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FASTING THAT PLEASES GOD
(Isaiah 58:1–12)
In Isaiah 58, God sends a powerful message to His people through the prophet Isaiah. He tells him, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression.” God was addressing a nation that appeared deeply religious — a people who prayed, fasted, and outwardly humbled themselves — yet their worship was hollow.
They said, “Why have we fasted and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves and You take no notice?” But God replied, “On the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife.”
The people were fasting, but their hearts were not right. They were denying themselves food but not denying themselves sin. They were bowing their heads in humility but lifting their voices in anger. They were seeking God with their lips, but their lives contradicted their prayers.
This shows us something vital: fasting by itself does not move God. Fasting without repentance, compassion, and justice is nothing more than a religious show. God is not impressed by empty stomachs; He is moved by transformed hearts.
Then God begins to describe the kind of fasting that truly pleases Him. He says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…” and begins to list what He desires from His people.
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The Type of Fasting That Pleases God
True fasting is not about what we give up, but what we give out. It’s not only abstaining from food — it’s adopting the heart of God.
Here is what true fasting looks like according to Isaiah 58:
To loose the chains of injustice — to stand for what is right, to confront wrongdoing, and to act with integrity.
To untie the cords of the yoke — to remove burdens that others carry; to help people walk free from oppression, guilt, and pain.
To set the oppressed free and break every yoke — to become an instrument of deliverance and peace in the lives of others.
To share your food with the hungry — to let your fasting birth generosity, not self-righteousness.
To provide shelter for the homeless — to extend compassion beyond comfort, to care for those who cannot repay you.
To clothe the naked — to restore dignity to the broken and neglected.
To not turn away from your own flesh and blood — to show kindness, patience, and understanding to your own family.
This is the kind of fasting that moves God’s heart. It is a fast that transforms the heart, purifies motives, and touches humanity.
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When we fast this way, God makes remarkable promises. He says, “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.” When our hearts align with His, light begins to shine where there was darkness. Healing flows where there was pain. “Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” God surrounds those who fast rightly with His protection and favor.
Then He adds, “You will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.” This is what every believer longs for — to pray and hear heaven respond. But it begins with a life that pleases God.
True fasting changes us before it changes our situation. It breaks pride, softens the heart, and restores compassion. It makes us more sensitive to God’s voice and more generous toward others. It moves fasting from a religious ritual to a spiritual revival.
So today, God is calling us to fast differently — not to manipulate Him, but to reflect Him. He wants us to fast from anger, from bitterness, from selfishness, and from unforgiveness. He wants us to fast from injustice and cruelty, from pride and gossip, and to feast on mercy, kindness, and truth.
When our fasting takes this form, God says, “Your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
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PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, thank You for revealing the kind of fasting that pleases You.
2. Lord, deliver me from empty religious fasting that lacks love and righteousness.
3. Break every chain of injustice and every yoke of oppression in my life.
4. Give me a heart of mercy to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the needy.
5. Lord, help me to treat my family and those around me with love and patience.
6. Let my light break forth like the morning and let my healing spring forth speedily.
7. Father, when I call upon You, let heaven respond, “Here I am.”
8. Lord, make me a repairer of broken walls and a restorer of paths for others to walk in.
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DECLARATION
From today, my fasting will no longer be a ritual but a revival. My heart will align with God’s heart. My light will shine, my healing will flow, and my prayers will receive answers. I will fast with compassion, with purpose, and with power. And as I do, heaven will answer me swiftly — in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
