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Are we fasting as we should?
Message
#1 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
When we look at Jesus’ life and teaching, it is clear that He not only fasted Himself [Matthew 4:2], but He expected His disciples to fast. In the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus gave His disciples the basic principles they were to live by, He included detailed instruction on prayer. Through the model prayer [Matthew 6:9-13], He provided a pattern, a beginning point for prayer. It is preceded by verses of instruction for prayer, including "when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." [Matthew 6:6] The prayer is followed by His teaching about forgiveness [Matthew 6:14-15], then about fasting: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do,...but put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting...." [Matthew 6:16-18] It is interesting that Jesus did not teach His followers how to fast, but simply addressed what their attitude should be when they fast. Jesus clearly intended that His followers would fast. It’s not a commandment, but shouldn’t we ask ourselves why it was so important to Jesus? And Nehemiah [Nehemiah 1:4] and Daniel [Daniel 9:9,10:3] and Ezra [Ezra 8:23] and Samuel [1 Samuel 7:6] and Esther [Esther 4:16] and John the Baptist [Matthew 9:14] and Paul [Acts 9:9]? How strong were their prayer lives? What are we giving up if we don’t follow their example?
Pray with me now -- Father, may we desire the deeper things of prayer that fasting will open to us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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