We Are Commanded To Fast
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.”
(Matthew 6:16 NLT)
“One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
(Luke 5:33-35 NLT)
Matthew chapter 6 is full of some pretty amazing content. One way I like to remember Matthew chapter six is as the “when” chapter. In this chapter, Jesus gives us the three-strand cord for Christian life. When you give, when you pray, and when you fast. These are the powerhouse elements that will cause every person who puts them to work to live in the supernatural realm of life. Notice in the text above, Jesus didn't say, “if you fast,” Jesus said, “when you fast.” This means that Jesus never conceived that fasting would be left up to a person's opinion. The son of God had to fast for forty days before he could come out of the wilderness full of the power of the Holy Ghost. What in the world makes us think we can get around prayer and fasting? Jesus did not suggest fasting, He instructed it. Let that statement settle in “when you fast” not “if you fast.” In the following passage, we see Jesus answering the question of why his disciples didn't fast at the time of His ministry. He said wedding guests don't fast when celebrating with the groom, but the time is coming when the groom will be taken away and then they WILL fast! He didn't say they might fast, he said “they WILL fast.” What can we conclude from this? If you are a Christian, it is unbiblical to not fast. You should stop talking yourself out of fasting. Commit to the words of Christ and develop this spiritual discipline in your life!