When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah. 1 Samuel 7:6
“A corporate fast is a public fast. Your private fasting should be done in secret, just as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:16, but public fasting is fasting that is proclaimed by leaders for a group or community. We see biblical examples of this type of fasting throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Samuel called an entire nation to a fast (1 Samuel 7:6); Esther called her Jewish people to a fast (Esther 4:16); Ezra proclaimed a fast (Ezra 8:21-23); even the pagan king of Nineveh declared a fast for his nation (Jonah 3:5); and the disciples fasted together and ministered to the Lord (Acts 13:2-3).”
Vladimir Savchuk in A Beginner’s Guide to Fasting: Simple, Practical, Biblical (Pasco, WA: 2024) 10.
The Corporate Fast is the third of five kinds of fasting.
Sometimes God’s servants call God’s people to fast together before God or to fast for them, as in the case of Esther. This demonstrates a profound sense of humility and dependence on God and others.
Today I ask you to fast for me. I will hand the baton of President & CEO by my choice to Trevor Lui and shift to Founder. Everything’s going great following God’s leading, but it will undoubtedly be hard for me.
Letting go is hard. We are not fasting from food today in Malaysia as we have two board committees this morning, and full board session with fishbowl observers (that means people watch us have a board meeting to learn).
The fourth kind of fasting is non-food fasting.
I am employing this kind of fasting today. I find myself in a sea of people, I am trying to connect to God and discern His best for me as I embark on this new season as Founder.
Do this if you find yourself in transition too. It’s hard! We have to let go of much. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I am fasting for you too. If not, remember me and others like me.
Fast for me.