“Then Jehoshaphat… set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”   2 Ch 20:3

When he found himself up to his elbows in problems, King Jehoshaphat knew what to do. He led the nation in fasting and prayer. The story highlights some powerful reasons to fast and pray:

1. To seek more fervently. Setting aside a specific time for a season of prayer enables us to step out of our normal routines, put aside distractions, and concentrate our hearts upon God. The Bible promises that when we seek God will all out hearts, we will find him. Vss 3 – 4

2. To see more clearly. Time with God clears our vision and allows us to see God’s purposes more clearly, to see our problems more obviously, and to see our place more accurately.  Vss 16

3. To submit more perfectly. A perfectly submitted life is one in which God is free to make us all that we can be. Our goal is to be perfectly submitted to Christ in all of our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  Vss 18 – 19

4. To serve more joyfully. Seeking God will invariably leads to serving God. Prayer and fasting helps make us more perceptive to God’s hand at work and the needs of others around us.  Vss 20 – 21

5. To strike more forcefully. Jesus taught us that some demonic strongholds cannot be broken except through fasting and prayer. Fasting sharpens our spiritual perception and confidence in God’s power and authority. With our spiritual batteries at full charge we can strike down the enemy with more speed, accuracy, and force.  Vss 22 – 24