Scripture to Read: Matthew 6:16
This week, our Lord has us examining fasting. Jesus said in Matthew 6:16, “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” When Jesus proclaimed His Word about fasting, everyone knew He was referring to fasting from food. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to prove they were so much more spiritual than anyone else by making sure everyone knew when they tithed, prayed, and even fasted. The actions of the religious leaders were not humble nor were their actions about glorifying God. They wanted the glory for themselves and that’s why they sought to do their actions in public for all to see. Jesus lovingly rebuked them by telling the crowd not to act like them. When we seek glory from others, it is always dishonoring to our Lord. We must choose to fast to broaden and deepen our intimacy with our Lord. Today, we can actually choose to fast from more than just food. We can choose to fast from our electronic devices so that we spend more intimate time with our Lord and His Word. Also, note that Jesus said, “whenever you fast,” and some translations say “when you fast,” which means fasting was and still is something our Lord expects every follower of His to practice. So, again, fasting is temporarily laying aside something (food, electronics, favorite TV shows, etc…) to spend more time with our Lord and His Word.
Challenge & Application
· What did you learn about fasting today?
· How do you currently practice fasting, and if you haven’t, how will you start?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!