The Power of Sharpening Your Spiritual Edge
There's an old story about two lumberjacks competing to see who could cut down more trees in a day. The younger man worked relentlessly from dawn until dusk, his axe never stopping. The older lumberjack, however, took a 15-minute break every hour. When they counted the trees at day's end, the older man had cut down significantly more.
Confused, the younger man asked how this was possible. The older lumberjack smiled and said, "I wasn't taking breaks, son. I was sharpening my axe."
This simple story captures a profound spiritual truth: we need seasons of intentional sharpening in our walk with God. We need times when we step back from the relentless pace of life to ensure our spiritual edge remains keen.
The Forgotten Discipline
Between 1864 and 1954, not a single significant writing was produced on the spiritual discipline of fasting. For nearly a century, this biblical practice virtually disappeared from Christian conversation. Yet Scripture mentions fasting over 77 times, and Isaiah 58 dedicates more verses to this practice than any other passage in the Bible.
Fasting isn't some radical, fringe activity reserved for spiritual extremists. It's simply part of following Christ. Jesus didn't command fasting as a requirement, but He clearly expected it. In Matthew 6, He said "when you fast," not "if you fast." The assumption was clear—His followers would engage in this discipline.
A Biblical Pattern
Throughout Scripture, we see God's people turning to fasting during pivotal moments:
Abraham's servant fasted while seeking a bride for Isaac, recognizing the importance of the decision before him.
Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai, so consumed by God's presence that he forgot about food entirely.
Hannah fasted in her barrenness, weeping before the Lord until He opened her womb and gave her Samuel.
David humbled his soul with fasting, seeking God in repentance and restoration.
Esther called for a three-day fast when the Jewish people faced annihilation, and God granted her favor with the king.
Daniel's 21-day fast broke through spiritual warfare, and an angel told him God had heard his prayers from the first day.
Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days before facing Satan's temptations in the wilderness, preparing spiritually for the battle ahead.
The early church fasted when appointing missionaries. It was during a time of worship and fasting that the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
The pattern is unmistakable: fasting has always been a tool God's people use to draw closer to Him and discern His will.
What Fasting Is Not
Before we understand what fasting is, we need to clarify what it isn't.
Fasting is not self-torture or penance. We're not inflicting pain on ourselves to earn God's favor or to leverage Him into answering our prayers. God doesn't operate that way.
Fasting is not a diet plan with a spiritual label attached. You can't combine your New Year's resolution with a spiritual fast and call it good. Fasting must be intentional and for spiritual purposes alone.
Fasting must involve something you actually enjoy and will miss. Saying you'll fast from sardines when you hate sardines isn't fasting—it's just avoiding something unpleasant.
The True Purpose
Fasting is a deliberate decision to go without food (or other things we depend on) for a spiritual purpose. When our flesh cries out for what we've denied it, we turn instead to prayer, to God's Word, to seeking His presence.
It's a spiritual reset—the control-alt-delete of our relationship with God. When we're filled with the distractions and trinkets of life, when we've lost focus on the Lord's presence, fasting empties us out so we can be refilled with what truly matters.
Five Enemies of Prayer
Consider what keeps us from consistent prayer:
Stress drives us to comfort food or distractions instead of driving us to our knees.
Worldly concerns overwhelm us with anxiety about situations we cannot control.
Anxiety sends us running in circles trying to fix everything ourselves.
Physical weariness leaves us falling asleep when we meant to pray.
Busyness convinces us we'll pray "when we have time," which never comes.
If Satan can't make you sin, he'll make you busy. Because when we're busy, prayer gets pushed aside. Fasting cuts through this busyness and refocuses our hearts.
The Wrong Kind of Fasting
In Isaiah 58, God confronts His people about their fasting. They were going through the motions, checking off a religious duty, but their hearts weren't in it. They complained, "Why have we fasted and you see it not?"
God's response was direct: "Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight."
They were performing the outward act while their lives remained full of sin. They weren't using fasting to draw closer to God—they were just going through religious motions.
Sound familiar? Sometimes we get trapped in repetitive Christianity, doing the right things without the right heart. We need something to reboot us, to bring us back to center.
