“Fasting combined with sincere prayer can help you prepare yourself and others to receive God’s blessings.”1In Isaiah58, the prophet lists at least eight reasonsfor fasting, some of which include calling on the Lord, “dealing thy bread to the hungry, and loosing the bands of wickedness in your own life.
The people fasted as God had commanded and asked Isaiah in perplexity why God had not heard them. In reply he told them, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness . . . and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, . . . [to] bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him . . . ?” (Isaiah 58:6–7). This is a reminder that our own fasts require an offering for the poor.—“Great Are the Words of Isaiah”, Hugh Nibley2
Read more about the physical effects and logistics of extended fasting here.
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 58The true law of the fast, with its purposes and attendant blessings, is set forth
King James Version
New Revised Standard Version
Expanded Notes and Commentary
6Isnot this the fast that I have chosen? to loose theabandsof wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed gobfree, and that ye break every yoke?
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6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
xxxto loose the bonds of
xxxinjustice,
xxxto undo the thongs of
xxxthe yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
xxxand to break every
xxxyoke?xxx
xxx
➀ “to loose the bands of wickedness,” or to help us overcome personal sins which have engulfed us;
➁ “to undo the heavy burdens,” or to help us gain strength for difficult assignments or problems; and
➂ “to let the oppressed go free,” or to petition the Lord to intervene in behalf of our loved ones, such as Alma did when fasting for the salvation of his son (see Mosiah 27:13-24).—Nyman, Monte S., Great are the Words of Isaiah, Cedar Fort, Inc., Kindle Edition.
NOTE: inMosiah 27:13-24“they had fasted and prayed for the space ofatwodays and two nights;” not two meals as is the practice on LDS Fast Sunday.
7Is itnot to deal thy bread to theahungry, and that thou bring thebpoorthat are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself fromcthine own flesh?x
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7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
xxxand bring the homeless
xxxpoor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
xxxand not to hide yourself
xxxfrom your own kin?x
xxx
xxx
8¶Then shall thyalight➀ break forth as the morning, and thinebhealthshall spring forth speedily:➁and thy righteousness shall go before thee;➂ the glory of theLordshall be thycrearward.➃x
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8 Then your light➀ shall break forth like the dawn,
xxxand your healing➁ shall
xxxspring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,➂
xxxshall be your rear
xxxguard.➃
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In verses 8–12, Isaiah lists eight promises those you fast true:
➀ Your mind will beilluminated; you will have an understanding
➁Health come speedily to you
➂ God defends you, going before you as your ally
➃ The Lord has your back; He will protect you from behind
9Then shalt thouacall, and theLordshall answer;➄ thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here Iam.➅If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, thebputtingforth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
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9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;➄
xxxyou shall cry for help
xxxand he will say, Here I
xxxam.➅x
If you remove the yoke from among you,
xxxthe pointing of the
xxxfinger, the speaking of
xxxevil,
➅He hears and answers your cry for help as ifface to face
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As explained in the days of the prophet Isaiah, the children of Israel were admonished, “Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,” meaning fasting and then paying fast offerings. If you would do that, he promised, “Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.” (Isa. 58:7,9.)
We are saying to the Saints, how important that you keep this fundamental law to fast and to deal out your bread to the hungry through contributions so that when you call, the Lord shall answer.—President Harold B. LeeEngland Area CR, 1971, p. 140.)
What a wonderful feeling of security can come in a crisis to one who has learned to pray and has cultivated listening ears so that he can “call, and the Lord shall answer;” when he can cry and the LORD shall say, “Here I am.”—President Harold B. Lee,A Time of Decision,April 1972
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10 if you offer your food to the hungry
xxxand satisfy the needs of
xxxthe afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness➆
xxxand your gloom be like
xxxthe noonday.➇
➆ Your He lights the darkness of your life
➇ Gloom in your life will be brightened as the light at noon
11And theLordshallaguidethee continually, and satisfy thy soul inbdrought, andcmake fatthy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like adspringof water, whose waters fail not.
xxxxxx
11 The LORD will guide you continually,
xxxand satisfy your needs
xxxin parched places,
xxxand make your bones
xxxstrong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
xxxlike a spring of water,
xxxwhose waters never
xxxfail.
A’ Fed bones
B Watered garden
B’ Running spring (v. 11)(continued below)
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12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
xxxyou shall raise up the
xxxfoundations of many
xxxgenerations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
xxxthe restorer of streets to
xxxlive in.
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C’. Raised buildings
D. Repaired walls
D’. Restored streets (12)In short, the Lord will bless the whole Israelite society by renewing their
(A, A’) bodies
(B, B’) fields ,
(C, C’) homes and
(D, D’)cities
Of course, although these are physical blessings, most of them can also represent spiritual blessings: water can represent the gospel, homes and foundations the family or Church organization, and streets the path returning to God’s presence.—Victor L. Ludlow,Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet,Deseret Book
Verses about fasting have been quoted in general conferences by prophets, apostles and other general authoritiesmore than 68 times,3making the topic one of the most important. Here is a selection of those talks:
1 “Fasting and Fast Offerings,”True to the Faith(2004), 66–69
2“Great Are the Words of Isaiah”, Hugh Nibley,in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book 2005), 177–195.
3Stephen W. Liddle and Richard C. Galbraith,Citation Index,Version 3.5.0