Lessons from Matthew 6: Fasting

Jesus moved on in His sermon from praying to fasting.

Fasting

Fasting was mandatory for the Jewish people once a year, on the Day of Atonement. It was a day set aside free from food and all other sustenance in order to go before God in prayer and seek His cleansing power from their sins.

The Pharisees, however, voluntarily fasted twice a week to impress the people with their “holiness.” They were not fasting to seek God’s cleansing or His power; they were fasting to call attention to themselves.

Jesus basically condemned these religious leaders for their apparent righteous acts by saying that they had received their reward by disfiguring themselves before others and therefore no greater reward would be given.

When Jesus Christ came, this requirement was over. Though fasting is not required by God, it is also not prohibited by God. Jesus only said when you do it, do it unto God and not men.

There are many ways of fasting. Fasting is a setting aside not only of food but of any earthly pleasure in order to seek God and His power in prayer.

Fasting is a self-discipline and Jesus warned against making it a routine and disfiguring your face because of it. In other words, don’t do it to show off.

Many times in my life God has moved my heart and mind and self-will to fast and pray over certain people and situations. In doing so I have been more than filled with God’s goodness and encouragement! It was only last week that God put a specific thing on my heart and I fasted from all caffeine for a specific amount of days in order to seek Him and His will about a matter in the life of another.

Several times in the Bible the disciples exercised fasting and prayer in order to seek God’s provision in bringing down strongholds against their adversary and God worked miracles. Could it be that we lack this type of miraculous work of God because we neither seek the time to pray or fast for God or for His people?

If you wonder why you are not growing in the Lord, you might ask yourself what you could lay aside that you might spend more time with God.

Are you laying aside daily time for prayer and study or are you taking it all in on Sunday while fasting from the Word of God the rest of the week?

Ever tried to take in a week’s worth of food all at one time? It’s impossible! So why do you try to take in God’s Word all in one sitting? That’s like eating once during the week and going without for the rest of the days. This makes growth in Christ difficult and leaves you usually lacking in effectiveness!

So won’t you set aside time each day to pray and read/study and see what God does in and through your life?

Yes, you may have to fast from your sleep. You may have to give up something. But when you think about what you are giving up, remember Jesus gave up His heavenly home, His kingly robes, and He took on the flesh of man that He might come to a dying, lost people and save them. Now that is sacrifice!

What will you let go of this week in order to spend more time and prayer with God?  Who do you truly seek to glorify in your Christian walk and work–God or yourself? What will you change as a result of this lesson?

Terri Hamman

Faith & Fitness Coach