2024 21 Day Fast Devotional — Day 4: Fasting Is Turning Your Face Towards His

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” – Daniel 9:3 (ESV)

Sometimes, when we think of fasting, we think of it in terms of how the world sees fasting. You may have heard stories of Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu political and religious figure known for his fasts. He would often fast to pressure governments or religious institutions to change their laws or to reverse unjust practices in society. While this is very admirable, this is not what God seeks from us. 

Sometimes, we don’t realize it, but we make a list of requests and demands and then tell God we will not eat so that He will answer our request or give us the answer we seek. Have you done this before?  This is more of a hunger strike than a fast. 

Daniel said that he “turned his face toward the Lord.” This imagery is powerful. When we want someone to know that we are listening, we look at them and remain quiet until they speak. When speaking with someone, if we are looking elsewhere, it can be perceived as rude or inauthentic. Essentially, it would communicate, “I’m not really interested in this conversation.” Sometimes, our busy lives can say the same about our relationship with God. Whether it is something as simple as our phone or as complicated as a difficult marriage or work problem, there are some things that distract us from turning our face toward God. To turn your face toward one thing, you often have to turn your face away from something else. This is the heart of fasting. We choose to say no to food or perhaps something else to look intently and lovingly toward God. 

The remainder of the verse explains further that prayer and fasting are a means of seeking after God. Sometimes, we have to turn our face away from even the things necessary for living, like food, and turn our face toward God to seek him. Seeking him is better than having a satisfied stomach or an entertained soul. Seeking Him is life; it will cause us to remember why we need Him. The more you seek Him, the more you want Him.

Prayer and reflection:

Are you fasting because you want God to do something for you? 

Take a moment and draw close to God. Close your eyes and thank Him for loving and being close to you. 

Then, surrender what you want God to do for you by telling God you want Him more than anything else.