“But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.”

Mark 2:20

As long as Jesus was physically present with His disciples, they had everything they needed. However, as He foretold, a time would come when the Bridegroom would be taken away, and then His followers would fast. We are living in that time today.

Fasting is more than simply abstaining from food. A fast is the deliberate decision to give up something we would ordinarily do in order to pursue something of greater value. In a sense, it is an opportunity cost. For Christians, fasting means laying aside distractions, comforts, and even legitimate activities so that we may pursue Jesus Christ and His ways more fully.


We are living in the last days—days of great need. These are days marked by trials, challenges, worries, and uncertainties. We hear of wars and rumours of wars. We see hunger, famine, violence, and terrible atrocities. We live in a time when many are ungrateful, proud, unkind, and when, as Jesus predicted, the love of many is growing cold.
In such times, we need wisdom. We need strength. We need guidance. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to navigate life and remain faithful as we wait for the return of the Bridegroom. Therefore, we need fasting. We need prayer. We need to pursue God diligently until we find Him.


These last days can feel like a maze. Without God’s help, we cannot successfully navigate them. We must let go of every distraction and every hindrance that keeps us from prayer and fasting.
No wonder the Scriptures repeatedly urge us to pray. One verse that immediately comes to mind is:
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Prayer is not merely something we do at the beginning of a problem or at the end of the day. True prayer is woven into every aspect of life—every action, every word, every thought, and every step we take.


We do not need God only when challenges arise; we need Him in every moment. Prayer reminds us of our weakness and our limitations. Left to ourselves, we are short-sighted. We do not see the future clearly, and we often misunderstand situations. Yet prayer and fasting bring things into proper perspective.


More importantly, they reveal that God’s way is better than our own. The Lord says:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” (Isaiah 55:8)
If God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, then we must seek Him if we are to walk in those higher ways. Prayer and fasting are means by which we align ourselves with God’s wisdom. We gain access to His direction when we ask, seek, and knock, just as Jesus instructed us.


When we fail to walk in God’s ways, the problem is not that God is unwilling to guide us. Often, it is because we have chosen to act independently, making decisions without first seeking Him. The story of David provides a powerful example in 1 Samuel 30. When his family was taken captive, he could have immediately rushed into battle. Yet David paused to seek the Lord. He asked:
“Shall I pursue?”
God answered, “Pursue.”
“Will I overtake them?”
God assured him that he would.
“Will I recover all?”
God promised that he would recover everything.
David sought God’s direction at every step. He did not want to move ahead without God’s guidance.


Today, we need that same dependence on God. If the Holy Spirit is to display His love, humility, grace, and power through our lives, we must remain connected to Christ. If our light is to shine before others, if we are to impact lives and overcome the storms that come our way, we must engage God through prayer and fasting.
For direction, guidance, strength, wisdom, and victory, we must seek Him because we are living in the days of fast.

The question is:
Are you fasting? Are you praying? Are you seeking God’s help? Or are you attempting to navigate life through your own strength and ability?
May God help us to seek Him continually and depend on Him completely.
Amen.