We know from our study in Revelation, that John often heard God’s voice as the sound of many waters roaring.  In his state of hunger, David hears the voice of God.  It is from the depths of his own soul that he connects with the depths of the unseen world and “hears” differently.

It is only in the uncluttering of his soul, by experiencing hunger, that David is brought to a place of hearing and calling – not a voice call but a soul call. It comes from a place of deep need – not ritual and by no means a false hope to somehow please God with your sacrifice.  God can only rejoice in a genuine, seeking heart with no ulterior motives.

That is the goal in every spiritual discipline. We want to hear the voice of God. The voice is expressed in words; those are thoughts in sound.  That is exactly our priestly function – to hear, to see and to understand. 

Priests and prophets in the service of God, were those sharing his Plan for mankind.  We are in on the “secrets” as we spend time in the Secret Place, the Presence of the Most High.

Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.(Amos 3:7)

We see it in the words of the Psalm (42:8).  David is tormented by his trial but his seeking, hunger heart leads him to a place of hope and insight.

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life. 

Could the practice of prayer, fasting and giving be the reward of the “hundredfold” that Jesus spoke about in Mark 4:8,20?  When the seed of the Word grows, there is still a variation (call it a discrepancy if you like) in the volume of the reward of harvest.  Let us then live the words of Paul.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Fasting is part of the process to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God. 

NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE

Matthew 17: 14-21

¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

I would love to cling to the words: nothing would be impossible.  There are, however, other phrases in this section of Scripture that “bothers” me, 

Faithless and perverse – because of your unbelief (apistos = like a heathen, totally without faithan untrustworthy person).  This is a serious insult from the mouth of Jesus to the greater audience.

The word unbelief that Jesus used when talking to his disciples could also be translated with little faith. It is another word in Greek which means lacking confidence, undeveloped faith.

This word (oligopostos) describes someone dull to hearing the Lord’s voice, or disinterested in walking intimately with Him. In contrast, the goal of life is to receive (obey) the Lord’s gift of faith in each scene of life. (Hebrews 11:6)

This tragic state of “faithlessness” and powerless Christianity that stands defeated in a “scene of life”, a problem, a crisis or a challenge could all be redeemed by fasting.  This is what Jesus says. Prayer and fasting – the answer to every situation in life. [Verse 21 is not in the NU Bible, the most authentic New Testament Greek Text.]

It makes sense that Jesus talks about faith as the prerequisite of miracles and not our own meager efforts of fasting and prayer.  Spiritual discipline serves us not God and can never be the key to God’s miraculous intervention in our world.

Now – it is not always possible to “stop the bus”, press the pause button of life and announce, I am off to some prayer and fasting, be back when I am ready.

Jesus suggests a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.  He is always ready to talk to you.  Paul writes to the Thessalonians (5:17) to pray without ceasing.  God will never expect an endless monologue.  Does prayer feel like that?

It is when we feast on the true Bread of Life that our fasting makes sense. It is the truth that delights the soul in abundance.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, 
And let your soul delight itself in abundance. (Isaiah 55:2)

Why does Jesus reprimand the people with the words of Isaiah when his voice is “available” to hear? 

 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

“Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”  (Isaiah 6:9-10)

There is even a special Feast to celebrate the voice of the Lord – the Feast of the Trumpets, one of the Fall Feasts of Israel.

In fasting a miracle happens, a guaranteed state of being is introduced and that is anointed ears. It is true that our physical satisfaction dulls our spiritual senses.  Seeing is always associated with insight and wisdom – the work of the Holy Spirit.  Hearing is associated with comfort and confidence to believe the Word in an enhanced and focused way.  The promise stands and God is faithful.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  (1 Corinthians 3:9)