On to Fasting

And who doesn’t do this, even if it’s not to get closer to God but instead to recover from the latest binge on Chinese food?

“Some people make up weird fasting rituals and potions that they think will help us fast. Honestly…I don’t think that is what God had in mind. Probably no matter what you do, someone will disagree. Don’t worry. Jesus had the same problem.

“How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”(Matthew 11:16-19, MSG)

So here is the simplest advice on how to fast.  Actually, there is none except the way we ought to look when we do it!

 “When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well. (Matthew 6:16-18, MSG)

Prayer- Father, we offer our fasting to you, not to the world. Amen.