A. INTRODUCTION
1. Promise: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen . . . then shall thy light break forth as the morning?” (Isa. 58:6, 8).
2. Christians need help facing the many major decisions they face in their private, spiritual, business, family, and church life. Fast for major decisions, not the everyday decisions of life.
STEPS IN DECISION-MAKING
1. Honestly face your decisions.
a. Know you have a problem.
b. Know you must do something.
c. Know you can solve it.
2. Define your problem. Write out the problem (a well-defined problem is half solved).
3. Gather information. Write out facts about your problem.
4. Develop as many alternate solutions as possible, evaluate each alternative.
5. Choose the best decision.
a. Decision-making is not thinking up what to do, it is choosing the best solution suggested.
b. In an imperfect world, there is no perfect answer only the best solution at this time.
6. Make the decision work.
B. FASTING FOR GUIDANCE
Paul had the wrong idea about Christianity and the wrong idea about God. He was going in the wrong way, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong attitude. How can one so wrong be turned around?
1. Set aside a fasting time so you can listen for the voice of Jesus. Saul “fell to the earth and heard a voice” (Acts 9:4). “He was three days . . . neither did eat or drink” (Acts 9:9).
2. Ask and answer searching questions about yourself.
a. God asked Saul, “Why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4). Sometimes we think we’re on God’s side. When God comes looking for us, He uses a question to make us think. “Adam, where art thou?”
b. Saul asked God, “Who art thou Lord?” (Acts 9:5). Until we want to know God, He will not show Himself to us.
3. Recognize the unchangeable solitude of truth. The answer may be silently waiting for us to find it. When we fast, we search for it.
a. Realize answers are outside yourself. Saul, “trembling and astonished” (Acts 9:6).
b. Look to Heaven as Saul said, “Lord.” (Acts 9:6).
4. You must stop all self-effort and yield to God. There is a time for self-effort to take responsibility for your problems. But you fast because you need help and wisdom for a decision/problem.
a. Your outer reflects the inner. Paul, “fell to the earth” (Acts 9:4). “And he trembling and astonished said, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’” (Acts 9:6).
b. He admitted his past mistakes and yielded his prejudices.
5. Fasting is searching for answers/wisdom. Saul asked, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).
a. Actively search. “Ye shall find Me, when ye search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
b. Allow the Lord to search you. “I the Lord, search the heart” (Jer. 17:10).
c. Your task – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
d. Your prayer – “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts . . . and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
6. Write down what you learn from God – “The Lord said unto him (Saul), Arise and go into the city” (Acts 9:6). “And Saul arose . . . (they) brought him into Damascus” (Acts 9:8). “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).
7. Your answer may be an embryonic seed, not a full-grown tree. Saul was not given all the solutions/answers to his problem. God told him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6).
a. You may have to fast longer or more than once for the answer. “He was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink” (Acts 9:9).
b. Praying and fasting may bring light like the gradual dawning of a new day.
8. God may use others to give you insight/wisdom. “Ananias . . . entered into the house, and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus . . . hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17).
9. People may not understand your fast or what God is doing in your life. “The men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man” (Acts 9:7).
a. They didn’t see Jesus.
b. They weren’t asked, nor did they fast.
c. They didn’t get God’s answer from Ananias.
C. PRINCIPLES TO TAKE AWAY
1. The more weighty your decision, the more often or longer you should follow the St. Paul’s Fast.
2. Plan Bible reading that is not directly related to your decision so your mind can relax in God’s presence. Your answer may be in the quietness of peace.
3. Get all information and bring it to your fast.
4. Know and apply principles of decision-making.
5. Write out the decision you need to make.
6. Write out facts that influenced your decision and review them with prayer.
7. Write out all possible solutions before attempting to make a decision.
8. Now you are ready to ask God to help you with an answer/solution.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
Dr. Towns’ web address is www.elmertowns.com.
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