The Right Kind of Fasting
God describes the fast He chooses in Isaiah 58:6-9: "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"
True fasting accomplishes four powerful things:
1. It Brings Freedom
Fasting breaks the chains of addiction and strongholds. Some battles are surface-level and prayer alone handles them. But deeper-seated issues often require the added discipline of fasting to break through.
Whether it's substance abuse, anger, bitterness, or any other binding sin, fasting combined with prayer can "loose the bonds of wickedness" and "break every yoke."
2. It Brings Healing
"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily." This healing works on multiple levels—personal physical healing, emotional restoration, and corporate healing for churches and communities.
When Jesus' disciples couldn't cast out a particular demon, He told them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting."
3. It Brings Strength
"Your righteousness shall go before you." Fasting prepares us for temptation and strengthens our resolve. Jesus fasted before facing Satan in the wilderness. He was physically weak but spiritually unbeatable.
When we're fasting and praying, we're walking closer to God. The Holy Spirit brings Scripture to our remembrance, giving us the weapons we need to overcome temptation.
4. It Brings Breakthrough in Spiritual Warfare
When we're under attack—when our families, marriages, churches, or communities face spiritual assault—fasting intensifies our prayers and breaks through enemy lines.
Practical Steps Forward
If you've never fasted before, start somewhere. Write down your commitment: how long you'll fast and what you'll abstain from. Writing it down keeps your flesh from bending the rules when things get difficult.
You might fast one meal a day for a period of time. You might do a Daniel fast, eating only fruits and vegetables. You might fast from social media, television, or other distractions that have replaced time with God.
Whatever you choose, fast with purpose. Pray for three specific things:
The Church—that believers would be unified, revived, and effective in reaching the lost.
Families—that marriages would be strong, children would come to faith, and homes would honor Christ.
Souls—that specific people you know, and people you don't yet know, would be drawn to Jesus.
The Promise
Isaiah 58:9 contains an incredible promise: "Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'"
When we fast with pure motives—not to manipulate God but to seek more of Him—He shows up. He answers. He moves.
It took only twelve disciples to change the world. What could happen if even a small group of believers truly sought God's face through prayer and fasting? Communities could be transformed. Churches could experience revival. Families could be restored.
The question isn't whether God is willing to work. The question is whether we're willing to sharpen our spiritual axes so we can be effective tools in His hands.
Are you ready to stop just swinging and start sharpening?
Confused, the younger man asked how this was possible. The older lumberjack smiled and said, "I wasn't taking breaks, son. I was sharpening my axe."
This simple story captures a profound spiritual truth: we need seasons of intentional sharpening in our walk with God. We need times when we step back from the relentless pace of life to ensure our spiritual edge remains keen.
The Forgotten Discipline
Between 1864 and 1954, not a single significant writing was produced on the spiritual discipline of fasting. For nearly a century, this biblical practice virtually disappeared from Christian conversation. Yet Scripture mentions fasting over 77 times, and Isaiah 58 dedicates more verses to this practice than any other passage in the Bible.
Fasting isn't some radical, fringe activity reserved for spiritual extremists. It's simply part of following Christ. Jesus didn't command fasting as a requirement, but He clearly expected it. In Matthew 6, He said "when you fast," not "if you fast." The assumption was clear—His followers would engage in this discipline.
A Biblical Pattern
Throughout Scripture, we see God's people turning to fasting during pivotal moments:
Abraham's servant fasted while seeking a bride for Isaac, recognizing the importance of the decision before him.
Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai, so consumed by God's presence that he forgot about food entirely.
Hannah fasted in her barrenness, weeping before the Lord until He opened her womb and gave her Samuel.
David humbled his soul with fasting, seeking God in repentance and restoration.
Esther called for a three-day fast when the Jewish people faced annihilation, and God granted her favor with the king.
Daniel's 21-day fast broke through spiritual warfare, and an angel told him God had heard his prayers from the first day.
Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days before facing Satan's temptations in the wilderness, preparing spiritually for the battle ahead.
The early church fasted when appointing missionaries. It was during a time of worship and fasting that the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
The pattern is unmistakable: fasting has always been a tool God's people use to draw closer to Him and discern His will.
What Fasting Is Not
Before we understand what fasting is, we need to clarify what it isn't.
Fasting is not self-torture or penance. We're not inflicting pain on ourselves to earn God's favor or to leverage Him into answering our prayers. God doesn't operate that way.
