From Isaiah 58:3-12, I am going to share with you about the way God sees a fast.

In Isaiah 58, there are five things God corrects, so there are five things He requires during His fast. When you are beginning to draw closer to the Lord, you have to submit yourself to God’s requirements.

Isaiah 58:6 lists the first thing God expects from us during a fast is to stop hurting other people. We hurt people with our words and behavior. In other words, if you are fasting and holding unforgiveness, bitterness or offence towards somebody, it does not meet God’s requirement.

In verse 7, the second requirement of God during a fast is to start helping people. Pay attention to those promptings. God is far more interested in the things exiting our heart like love, charity, peace and joy than the food that is not coming into our mouths during a fast.

The third requirement, taken from the end of verse 7 is to not avoid your physical and spiritual family. For some people, the family is a place of pain. Others are good to their family but run from their spiritual family, the body of Christ.

Isaiah 58:9 shows the fourth requirement of God’s kind of fast is to stop pointing the finger or judging others, whether the godly or ungodly. There is a difference between speaking the truth in love to correct a believer and the pointing of a finger.

Fasting is a beautiful time to repent of our speech sins and non-vocal sins. Fasting is a time to repent, not a time to point a finger at other people.

Finally, the fifth requirement of God’s fast is to stop speaking harsh and wicked words. It’s easier to close your mouth to food than it is to close your mouth to gossip. God wants you not just to close your mouth to food during a fast but to malice, evil speaking, rumors, gossip and wrong things.

If we change these behaviors, the Lord promises us a few things in Isaiah 58:8-12:

1. Your light will break through. This is a spiritual breakthrough. The Lord says when you are fasting the right way, He will cause your light not to get brighter but to break through because all the restrictions of the flesh and soul are fading. Then, the Lord will take even your darkness – weaknesses, addictions, problems or inner struggles and the Lord will manifest His strength and give you revival in that area.
2. Your healing will spring forth speedily and your bones will be made stronger. This is physical healing.
3.  Your righteousness will go before you and God’s glory will go behind you. We do not become more righteous. Righteousness is a gift from God. We are righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ.
4. God guarantees a quick answer to prayer. I wonder if lack of fasting in a way that pleases God is one of the hindrances to answered prayer.
5. The Lord will guide you continually. Once God decides to lead you, you won’t miss it. It will be clear and your heart will catch fire.
6. The Lord will satisfy the afflicted soul even in a desert or parched place. It doesn’t mean that everything in your life will be alright but you will be alright.
7. You shall be like a watered garden and a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall build up waste places, you shall raise up the foundations of many generations and be called the repairer of the breach and restorer of streets to dwell in.

The first six rewards of fasting God’s way mention how God will bless you but the last reward is God makes you into a blessing yourself.

Prayer

I want to stand in agreement with you for these rewards for your life and your church. Lord, may Your light breakthrough, may Your healing spring forth in them!

For those who feel like the past haunts them, may Your righteousness go before them and Your glory go behind them!

When you call, may the Lord answer you quickly!

For those who constantly live their life in reaction to everybody’s problems instead of in response to their purpose, may the Lord guide you continually!

For those who feel dry, tired and afraid, may the Lord satisfy your soul even in a desert place!

May God make you a blessing this year! Let these rewards fall upon you in Jesus Christ’s name!

Sermon by Vladimir Savchuk; Blog by Edward Gardiner