Fasting: The Power Move NO ONE wants to use.
If there were a heretofore unknown source of power available to you in your everyday life you would use it. But this one causes issues with believers. And that is the issue of fasting. (The voluntary act of ceasing eating for purely spiritual purposes.)
Now many of us fast, but we do so unwillingly. Illness, dietary restrictions, or abject need can force us to skip a meal or two. Even today much of the world performs a twice annual fast to eliminate parasites they get from eating. But Jesus is discussing the religious reason for fasting.
When the time and effort it takes to prepare, serve, and eat a meal is instead used in prayer and reflection a lot of miraculous results may occur. And again he emphasizes the heart. The Jewish leaders of his day made their own efforts of fasting into a theatrical performance. They would ‘show’ that they are fasting by their manner of dress, by marking their faces so that everyone who saw them would KNOW they are fasting.
For them the whole purpose of fasting was to let everyone know they are fasting. And Jesus is telling them, “Don't fast like they do.” Because the people were taking the example of the hypocrites as being the “right” way to fast.
Jesus is telling them to fast in secret. Go ahead and fast but do it so only God your Father knows. God is waiting to bless us, through fasting, because in doing so we place our number one daily physical need, sustenance, into the hands of God.
We should reject as unbiblical all rituals marking ourselves to appear outwardly righteous. And yes, that includes Ash Wednesday. If we go to the efforts to deny ourselves food in the name of God and we suffer the pains of hunger for the sake of righteousness but do so for the attention, we have our reward. It's a waste of our time and effort if we don't do so from the heart, in secret.
And next Jesus begins discussing a believer's pursuit of riches, sort of. In reality, he's continuing the lesson on fasting and contrasting the reward received by those who were fasting for attention or to “appear holy” have their reward. In this way, He is linking the act of pursuing riches with the act of fasting and creating 2 lessons. The first we will cover here.
A reward that won't last because the physical gains of this life all pass. We will leave this earth with exactly what we had when we came into it, nothing. And this one lesson that Jesus teaches concerning the heart rings true in every aspect of our lives. Are we pursuing Jesus with our hearts, or are we attempting to make the effort to look righteous?
Why would one not attempt tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit through fasting? Dedicate that time you would normally use for making a meal and eating and redirect that time toward prayer. Don't make it visual, keep the struggle between you and God.
Join me today May 8th in fasting. Pray with me and access that power move. Find me on Lordsbook under Porch Ministries or on Truth Social under Spiritual Solutions. Feel free to message me for encouragement or if you have any questions.
Matthew 6:16-21
[16] “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. [17] But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, [18] so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If there were a heretofore unknown source of power available to you in your everyday life you would use it. But this one causes issues with believers. And that is the issue of fasting. (The voluntary act of ceasing eating for purely spiritual purposes.)
Now many of us fast, but we do so unwillingly. Illness, dietary restrictions, or abject need can force us to skip a meal or two. Even today much of the world performs a twice annual fast to eliminate parasites they get from eating. But Jesus is discussing the religious reason for fasting.
When the time and effort it takes to prepare, serve, and eat a meal is instead used in prayer and reflection a lot of miraculous results may occur. And again he emphasizes the heart. The Jewish leaders of his day made their own efforts of fasting into a theatrical performance. They would ‘show’ that they are fasting by their manner of dress, by marking their faces so that everyone who saw them would KNOW they are fasting.
For them the whole purpose of fasting was to let everyone know they are fasting. And Jesus is telling them, “Don't fast like they do.” Because the people were taking the example of the hypocrites as being the “right” way to fast.
Jesus is telling them to fast in secret. Go ahead and fast but do it so only God your Father knows. God is waiting to bless us, through fasting, because in doing so we place our number one daily physical need, sustenance, into the hands of God.
