Liturgy for Life : WK 4 - TUE
Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18
"And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
I remember waking up one morning as a kid and walking to the kitchen for breakfast. It was Saturday, and my mom usually had something special on the table since it was the day we celebrated the Sabbath and went to church. When I reached the kitchen table, I noticed that the usual breakfast items were missing. I asked my mom where everything was. She then explained that we weren’t going to eat today, or at least not as much as we were used to. I was so confused. What do you mean we’re not eating today? This made no sense to me. She continued to explain that we were going to fast and that the whole church was fasting that day. Fasting, she said, is about going without something as a sacrifice to God. As a kid, I was not interested in this fasting idea or offering a sacrifice to God! As I recall this experience from my childhood, I wish I could tell you I remember some deeply spiritual and profound truth my mother passed down to the next generation of the Ciccarelli lineage. But I don’t. All I remember is, “We’re not eating today.”
If you study fasting in the Bible, you will find that it occurs quite frequently. God’s people in the Old Testament fasted regularly, especially during times of mourning and when seeking God. Jesus also fasted. After His baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty nights. He also fasted and prayed the night before He called the disciples. The book of Acts mentions that while the apostles were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them about setting apart Barnabas and Paul for the work God was calling them to.
Here is what I believe is the key to fasting that I learned from a mentor of mine years ago. The key to fasting is not to focus on what you are fasting from but rather on what you will be feasting on. You see, the emphasis of fasting is on feasting—feasting on God and feasting on His Word. Fasting is a spiritual practice that serves to enhance your relationship with God. Too often, fasting can feel like the master while we are the slaves, but it is actually a means to serve us and help us feast on God. Fasting creates space for us to turn our attention to God and to give Him more of our focus. So, if we are fasting from food, we allow the hunger pains to remind us to feast on a verse of Scripture, because as Jesus said, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Or, if we are fasting from media, whenever we habitually want to watch a video or listen to something, we can use that urge to remind us to seek God in our day. While we fast, it is also essential to understand that we do not fast to earn God's love. We cannot do anything to make God love us any more than He already does. His love for us never changes. He loves us whether we fast or not.
Matthew 6:16-18
"And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
I remember waking up one morning as a kid and walking to the kitchen for breakfast. It was Saturday, and my mom usually had something special on the table since it was the day we celebrated the Sabbath and went to church. When I reached the kitchen table, I noticed that the usual breakfast items were missing. I asked my mom where everything was. She then explained that we weren’t going to eat today, or at least not as much as we were used to. I was so confused. What do you mean we’re not eating today? This made no sense to me. She continued to explain that we were going to fast and that the whole church was fasting that day. Fasting, she said, is about going without something as a sacrifice to God. As a kid, I was not interested in this fasting idea or offering a sacrifice to God! As I recall this experience from my childhood, I wish I could tell you I remember some deeply spiritual and profound truth my mother passed down to the next generation of the Ciccarelli lineage. But I don’t. All I remember is, “We’re not eating today.”
If you study fasting in the Bible, you will find that it occurs quite frequently. God’s people in the Old Testament fasted regularly, especially during times of mourning and when seeking God. Jesus also fasted. After His baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty nights. He also fasted and prayed the night before He called the disciples. The book of Acts mentions that while the apostles were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them about setting apart Barnabas and Paul for the work God was calling them to.
Here is what I believe is the key to fasting that I learned from a mentor of mine years ago. The key to fasting is not to focus on what you are fasting from but rather on what you will be feasting on. You see, the emphasis of fasting is on feasting—feasting on God and feasting on His Word. Fasting is a spiritual practice that serves to enhance your relationship with God. Too often, fasting can feel like the master while we are the slaves, but it is actually a means to serve us and help us feast on God. Fasting creates space for us to turn our attention to God and to give Him more of our focus. So, if we are fasting from food, we allow the hunger pains to remind us to feast on a verse of Scripture, because as Jesus said, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Or, if we are fasting from media, whenever we habitually want to watch a video or listen to something, we can use that urge to remind us to seek God in our day. While we fast, it is also essential to understand that we do not fast to earn God's love. We cannot do anything to make God love us any more than He already does. His love for us never changes. He loves us whether we fast or not.
- What has your experience been with fasting? Have you ever tried it? If not, do you think you might in the future?
- What do you think it was like for Jesus when He fasted for 40 nights? How do you believe it affected Him?
- What are your thoughts on the concept of fasting as feasting on God instead of fasting from something?
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