Hearing His Voice #239

I [Ezra] 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.

Ezra 8:21, NKJV

Some translations say that Ezra proclaimed a fast to ask God for a safe journey, and certainly that’s true. But he also seems to be asking not only for the safe way back to Israel’s homeland but also the right way. There was no way to know which roads would provide the best travel conditions; thieves and dust storms were not predictable, except to a God who sees the future. So Ezra and the people fasted and prayed, listening for God and asking for His protection and provision.

Many modern Christians don’t understand the purpose of fasting, but it’s nevertheless a well-founded biblical practice. Depriving oneself of food for a time has a way at first of focusing our attention on physical discomfort and cravings, but then our focus shifts to the reason for the fast and raises the intensity of our prayers. Fasting is a decisive declaration that we are not enslaved by the physical world we live in, but are dependent on God alone. It’s a statement that His voice and His presence are more important to us even than the food we need to survive. It’s a tangible and conscious shift in our priorities.

Sometimes the best way to hear God’s voice is to shut out all other needs, cravings, and desires in order to focus all attention on Him. When our routine is so radically violated, we are compelled to keep the purpose in the front of our minds. All we think about is our lack of food and the reason for it. In so doing, we cry with intensity to the God we long to hear from. And He loves to respond to such cries.

Father, for a time, I forsake my physical senses in order to heighten my spiritual senses. Amplify Your voice during this time. Hear my cries. Lead me in the right way.