Faithful leaders seek to lead in doing what's good and right before the Lord. Ezra the priest, the scribe proclaimed a fast for God's people. The Persians had allowed the Israelites to return home. Ezra knew that the journey would be treacherous. They didn't have a convoy of the king's guard and there was a significant potential of assault by thieves and bandits along the way. So, why pray and fast? What's the purpose of doing so?

For Ezra and the Israelites, the proclamation was due to the desperate situation in which the people found themselves and their need to show their dependence on God’s grace and kindness. Going without food put the people in a state of helplessness that helped them understand how they had to rely on His grace in every situation. This fast further aided them to implore the Lord for help with all their hearts. This is not to say that their fasting guaranteed God would respond favorably, for fasting is not done in hopes of binding the Lord to a certain course of action. Yet, they fasted and entreated the Lord. He answered their prayer.

Time and again, Scripture links prayer and fasting together. In fact, fasting is a discipline that is accompanied with fervent prayer, repentance, and grief (i.e. Judges 20:26, Daniel 9:3, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2). It's also right to engage in it when important decisions are to be made. Fasting reminds us that we are creatures and teaches us more of what it means to depend on our Creator and Lord for everything. God uses it to grow and build our self-control. It also helps us increase the focus and fervency of our prayers.

Like Ezra, we too are in a desperate situation today, yet of a different sort. We're living through persecution that presses in hard and harder against the church, as well as events that have caused significant distress to us, our communities, state, and nation. We see the rise of sin, wickedness and its consequences. We well know the sin within our own hearts and lives. Therefore, we need to humble ourselves before God, sincerely repent of sin, and plead His mercies. We need to seek His blessing and a time of refreshing. We need to seek relief from circumstances, a relief that can be brought only by Divine decree. We need to renew our commitment to faithfully serving our Lord and King. Let's us be diligent, by the grace of God, to do so!