Project Description

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:21-23

Once there was a group of men — a young hot-blooded guy named Joe and a number of older men — clearing a jungle. Joe was very hard-working. He even worked through his break time. He complained that the older men were wasting time, taking so many breaks to drink and chat.

As time went by, Joe noticed that even though he worked through break time and hardly took a rest, he was accomplishing no more than the older men did.  It was as if they worked through their break time, too.  So he decided to work harder. Unfortunately, the results were even worse.

One day, one of the older men invited Joe for a drink during their break time. Joe refused and said he had no time for idleness. Then the old man smiled to him and said, “You’re wasting time chopping trees without sharpening your axe. Sooner or later you will give up from exhaustion.”

Suddenly Joe realized that during break times while the older men were having a chat, they were also sharpening axes! That’s how they could chop faster than he could while spending less time.

That’s a good parable of many Christians’ spiritual lives. A lot of us chop away all the time, and then wonder why the trees aren’t falling. We look at other people who don’t seem to be working half as hard as we are, yet they seem to be making a lot more progress spiritually. Just maybe the difference is they have taken the time out to sharpen their axes.

That’s what the spiritual discipline of fasting is all about—sharpening the “ax” of our inner person so we can achieve spiritual victory.

Most of us know we need to pray, but what about fasting? Follow the subject through the Bible and you’ll discover that fasting is everywhere. Fasting is not just an aside to the Christian life, but it is integral to the life that pleases God.

  • Dear Father, teach us about prayer and fasting. Let us understand what it means to sharpen our inner person so we can achieve spiritual victory. Ezra said that you answered his prayer. God give us confidence in You and Your power! Listen to our prayer, and help us to wait in expectation of what You will do when we humble ourselves while fasting and praying.

  • Pray for LifeWay’s Leaders and Families for wisdom and strength to minister.

  • Pray for LifeWay’s Volunteers for strength and joy in serving.