What is the True function of Fasting?Lent is upon us
and I wish to fast. I likewise wish to slim down. I believe I will quit red meat or chocolate. Perhaps I will just offer up meat on Fridays. I really wish to quick this year. I will try the “Daniel Diet.” That seems like a nice scriptural fast. However Why? Why do i even desire to quick? It appears like a great deal of hard work and self sacrifice. Genuinely fasting is not about weight reduction or consuming healthy for a brief duration of time. Lots of people believe fasting is about quiting something you like that you know is bad for you. HMMM. I understand it is not good for me, however I need an unique event to provide it up for a little while. Is this how Christians are contacted us to live? Is this the scriptural function of fasting. In the bible there are 3 primary factors to quick:1) To repent and look for God’s forgiveness
2) To look for God’s help
3) To seek a better, devoted, and submissive relationship with God.I wish to seek a more detailed, devoted, and submissive relationship with God. If you check out the whole 6th chapter of The Gospel According to Matthew you will notice 5 apparently unassociated themes – Offering to the Needy, Prayer, Fasting, Treasures in Heaven, and Do Not Worry. Though they seem unrelated they are closing connected together. In Isaiah 58 God emphasizes the fasting he appreciates is taking care of those in need. So when we checked out Jesus teaching his disciples the significance of providing to those in requirement and providing for the sake of love not to impress other men, in essence Jesus is teaching a crucial tenet of fasting.Tenet # 1: Fasting is
offering to those in need out of love and not out of show.Throughout the bible we see that fasting
is also associated with prayer. When Jonah went to Nineveh and preached their impending doom the king tore his clothing, put on sack fabric, fasted and hoped commanding individuals to do the exact same. When Esther chose to go to the king to conserve her people she asked Mordecai to ask individuals to join her for 3 days of fasting and praying. So we see Jesus teaches is disciples to effectively hope before he teaches them about fasting.Tenet # 2: Reliable prayer is required for an effective fast.When we genuinely quick we link with God and we take our prayer life to a greater level as we seek a closer relationship with Him. Even as we pray Jesus taught us to begin with honoring and worshiping God. We start by sending ourselves to Him and we pray that His Will be done in the world as it is in paradise. Our quick is to remove self. Our fast is to reject self. Our quick is to recommit to God. Our fast is about a direct relationship with God and has nothing to do with people who sit beside us in church. We do not seek approval of guy. So Jesus states do not resemble the hypocrites. Wash your face, repair your hair and correct your clothing so that it is not obvious you are fasting.Tenet # 3: This is only in between you and God!The things you provide for God is in between you and Him and just those things will last. Approval of male is short-term.
Earthly treasures are short-term. A position of authority is short-term. Only the things you provide for God will last. You can not serve 2 masters. Fasting focuses your attention on God and His Will. Fasting helps us to realize that God needs us to put absolutely nothing before Him. The primary reason we deny ourselves is to put God first. To put God above all things. When you fast remember God’s first commandment;” You will have no other gods before me “. Tenet # 4: Have no other gods prior to me.Many times the cares of the world make it hard for us to truly look for God. We fret about the rent, food, clothes, how our hair looks and so on. We worry about our daily needs and this is reasonable. As
we grow in Christ we recognize worrying impedes our
growth. However be motivated. God is the creator and keeper of the earth. The earth is His and the fullness thereof. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The Lord IS your Shepherd and in Him there is no desire. If he looks after the birds and the flowers how much more will he take care of you His Kid? As we fast, as we look for a closer relationship with God he wants us to be comforted and not to fret. God wants us to seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and he will look after all our requirements. To seek His Kingdom shows us constructing a better relationship with God and becoming submissive to His Will. To seek His Righteousness returns to how we treat our brothers and siblings. God says Love Him initially and foremost and to enjoy each other as we love ourselves.Tenet # 5: Look for initially the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.So real fasting is not about quiting something that we understand is not good for us. True fasting is not about an unique diet plan. A real fast is not about weight loss.A real quickly is to look for God’s forgiveness, God’s aid
, or God’s relationship. Fasting Diet plan