“‘But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matt 6:17-18 (NIV)
Giving and praying are commanded in God’s Word. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to fast in preparation for the Day of Atonement. Nowhere else in the Bible is fasting commanded. Jesus completed His atoning work on the cross to provide the removal of our sin and the restoration of our relationship with God. Fasting is voluntary.
Jesus made it clear that fasting should be a normal spiritual discipline in the life of a believer. Just as giving and praying flow out of our love relationship with Christ, so fasting is to be a normal practice in the life of every child of God. We are not to fast in order to be praised by others, but rather to concentrate on our relationship with the Lord.
The hypocrites in Jesus’ day would fast to be seen of men. They fed their approval addiction by fasting publicly on Monday and Thursdays when the market was overflowing with the masses. They received their reward, namely, the praise of men, but bypassed the reward of God. They got what they were looking for!
There is no need to put your spiritual discipline of fasting on display for others to see. John Piper has identified that there is a difference between fasting to be seen and being seen fasting. Fasting is to be done in secret to allow you to pursue God and to deepen your love relationship with Him. When you fast, it is proper to let your family members know so they will understand your reason behind not participating with them during mealtime. Also, they can pray for you specifically during your fast. God will reward what is done in secret.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
32 replies on “Fasting God’s Way”
buy lasuna paypal – purchase lasuna buy cheap generic himcolin
buy neurontin 100mg generic – buy ibuprofen 400mg online order azulfidine pills
buy probenecid 500mg generic – oral monograph 600mg buy tegretol 400mg generic
celebrex 100mg uk – flavoxate online buy indomethacin uk
colospa 135mg pills – buy cilostazol generic pletal 100mg cost
buy cambia without prescription – voltaren 50mg pill aspirin uk
buy rumalaya pills – buy endep 50mg for sale elavil cost
order pyridostigmine 60 mg online cheap – order azathioprine 50mg pills imuran price
buy baclofen 25mg – order baclofen 10mg sale buy feldene without prescription
purchase voveran generic – imdur brand buy cheap generic nimotop
periactin 4 mg oral – periactin online order buy tizanidine without a prescription
buy cefdinir pill – buy clindamycin cheap clindamycin
buy artane pills for sale – trihexyphenidyl buy online purchase diclofenac gel online cheap
buy isotretinoin 20mg pill – buy generic isotretinoin for sale deltasone 20mg price
generic deltasone 10mg – purchase elimite sale buy elimite cream for sale
acticin cost – purchase benzoyl peroxide sale buy retin
betnovate order – buy betnovate 20gm order benoquin cream
buy metronidazole tablets – order cenforce generic cenforce generic
buy augmentin 1000mg pill – synthroid without prescription purchase levoxyl online
cheap clindamycin – order indocin 75mg pill order indocin 75mg for sale
order losartan 50mg pills – order keflex 500mg generic order cephalexin
buy eurax generic – purchase bactroban ointment without prescription aczone order online
order modafinil online cheap – phenergan pills buy melatonin 3 mg generic
bupropion 150 mg generic – buy zyban pills cheap shuddha guggulu online
order xeloda 500 mg generic – brand capecitabine 500 mg buy danocrine generic
prometrium 100mg pill – order serophene generic fertomid order
buy fosamax pills – cheap pilex pills medroxyprogesterone 10mg price
norethindrone 5mg price – order lumigan cost yasmin
how to get estradiol without a prescription – buy estrace 1mg generic anastrozole us
dostinex 0.25mg without prescription – purchase alesse generic buy alesse pill
гѓ—гѓ¬гѓ‰гѓ‹гѓійЂљиІ©гЃЉгЃ™гЃ™г‚Ѓ – г‚ёг‚№гѓгѓћгѓѓг‚Ї е‰ЇдЅњз”Ё г‚ўг‚ёг‚№гѓгѓћг‚¤г‚·гѓі еЂ‹дєєијёе…Ґ гЃЉгЃ™гЃ™г‚Ѓ
バイアグラ е‰ЇдЅњз”Ё – г‚їгѓЂгѓ©гѓ•г‚Јгѓ« еЂ¤ж®µ г‚їгѓЂгѓ©гѓ•г‚Јгѓ«гЃ®иіје…Ґ