Has anyone ever asked you, “Why do I have to fast?”

My favorite answer to this question comes from Isaiah. Speaking for the Lord, Isaiah says, “[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6).

Here the Lord says that a key reason we fast is to “loose the bands of wickedness” or in other words to help us overcome sin. As my friend Anthony Sweat wrote, “If we can control our natural desire to sustain ourselves through food, we can better control our natural desire for selfishness.  If we can pass on a drink of orange juice in the morning, we will have greater ability to pass on a drink of alcohol at night.  If we have the willpower to abstain from pre-mealtime food, we will have increased power to abstain from pre-marital sex.  If we have the strength to turn away a steamy meal, we will have the strength to turn off a steamy show. If we have the control to not touch the cookies on the counter that will ruin our fast, we will have the control to “touch not the unclean thing” (2 Corinthians 6:17) that will ruin our soul.” 

I hope this video helps you better understand the power and blessings of fasting!