of some fasting around their birthday to start their personal new year off in submission.
  • Some people choose one day each month to fast.
  • Many people do some type of fast during the Lenten season – the forty days leading up to Easter. In this case we usually see one or two items that are being fasted from.

Really we can fast at any time. Fasting should be entered prayerfully. If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to fast, then you know it’s time. But don’t forget that the devil will also bring arguments against fasting. The enemy will tell you that you don’t need to fast, that you can’t fast, and that fasting won’t work. So it’s definitely important to seek guidance and strength from the Lord.

“Proper fasting humbles us, blesses others, and honors God.”

Author Tara-Leigh Cobble

For Jehoshaphat and the nation, this time of fasting was a way of coming before God with a big concern. When we come to God with our battles, it’s important to remember to seek His will above all else. Sometimes we will go through situations that, as human beings, we want nothing to do with. We want to run in the other direction. Or we want God to intervene immediately. However, sometimes God intentionally sends us through difficulties in order to mold us and to teach us to trust Him.

Therefore, fasting will help us to seek His will. Fasting will also help us to remove all the muck from our lives and hearts, and will help transform us. It will help us to clear away the noise and clutter, so that we can hear from God more clearly.

When we fast, whether in the midst of difficulties or not, we are seeking God and His will above all else. We learn that whatever He has in store for us is always better than what we can dream up for ourselves. And we learn to trust Him with everything. We hold everything loosely in our hands and surrender all to Him. Then we know that we are on the best possible path.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And if you have any special prayer requests, please let me know.

© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Image by Christopher Jolly on unsplash.com

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19 Comments on “Jehoshaphat’s Story – Fasting”

  3. Great lesson on fasting and its importance! Thank you! I like the reminder about checking our motives when fasting so that we know it is Spirit led fasting and that it is not being done for wrong reasons or to draw attention to ourselves.

    And your statement here is also very true, “However, sometimes God intentionally sends us through difficulties in order to mold us and to teach us to trust Him.” We don’t enjoy difficulties, but the growth is a blessing.

    Thanks Bridget!

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    • Recently, I was reading a book by Charles Stanley called The Spirit-Filled Life. One thing He mentioned in the book was how we need to remain neutral when we seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. Often times we will have our own agenda on how we want things to go, and therefore could miss the Holy Spirit’s lead. I believe fasting might need to be approached that way too. Not necessarily that we can’t pray for certain things when we fast. But sometimes when we fast (or give for that matter) we might be looking to see what we can get out of it. But it’s really all about the heart ♥️ … Yes difficulties do help us grow, as much I hate to admit it 😂 We know we need to trust God, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that when we face an unexpected battle. Recently I had dealt with something that frustrated me. With my human eyes, I couldn’t see a clear path through it. Then one morning when I sat down with my Bible, several reminders came up where I knew God was telling me to trust Him. I’m so glad He doesn’t give up on us when our worries try to crowd out our faith. 🙌

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      • I can remember times where I had my own agenda. But I am thankful that during those times, God didn’t listen to me, but instead He did what was best for me.

        Learning to trust God through difficult circumstances when we can’t see that clear path is tough. It’s a blessing that He does give us those reminders to keep us on track! And I’m glad He doesn’t give up on us too! 🤗

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  4. Great lesson on fasting, Bridget! I’ve never made a commitment to fast and not that I haven’t felt the Holy Spirit prompt me in that direction but more so I haven’t disciplined myself to follow through, which is pretty silly considering I have to use self-control every day with other things in life!!
    I’m thankful for your write-up to have a better understanding over fasting.

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  5. I’m another who has fasted from food, but probably not often enough. Perhaps God is leading me back into this discipline with your post, Bridget! I do fast from social media every Sunday to help me set the day apart from the rest of the week and as a way to honor God.

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    • I like your Sunday practice. That’s a great idea. I agree – setting Sunday apart in ways that honor God, not only restores us on that day, but it also helps us set a better tone for the week. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Nancy 🤗

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  6. Bridget, love this post in fasting. I find that fasting is not something that is often practiced. In the chapter in Mathew, Jesus talks about giving, prayer and fasting and referees to all as when we do it, not if we do it. This made me realise that fasting should be more in our practice than what I think it usually is.
    Love this quote “Proper fasting humbles us, blesses others, and honors God.”
    Blessings my friend 💙💐

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I agree. I believe Christians in general (myself included) should have more of a practice of fasting than we actually do. I know some people can’t do a full fast from food because of health concerns. In that case, they can find other options. Either way, we should approach it in full surrender. It’s all about the heart. Blessings to you too, my friend! 🤗♥️

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  7. I have went to church all my life but rarely have I heard a sermon on fasting. In a previous church there was a man who would get up and talk about fasting occasionally but it was never asked of the congregation or had a small group for it. Recently it was mentioned in my current church and it was implied we will look at it again in the future. I have never fasted to hear from God specifically but am interested in doing so. I have fasted for 40 hours for health and healing and I currently have an intermittent fasting lifestyle, also for health. I would like to fast for spiritual reasons but do not feel my current environment would be conducive to it. I don’t know if environment would matter but somehow I think to hear God things would need to be pretty calm and quiet.

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    • I understand. Many churches don’t talk about fasting. And eating is a central theme at many church events. And I also see what you mean about things being calm and quiet to hear from God. In our world, we do have a lot of “noise.” There are so many things coming at us that drown out the voice of God. I have heard of different folks getting away by themselves when fasting. I’m sure that does help keep our ears, eyes, and hearts focused on Him. However, if that is not possible, God can still move in our lives when we show Him we are putting Him first. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

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© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.