When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16
“What is fasting? Why did every noteworthy person mentioned in the Bible practice fasting? Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, and Paul are just a few people in the Bible who fasted. And of course, we know that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, fasted. In fact, He didn’t start His ministry until after a 40-day fast. Moreover, when Jesus taught His disciples about fasting, He said, “When you fast,” not “If you fast” (Matthew 6:16). This implies that Jesus assumed that fasting would be a normal and willingly undertaken practice for all His followers and all of us.
Fasting is voluntarily abstaining from all or some types of food and/or drink for a period of time, often as a religious observance or spiritual practice. Fasting may not be enjoyable to our flesh, but it’s gratifying to know that we can exercise control over our stomach and cravings. Fasting may not be something that our flesh wants to do, but our spirit yearns for it. It can be challenging, but as we draw near to God, it brings us joy.”
Vladimir Savchuk in A Beginner’s Guide to Fasting: Simple, Practical, Biblical (Pasco, WA: 2024) 1-2.
After having difficulty locating writings by Malaysian voices, I decided to a go a different direction in my reading.
As I approach the Global Gathering for GTP, I am mindful that we engage three spiritual priorities when we convene: prayer, fasting, and confession. So I am exploring more deeply the practice of fasting for the benefit of readers.
From the start, we must understand what fasting is and why our spirit yearns for it. In short, we say no to good things our flesh desires so we can connect with what is good for our spirit. If you have never tried it, maybe the time is now.
When we say no to things our flesh desires, we often save money that we can reallocate to things God cares about. In this sense, fasting can help us grow our margin for generosity. And it can do so much more, as we will soon discover.