2 Samuel 1:12 “They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan…because they had fallen by the sword.”
Fasting is about a deeper commitment to God, answered prayer, guidance and direction. But often in scripture, fasting is associated with mourning. In 2 Samuel, King Saul and his son, Jonathan, have been defeated in battle and lost their lives. The children of Israel are devastated and in their grieving, they fast. Their fasting does not bring Saul back to life, that isn’t the point. It doesn’t reverse the loss or make their pain go away. I think their fasting, as much as anything else, reminded them that even in their sorrow God was still in control. And perhaps was a message to God saying, “You still come first.”
Fasting is celebration and connection and consecration. But there also should always be an element of mourning in our fasting. We live in a fallen world. Broken lives are all around us. We have lost the innocence that God originally intended. There is plenty to grieve even as we increase our closeness to Him.
While you fast this month, remember to pray over these sad things:
1. Lost men and women who really need Jesus.
2. A wounded world that has forgotten its Creator,
3. The church that sometimes has lost its way and forgotten what it’s about,
4. And all of the missed opportunities that we have had to change the world.
Mourn these things, and then celebrate again what God is doing in response to our obedience to Him.