16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 6:16–19.
Fasting may be one of the most misused practices in the Bible. Someone has called it “the weeping of the soul.” However, very rarely do we enter into the decision to fast with the intent of seeking God at that level. I’m speaking of my own misguided practices of course.
As I read Matthew 6:16-19, I recalled those times in my Christian walk when I fasted, usually as part of a group fast for a specific petition. We would meet together during the fast and pray for God to hear us. To be honest, my mind was more focused on the discomfort of not eating than it was on seeking God. I lacked focus on what I was searching for and instead placed more of my focus on the path that would get me there.
The Bible has many examples of people fasting during the midst of dire circumstances. Here are just a few references:
- Ezra 8:21
- Nehemiah 1:4
- 2 Chronicles 20:3
- Joel 2:15
To borow a line from my devotion, “Fasting is the affliction of the soul for discipline and determination to humble ourselves before God and seek His face.” I realize that my soul must be in a state of desperation for fasting to take place in a proper way. My focus on seeking God should be so intense that the pains of fasting should be almost oblivious to me.