We should reject as unbiblical all rituals marking ourselves to appear outwardly righteous. And yes, that includes Ash Wednesday. If we go to the efforts to deny ourselves food in the name of God and we suffer the pains of hunger for the sake of righteousness but do so for the attention, we have our reward. It's a waste of our time and effort if we don't do so from the heart, in secret.
And next Jesus begins discussing a believer's pursuit of riches, sort of. In reality, he's continuing the lesson on fasting and contrasting the reward received by those who were fasting for attention or to “appear holy” have their reward. In this way, He is linking the act of pursuing riches with the act of fasting and creating 2 lessons. The first we will cover here.
A reward that won't last because the physical gains of this life all pass. We will leave this earth with exactly what we had when we came into it, nothing. And this one lesson that Jesus teaches concerning the heart rings true in every aspect of our lives. Are we pursuing Jesus with our hearts, or are we attempting to make the effort to look righteous?
Why would one not attempt tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit through fasting? Dedicate that time you would normally use for making a meal and eating and redirect that time toward prayer. Don't make it visual, keep the struggle between you and God.
Join me today May 8th in fasting. Pray with me and access that power move. Find me on Lordsbook under Porch Ministries or on Truth Social under Spiritual Solutions. Feel free to message me for encouragement or if you have any questions.
Matthew 6:16-21
[16] “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. [17] But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, [18] so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Fasting: The Power Move NO ONE wants to use.
If there were a heretofore unknown source of power available to you in your everyday life you would use it. But this one causes issues with believers. And that is the issue of fasting. (The voluntary act of ceasing eating for purely spiritual purposes.)
Now many of us fast, but we do so unwillingly. Illness, dietary restrictions, or abject need can force us to skip a meal or two. Even today much of the world performs a twice annual fast to eliminate parasites they get from eating. But Jesus is discussing the religious reason for fasting.
When the time and effort it takes to prepare, serve, and eat a meal is instead used in prayer and reflection a lot of miraculous results may occur. And again he emphasizes the heart. The Jewish leaders of his day made their own efforts of fasting into a theatrical performance. They would ‘show’ that they are fasting by their manner of dress, by marking their faces so that everyone who saw them would KNOW they are fasting.
For them the whole purpose of fasting was to let everyone know they are fasting. And Jesus is telling them, “Don't fast like they do.” Because the people were taking the example of the hypocrites as being the “right” way to fast.
Jesus is telling them to fast in secret. Go ahead and fast but do it so only God your Father knows. God is waiting to bless us, through fasting, because in doing so we place our number one daily physical need, sustenance, into the hands of God.
We should reject as unbiblical all rituals marking ourselves to appear outwardly righteous. And yes, that includes Ash Wednesday. If we go to the efforts to deny ourselves food in the name of God and we suffer the pains of hunger for the sake of righteousness but do so for the attention, we have our reward. It's a waste of our time and effort if we don't do so from the heart, in secret.
And next Jesus begins discussing a believer's pursuit of riches, sort of. In reality, he's continuing the lesson on fasting and contrasting the reward received by those who were fasting for attention or to “appear holy” have their reward. In this way, He is linking the act of pursuing riches with the act of fasting and creating 2 lessons. The first we will cover here.
A reward that won't last because the physical gains of this life all pass. We will leave this earth with exactly what we had when we came into it, nothing. And this one lesson that Jesus teaches concerning the heart rings true in every aspect of our lives. Are we pursuing Jesus with our hearts, or are we attempting to make the effort to look righteous?
Why would one not attempt tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit through fasting? Dedicate that time you would normally use for making a meal and eating and redirect that time toward prayer. Don't make it visual, keep the struggle between you and God.
Join me today May 8th in fasting. Pray with me and access that power move. Find me on Lordsbook under Porch Ministries or on Truth Social under Spiritual Solutions. Feel free to message me for encouragement or if you have any questions.
Matthew 6:16-21
[16] “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. [17] But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, [18] so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
English
Arabic
French
Portuguese
Deutsch
Turkish
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek
हिन्दी