PRAYER & FASTING is ESSENTIAL for our TESTIMONY!
May 16
Bible Reading: Ezra Chapters 7-10
PRAYER & FASTING is ESSENTIAL for our TESTIMONY!
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river
of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the
right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed
to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the
enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of
our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath
are against all those who forsake Him." So we fasted and entreated our God
for this, and He answered our prayer. (Ezra 8:21-23)
It is one
thing to boldly proclaim what God can do. It is quite another to actually trust
that God will do what He has promised. Ezra had been telling King Artaxerxes
about the divine protection that God’s people could expect (Ezra 8:22). So when
he was allowed to lead a group of exiles back to Palestine, Ezra determined that he needed to
demonstrate his faith in God by declining an armed escort.
This
decision of Ezra was risky since the 900-miles route from Babylon to Jerusalem
that Ezra selected followed the northern border of the Arabian Desert, which was
dangerous as robbers usually waited along the highway to ambush travelers and
caravans. To travel without soldiers virtually invited disaster, especially
given the precious cargo that the group was carrying (8:24–30).
So before
they started on the journey they camped at the river of Ahava and there Ezra
proclaimed a fast. This was to implore God for safety and prosperity on their
journey. He had previously testified of God’s goodness and power to the king.
To request a military escort now would be to deny his words by his actions.
Instead he put his faith on the line, trusting in the God who delights to save
those who call upon Him. He would not be disappointed for God answered their
prayer and gave them His protection during their journey.
Ezra
proclaimed a fast to humble himself
before God, seek direction from God
and get protection during their long
journey (v. 21). God answered their prayers (v. 23b); the hand of the Lord
was with him (v. 31b) and God delivered them from the enemy and the ambush on
the road (v. 31b). God rewarded His people’s faith by giving them an uneventful
journey. This fast demonstrates Ezra’s
profound faith and dependence on God!
Fasting is
an aspect of “humbling ourselves” for
the purpose of requesting something from God and often appears in Scripture in
relation to prayer (2 Chr. 20:3; Joel 1:14). God will always honor us when we turn away from ordinary pleasures in order
to humble ourselves before Him. Ezra’s courage is a challenge to us today to
follow through on our statements of faith, especially when unbelievers are
watching the outcome. We need to act in a way that is consistent with the faith
we proclaim. If it is necessary, we need to fast and pray in order to receive
answers from God!
