This is a good time in our fasting and prayer time to focus on Jesus words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." I know that we are all believing for many different things we hope to receive from God during or through our fast; breakthrough, bondage's broken, family and friends saved, healings, anointing...all of which are great things. But we must never forget it is often more important what God calls us to give than what it is we will receive.
This is one of the things that makes fasting so powerful, because we are giving things up for God that we might better understand God and allow Him to bring new life to our spirit. There is something so powerful when we give out of our need or fleshly desires, believing God to show up in His Power. Whether this is the need for food or caffeine (I know that for many of us this is truly a need), the desire for sweets, TV, surfing the internet or ?
I think about the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. There was a drought in the land and Elijah shows up at the city gate of Zarephath and sees this widow picking up sticks. He asks her to get him a drink of water and as she is going he asks her to bring him a piece of bread to eat. She replies she has no bread and was gathering a few sticks to make a fire and prepare the little she had for her and her son and then they would die.
Elijah tells her if she will first make a small cake of bread for him that God would cause there to be enough for her and her son for the rest of the drought until God brought rain again. She believes God and gives what little she had to the prophet Elijah and sure enough the flour and oil last for over 3 years to provide for Elijah, the widow and her son. The thing that always stands out to me is in the middle of this supernatural provision, the widow's son gets sick and dies. You may find yourself in the middle of your fast having given your needs and desires to God believing for Him to move and in the midst of your fast something or somethings have died.
Listen to the reaction of the widow when her son dies. "Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?" You may find yourself in a place like the widow, where you have stepped out to believe God and everything seems to be going the wrong direction. I want to encourage you that the Word of the Lord is as true today as it has been every day. His promises are yes and amen! (2 Corinthians 1:20). We live by faith not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7). He will never leave nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57, Hebrews 13:5).
So whether you are doubting God because things appear to be headed in the wrong direction or you find yourself somewhere you thought you would never be, remember that God is faithful. (2 Timothy 2:11-13). So the widow's son has died in the midst of God's provision and she is heartbroken and has lost her faith. Elijah the prophet of God knows who God is but appears to be unsure of what is happening either, "Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?" And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!"
Wherever you find yourself at this moment in your fast know that Jesus' words are true. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." As you have made the decision to give up your fleshly needs & desires in order to seek Him, know that you will find Him. (Matthew 7:7-11) Continue to embrace the process that God has you on during this season of fasting and prayer. There are blessings in the giving that we have yet to see or understand. Allow God to show you in this context what they are.
Seeking to Know the Blessings in the Giving, PC & Ishtar