No matter what you are fasting, but especially if you are fasting food, day three tends to be difficult. It can seem like every reason to quit shows up in force. But, it’s important to remember that the reason fasting is a battle that we are doing battle. Prayer and fasting accelerate God’s victory in our lives as we take the fight out of the realm of pure physicality and bring it squarely into the space where it is actually won—the spiritual realm.

All of us will have battles in our lives, but the question is, how will we respond to these battles? In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was confronted with a “vast army” who had the power to devastate his nation. Many would have assumed his problem was purely physical—it seemed like an issue of military might, battle plans, state-of-the-art weaponry, a number of troops, and strategic leadership. But, Jehoshaphat correctly concluded the conflict was spiritual.

So, what did he do? He called the people to fast and pray, and notice how God responded, “Do not be afraid or discouraged by this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). Whatever you are facing, we serve a God who wants to fight our battles!

Fasting may feel hard today, but with every hunger pang you feel, be reminded not only that you are doing battle but, as you fast, God is bringing the victory!

Scriptures

2 Chronicles 20:2-3 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. ³ And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

2 Chronicles 20:15-17 And he said, “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”

2 Chronicles 20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.