DAILY WORD "...and the truth will set you free.."

What is fasting? Fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting means crucifying an earthly hunger and acquiring a spiritual hunger for God. Through fasting we crucify our flesh and open up to the Spirit of God. We weaken our body and strengthen our spiritual being. We become closer to God. Paul writes in 1Corinthinans 9:27: "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection".Paul weakens his body and keeps it under so that his spirit man, his inner being, will be strong and sensitive to hearing from God. God is a Spirit and it is through our spirits that we communicate with God. Fasting makes our spirits more alert and our hearts more attentive to God and enables us to break the hold of the flesh and carnal desires. It is a way for us to receive fresh revelation and visions from God and to know more about God's purpose for our lives.

Fasting expresses that passion to know God more; it is that discipline which tries to recapture our hunger for God; it is our willingness to earnestly seek Him and to give up anything in order to be in His presence. When you begin to develop a hunger for the deeper things of God, He will fill you. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for they shall be filled." Fasting is crying out to God; “Father, I am empty, hungry and thirsty for you, fill me with "the Bread of Life" and the "Fountain of Life". Fasting is the acknowledgment of our hearts that nothing on this earth can satisfy our deepest longings beside God.  It brings us into a deeper more intimate and powerful relationship with God.

Moses knew the importance to rest in the presence of God and said to the Lord, “I want to see your glory”. David was longing to rest in the Lord and wrote in Psalm 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

In Matthew 6, Jesus exhorted us to fast in secret. Jesus said to His disciples, “…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) This explains the fasting that God rewards. Indeed, God rewards those who thirst after Him and fast in secret and not use fasting as "a show". God rewards those who express their human helplessness and hope in Him. He rewards those who focus upon Him as they fast and not upon men. God sees our hearts that we are not after impressing men but rather expressing our needs and longings to Him. Only then will He reward us.

I will discuss in more details the purpose and various ways of Fasting, but in conclusion would like to quote from Isaiah 58:4-14 "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

In other words hunger or suffering is not the final goal or purpose of God for our fasting. Before considering any fast your attitudes and motives should be pure. God wants us to practice mercy towards others; He wants to see us restored and restoring others! Before fasting we have to make sure that we have a pure and merciful heart or else our fasting is in vain. Indeed, it is not a matter of "Me" but always of "Others" as well.

When we fix our hearts and minds on the things of God, God promises us in Isaiah 58:8-12 "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.  Amen

Scriptures to read: Psalm 42

Prayers: Dear Heavenly Father, please create in me a pure heart and help me to know you more through fasting. Help my motives to be pure and my heart  more merciful towards others. Amen.