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The Focus of Fasting
Let us now talk in more detail about Christian and Catholic fasting and how The Lord uses it to purge and speak to us.
The whole point of this discussion is to go beyond any type of dogma or religious ritual and talk about fasting as a means to penetrating the spiritual world for revelation, deliverance, freedom and a true encounter with the Almighty creator of the heavens and the earth.
We are not here to put down any type of religious observance, however. Tradition and external religious practices are very positive and give us a sense of spiritual discipline and behavior.
The problem is when the external practice becomes the whole end of spirituality in itself, at which point it can become empty and even judgmental and destructive.
I have discovered that spiritual fasting is best spent when the emphasis is placed on prayer and reading the Word of God.
Bowing our hearts in front of Him who has All power, and allowing Him to cleanse us and empower us to do His Will.
Christian and/or Catholic fasting as we are discussing here is Not to get God to do what WE want.
Rather, it is so that we can become more like Him. That, of course, is not to say that one should not have petitions while fasting or a particular need or challenge that needs God's intervention.
After all, He is our Father and loves us more than any of us can possibly understand. What I am talking about is people who use fasting as a "spiritual shopping list" without any desire as to what God may want from them, or even giving Him the Glory just because He is who He is.
Everything else should be set aside as you are able. If you are unable to separate yourself for this purpose, then try to maintain a prayerful state-of-mind as you go about your day.
Christian and Catholic Fasting is a powerful practice that places you face-to-face with the Spirit of the Living God.
It ought not be trumpeted to all that you are fasting. It is a very personal and sacred time of prayer, worship and meditation.
A time of reviewing our lives and the challenges we are facing. Christian and Catholic fasting is a time when we realize that without Christ himself we are very limited.
That HE is and should always be the center and source of our lives in every way, shape and form.
If you reached this page it is because, in some way or another, The Lord may be trying to pull you into an even more intimate relationship with himself.
Christian and Catholic fasting can definitely take you there if you are willing to undergo a little sacrifice.
While weight loss is a byproduct of any type of fasting, in this case the main focus is spiritual growth and closeness with God.
Fasting Opposition
A lot of Christian and Catholic believers I talk to tell me that fasting is not necessary anymore because in the bible Jesus’ disciples did not fast.
Therefore, they say, fasting is a practice from the Old Testament and “does not” apply to present-day individuals.
Also, they say, Jesus in various parts of Scripture said the Pharisees that fasted were hypocrites seeking the approval of men.
Although Jesus often taught on Fasting (Mark 2:18; Luke 2: 37), and He, Himself, Fasted (Matt. 4:2), He did not insist on it.
He berated the Jewish leaders for talking bad about His disciples for not fasting. So why didn’t they fast then?
They did not fast because Jesus was there with them in person. As long as the Son of God was present, there really was not need for fasting.
Yet, Jesus said, one day the Bridegroom (himself) will be taken away and “then they will fast.” I had to become personally convinced that Christian and Catholic Fasting WAS relevant and important. I hope you come to that realization as well!
The passage most anti-fasting believers quote is Matthew 9:14-15. This passage continues the narrative of Matthew’s feast, during which time both the Pharisees and John the Baptist’s disciples were troubled because Jesus was feasting among sinners and tax collectors.
John the Baptist would minister with passion and conviction, demanding repentance and fasting (Matt. 3:1-11).
But he would withdraw at night to fast and pray to the exclusion of everyone not in his inner circle. Jesus, on the other hand, was instead eating and socializing with undesirables.
To John and his disciples, the definition of holiness was apparently isolation, for which reason they did not understand Jesus’ conduct.
Jesus, like John the Baptist, also preached with power and conviction about repentance and the Kingdom of God. But, instead of isolating, he was willing to meet with anybody, anywhere. He did not leave the people behind but spent his time continually teaching, ministering and healing them.
Jesus in essence was giving us a clear-cut example of how we as believers ought to behave while in this world. Jesus modeled fasting, but did not demand it (Luke 4:2; Matt. 6:16-18).
Consequently, a lot of believers take this passage to mean we do not have to Fast. But, is that the point?
Fasting – Not Bragging
Christian and Catholic Fasting are at the very core an expression of humility and worship to God – the ultimate authority over our lives and all of creation.
But the religious leaders in the days of Christ would distort fasting and turn it into a dog-and-pony show with ultra-pious, fraud-like devotions.
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Y! MyWebTheir behavior was anything but holy. It put pride and self on a pedestal – the total opposite of what Christian and Catholic Fasting are meant to display.
Although Moses, Elijah, and Jesus fasted for as much as forty days and forty nights, Christ in his teachings placed more emphasis on attitudes and motivations. External practices took a back seat in terms of importance.
What this means basically is that the most important part of Christian and Catholic fasting is not so much the not eating, but rather the internal attitude of humility and worship toward our Creator.
Christian and Catholic Fasting is important, and a wonderful way to draw near to God in faith and humility, so long as it is done with reverence and obedience, free of hidden agendas, and not used as an attention-gathering device (Matthew 6:16-18).
