Have you ever Fasted?
Matthew 6:16-18 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Some friends and myself are doing a one-day liquid fast today. I don’t typically reveal that I am fasting, but today I felt that tug to share, for many of you may not understand. It was only a few years ago that I had never heard of it, much less ever tried it. Today I am before you to testify of it. What is a Fast? A fast is the denial of self in an attempt to draw closer to God. It is typically the denial of food and the pleasures found in it. The hunger pains serve as a reminder to seek God in prayer for nourishment. Simplified, the hungrier you get, the more you pray, the closer you get to God; it works through the power of prayer and God’s understanding of the sacrifice you are trying to make with your hearts desire of drawing closer to him. It is not a diet, and will never be honored as such.
Fasting is all throughout the Old Testament. It was part of the traditions of the Israelites and past down for generations. Christ is speaking of it here in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew above. He is speaking of those that desire the pity of men during a fast, and of how they will receive that pity as their only reward. But He is also speaking of those that privately fast seeking only God, and of how God will reward them. This passage is closely related to the passage before on prayer. Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Prayer and Fasting are meant to be private conversations between you and God. They are never meant to draw attention to you. They serve as a means to get you closer to God.
There is not a rulebook for Fasting. There is a lot of information out there of peoples opinions on the rules of Fasting; it is an act between only you and God. It should be entered into with prayer, for a heart, mind, body, and soul seeking Him. It should be viewed as holy; it is not a flippant act taking with light regard. If you “cheat”, or treat it as such, the One who you are trying to honor is dis-honored. What would you do; what would you sacrifice to draw closer to God? Is your hearts desire for Him great enough to make a sacrifice? Think of the sacrifices He made for you.
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