After being a Christian for two decades, I decided to fast. My first fast was for three days, and then I bumped it up to ten days. Eventually, I completed four forty-day fasts, and three of them were water-only fasts. I quickly discovered the atomic power of fasting mingled with prayer. Immediately I felt my spiritual eyes open to a deeper realm in Christ. Yes, it is difficult, and yes, I got very hungry. In fact, my wife once busted me watching the cooking channel on day thirty-nine during one of my fasts. I think I was so hungry I just wanted to look at food and remember what it would taste like. Ha! We still get a laugh over that. But truly, fasting brings the soul into the chamber room of the King, where we learn the ways of God through our emptiness and need.
Fasting is all throughout the Bible. The three greatest men of the Bible each fasted in the desert for forty days: Moses, Elijah, and our Lord Jesus. It should be no surprise that the three most anointed, powerful people to walk the earth each endured forty days without food. As the ultimate test of faith, these biblical greats used their fasts to achieve specific goals. Moses proved his loyalty to God and received the Ten Commandments. Elijah gained instruction on how to lead the people of Israel. And Jesus thwarted Satan’s temptations. In each case, they passed their tests and gained new insights into God’s ultimate plans.
Throughout church history, some of the great spiritual fathers, godly men and women who accomplished many great things for God’s kingdom, have testified to the necessity of prayer with fasting. For example, John Wesley shook the world for God during the Great Awakening. His fasting and prayer resulted in seeing the Methodist Church rise toward the end of the eighteenth century. He so strongly believed in the power of fasting and prayer that he urged early Methodists to fast every Wednesday and Friday. In fact, he refused to ordain anyone in Methodism unless they agreed to do it.
Other great Christian leaders who made prayer with fasting a part of their lives include:
- Martin Luther
- John Calvin
- John Knox
- Jonathan Edwards
- Matthew Henry
- Charles Finney
- Andrew Murray
- And many more
Today, fasting for the believer involves three basic goals: receiving power and grace for ministry, intimacy with Christ, and the transformation of the heart. Our fast is to draw close to God and hear his voice. I call it the “Bridal Fast,” for we are fasting to become intimate with our Bridegroom Jesus Christ.
Some may be slow to fast, thinking that is simply a “work of the flesh.” But the Bible teaches us that we are to engage in good works, such as caring for the poor, helping the broken, financially supporting the work of God, praying for others (intercession), and fasting. Jesus did not say, “If you fast” but “When you fast (Matthew 6:16).” Fasting is not a “work,” it is a “grace.” I have discovered that there is a grace that comes to the one who seeks the Lord in prayer and fasting. It is a grace to overcome the physical longing for food and replace it with a spiritual longing for intimacy with Jesus.
I love how Gretchen Rodriguez has given us such delightful truths to ponder as we fast and pray. She is an anointed lover of God who writes from the overflow of a heart on fire. You will feel the passion on each page. God is calling for people to set apart their devotion exclusively to him. Distractions may nag at you, but Jesus’ sweet voice will win your heart as you take the journey into fasting and prayer. I know you will love this book. Expect great things from God as you dive in. Grace and peace be yours, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brian Simmons
The Passion Translation Project
If your heart is longing for deeper intimacy with God and for breakthrough in your relationship with him, I highly recommend Gretchen Rodriguez’s new forty-day devotional. Each day of devotions will take you deeper. I have known Gretchen for many years and can attest to her intense, passionate, and focused pursuit of the Lord.
-Patricia King, author, minister, television host
Fasting can be challenging as well as beautiful. During this time, we draw closer to Jesus and experience just how much we need him. Gretchen Rodriguez has written a beautiful forty-day devotional. As she says, “This is about Jesus.” You will find The Encounter to be a wonderful handbook to help you both spiritually and physically during your times of fasting.
-Beni Johnson, Bethel Church, author of The Happy Intercessor, Healthy and Free, and The Power of Communion
Many people have felt the pull of the Spirit toward a season of fasting, and yet they haven’t always been obedient to follow through on that divine instruction because they just didn’t really know where or how to start. Maybe you’ve found yourself in that place. I am so glad that my friend Gretchen Rodriguez has written this timely devotional. It gives you the where and the how, along with spiritual encouragement, steps for transformation, and Scripture that will speak directly to your heart as you seek an encounter with the God of glory through forty days of fasting with Jesus. Through fasting, we’re able to hear the voice of the Spirit clearly and enjoy the supernatural realities of the glory realm. I will be using this devotional myself, and I would highly encourage you to join me in this pursuit. Every moment in the presence of God is a moment of transformation. Are you ready for The Encounter?
-Joshua Mills, bestselling author of Power Portals: Awake Your Connection to the Spirit Realm, founder, International Glory, Palm Springs, CA
