“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.” Ezra 8:21
Ezra is about to lead the 2nd wave of Jews back to Palestine. The 1st order of business is to Fast and Pray. Why? He has already told the King, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him” and did not “request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us”. Did he suddenly lose Faith?
No! Ezra believed that God also uses Prayer as a means of accomplishing His Will; that God wants His People to be Broken, Contrite, and completely Dependent upon Him, and Fasting fosters that. God has the ability to give us “Everything” we will ever want or need, Yet,…He still has us Pray “Give us this Day our Daily Bread”!