Fasting is not a diet plan with a spiritual label attached. You can't combine your New Year's resolution with a spiritual fast and call it good. Fasting must be intentional and for spiritual purposes alone.
Fasting must involve something you actually enjoy and will miss. Saying you'll fast from sardines when you hate sardines isn't fasting—it's just avoiding something unpleasant.
The True Purpose
Fasting is a deliberate decision to go without food (or other things we depend on) for a spiritual purpose. When our flesh cries out for what we've denied it, we turn instead to prayer, to God's Word, to seeking His presence.
It's a spiritual reset—the control-alt-delete of our relationship with God. When we're filled with the distractions and trinkets of life, when we've lost focus on the Lord's presence, fasting empties us out so we can be refilled with what truly matters.
Five Enemies of Prayer
Consider what keeps us from consistent prayer:
Stress drives us to comfort food or distractions instead of driving us to our knees.
Worldly concerns overwhelm us with anxiety about situations we cannot control.
Anxiety sends us running in circles trying to fix everything ourselves.
Physical weariness leaves us falling asleep when we meant to pray.
Busyness convinces us we'll pray "when we have time," which never comes.
If Satan can't make you sin, he'll make you busy. Because when we're busy, prayer gets pushed aside. Fasting cuts through this busyness and refocuses our hearts.
The Wrong Kind of Fasting
In Isaiah 58, God confronts His people about their fasting. They were going through the motions, checking off a religious duty, but their hearts weren't in it. They complained, "Why have we fasted and you see it not?"
God's response was direct: "Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight."
They were performing the outward act while their lives remained full of sin. They weren't using fasting to draw closer to God—they were just going through religious motions.
Sound familiar? Sometimes we get trapped in repetitive Christianity, doing the right things without the right heart. We need something to reboot us, to bring us back to center.
The Right Kind of Fasting
God describes the fast He chooses in Isaiah 58:6-9: "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"
True fasting accomplishes four powerful things:
1. It Brings Freedom
Fasting breaks the chains of addiction and strongholds. Some battles are surface-level and prayer alone handles them. But deeper-seated issues often require the added discipline of fasting to break through.
Whether it's substance abuse, anger, bitterness, or any other binding sin, fasting combined with prayer can "loose the bonds of wickedness" and "break every yoke."
2. It Brings Healing
"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily." This healing works on multiple levels—personal physical healing, emotional restoration, and corporate healing for churches and communities.
When Jesus' disciples couldn't cast out a particular demon, He told them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting."
3. It Brings Strength
"Your righteousness shall go before you." Fasting prepares us for temptation and strengthens our resolve. Jesus fasted before facing Satan in the wilderness. He was physically weak but spiritually unbeatable.
When we're fasting and praying, we're walking closer to God. The Holy Spirit brings Scripture to our remembrance, giving us the weapons we need to overcome temptation.
4. It Brings Breakthrough in Spiritual Warfare
When we're under attack—when our families, marriages, churches, or communities face spiritual assault—fasting intensifies our prayers and breaks through enemy lines.
Practical Steps Forward
If you've never fasted before, start somewhere. Write down your commitment: how long you'll fast and what you'll abstain from. Writing it down keeps your flesh from bending the rules when things get difficult.
You might fast one meal a day for a period of time. You might do a Daniel fast, eating only fruits and vegetables. You might fast from social media, television, or other distractions that have replaced time with God.
Whatever you choose, fast with purpose. Pray for three specific things:
The Church—that believers would be unified, revived, and effective in reaching the lost.
Families—that marriages would be strong, children would come to faith, and homes would honor Christ.
Souls—that specific people you know, and people you don't yet know, would be drawn to Jesus.
The Promise
Isaiah 58:9 contains an incredible promise: "Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'"
When we fast with pure motives—not to manipulate God but to seek more of Him—He shows up. He answers. He moves.
It took only twelve disciples to change the world. What could happen if even a small group of believers truly sought God's face through prayer and fasting? Communities could be transformed. Churches could experience revival. Families could be restored.
The question isn't whether God is willing to work. The question is whether we're willing to sharpen our spiritual axes so we can be effective tools in His hands.
Are you ready to stop just swinging and start sharpening?
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