IS FAST MADE FOR A MAN OR HE MADE FOR THE FAST?

Greetings to all in the name of Jesus, who is on His way to Calvary,

Christians are not the only ones who FAST. Some do it for political reasons, some against unethical policies and some to raise awareness to their cause. It is known by different names such as Fasting, Hunger strike or Satyagraha. However, Biblical fasting is entirely different from Secular fasting.  For it is always accompanied by prayer and is done as an attempt to seek God’s will and direction in our life.But being true to the core, let us take this to our heart that; Only a true relationship with God will save our soul and not any External practices or ritual!.

Fasting is Biblical, and it could be a spiritual discipline for Christians. Biblical fasting means more than just abstaining from food; it means to abstain from food in order to concentrate upon God and His answer to a particular matter.It is neither a mandate or an obligation, nor its a way to get God to do what we want. It become an unsaid commandment only when you really believe God is calling you to do so and that it is going to change us and not God. And it is only for spiritual purposes as was practiced by Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Paul and our Lord Jesus. Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Jesus has assumed, wished and instructed us to fast but He never made Fasting a Commandment for He knew that it was enough to make some very Ritualistic.

Moreover it is done to strengthen our Prayer life as we see in Nehemiah 1:4, Daniel 9:3 and Matthew Ch 4. and is done to Express our grief, to seek Deliverance, to express our Repentance to God as in Jonah 3:5,  to overcome Temptation as in Matthew 4:1-11, to humble our soul before God, to take our eyes off the things of this world and  to focus completely on God and finally to allow the Holy Spirit to bring clarity of the Bible.

But the True result of the true fasting could be seen in Isaiah 58:7. "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house? When you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Fasting is of little value by itself. For Jesus had said in the beatitudes. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matt 5.6).

More than the Physical Fasting, Jesus desires a Fasting of the heart; which is the Hub of all the earthly treasures..

I pray that these earthy and eternal blessings will be yous during this Lent Season.