Remember the words of Leviticus 26:
… Just five people together can chase [i.e. have the worldly strength of…] 100, … 100 of you can put 10,000 to flight…[showing the exponential power of just a few believers joined in purpose as we pray and fast … a great equalizer the Lord has given believers]
… So just a handful of us, scattered across the Pacific Northwest, the Dairy Land, the Sugar Sands, The Rockies… or wherever we may be…without even knowing each other can overcome the strength of 100 who oppose us, and just 100 of us can change history … and will change the world tomorrow.
Want to have an impact on the world? But how to do so? From your hospital bed, from your position on the manufacturing line, as a student or whatever your walk of life – Without even saying a word to another, you can change history. Scripture is clear that prayer alone cannot defeat evil. Fasting must be combined with prayer to achieve such victory. By extension fasting so powerfully protects and aids the focus of our intentions – our courageous first responders, our nation, and one another as we pray for our brothers and sisters who pick up the gauntlet and fast alongside us.
In the Book of Esther, the entire Jewish nation was scattered across the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Persia stretching from Ethipoia to India. Haman’s plot was to exterminate all of God’s people on the 13th of the month across the continents. Learning of this, Queen Esther sent out a message led the people in an intense three day fast consisting of no food or drink. Esther said:
My Maids and I will fast likewise and then I will go to the king
What Ester pledged to do was illegal – No one was allowed to approach the king in such a way so what Esther was saying was that I may die for this plan but if it be God’s will, I am willing to do so. At the end of the third day, Esther approached the king and laid the foundation for her plan that turned the tables on her people’s oppressors, giving rise to new joy and prosperity for God’s people. Fasting brought a watershed change for God’s people when it appeared there was no hope for victory. Esther’s example also showed that it is not enough to have others fast for us – fasting is not something that can be delegated.