I can tell you from personal experience that, in my early days of fasting, sometimes I would do it because I wanted God to do something for me. This was an incorrect attitude.
Rather, I now enter fasting by placing myself at His disposal. Asking him what HE wants me to do and how I can best glorify His name – not mine.
The Bridegroom
In the days of a wedding feast would last seven days or more. During such festivities, a Fast would be considered as rude. It would distract from the purpose of the wedding, because fasting was associated with sorrow.
Being in mourning would also be inappropriate, as well as heavy labor. If a death occurred, or a job needed to be done, the wedding was put off until the right time.
If Jesus had gone ahead and isolated to fast with John the Baptist and the other disciples, he would not have been able to fulfill His mission.
Jesus was not saying he was opposed to fasting or that it was no longer applicable, but rather that the feast was not the time or place in which to do it.
Jesus does say, “then they will fast.” Christian and Catholic fasting being a means to draw close to God. In this case God was incarnate in their midst. It would have been silly for them to fast because Jesus was right there with them.
Jesus, however, did acknowledge the importance of fasting indicating that – Yes – there would come a time in which the Bridegroom (Himself) would NOT be present – THEN they would fast.
Since the Bridegroom would not be there in person, they would fast to draw closer to Him in spirit and devotion (Acts 13:2; 14:23).
This desire to draw near is at the very heart of the Christian and Catholic fasting we are talking about here.
Invitation to Renewal
Christ is the beloved Bridegroom who beckons us to come closer to Him. To bring him our broken and weary selves so he can uplift us and fill us with His vision of our lives and what we ought to be - for His Glory.
Through the discipline of Christian and Catholic fasting He gives us the wine of His blood, renews our skins, and clothes us in His righteousness.
As believers, there are definitely occasions in which fasting is the proper thing to do. It is all about the timing, reason and attitude of heart and mind.
Again, if Jesus had left the feast and gone off fasting, He could not have won over Matthew the tax collector who went on to be one of the 12 disciples.
Perhaps John’s disciples were so caught up in their pursuit of piety they forgot why they were being pious. They could not see who Jesus was, what His mission was, or what He was really doing at the home of Matthew, an admitted sinner.
When You Fast
Jesus starts the passage in Matthew 6:16-18 by saying, “when you fast,” He knew that Christian and Catholic fasting would be an important part of our spiritual growth. He did not say, if you Fast!
The main reason I should Fast? Because God loves us and called us to do it. Fasting is the way we best deal with our sins, learn about ourselves and others, and grow in our walk with Him. Let’s look at some of the main reasons why Christian and Catholic fasting is so important for us as believers.
One vital element of Christian and/or Catholic fasting is that it Takes Attention Away from Self.
In the passage of Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus sternly warns of abusing Fasting by using it for a show and tell game to draw attention to oneself. This behavior misses the real purpose, which is drawing close to God, and seeking His will for one’s life and church.
This passage is in the context of pleasing God, where Jesus places Fasting in the ranks of prayer, spiritual commitment, and trusting Him, making it a vital, if not paramount component of spirituality, and of growing deeper in our Christian formation/spiritual growth.
Further in this passage, Jesus tells us to put oil on your head and wash your face. In other words, walk around clean and looking proper. Don’t go around grimacing and calling attention to what you are doing.
If so, the passage says, then whatever pity or attention you get will in itself be your reward. I don’t know about you, but human power is not what I am seeking when I fast. Right?
The purpose of Christian and/or Catholic Fasting is to draw attention to Christ and His glory.
This is a sharp contrast to many of the Jews, who rather than being inconspicuous would put ashes on their heads and wear a very itchy and uncomfortable piece of clothing called sackcloth.
They would sit in the public areas so all those walking by would feel sorry for them and think that they were spiritual giants. A total fraud. This way, when Friday evening or Saturday came, these people attained honor and respect in the temple (Zech. 7:1-14).
That is why Jesus was so harsh with them. It was a show and pretence; they were only faking to glorify themselves.
Another of the reasons for fasting is that fasting breeds humility. When one stops eating for a season, it is easy to realize just how fragile we are and dependent on God. We realize that life is not “all about me”
God is the One who is to lift us up; when we try to lift ourselves up, we become prideful and believe our human power is the ultimate authority – not God.
Christian and/or Catholic Fasting has a way of removing the pride of “me” and humbling us before the presence of the Almighty. (Ezra 8:21-23; Psalm 35:13; 69:10)!
Still another important factor of fasting is that it leads us to repentance.
In Jesus time, following the Mosaic Law meant that the Jews were required to Fast at least once annually, which they did. Fasting was a part of their culture and mindset, something that has disappeared from ours.
Jesus’ earthly disciples Fasted along with their fellow Jews during the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31).
This was a Fasting of contrition, which means coming before God, having remorse for one's sins, seeking His forgiveness, pledging repentance, and doing penance (following the requirements of the Law for atonement, such as sacrifices of food or animal), and not doing them (sins) again. Paul followed this law, as depicted in Acts 27:9.
Fundamental to Christian and/or Catholic fasting is prayer.
Fasting focuses us upon the things that are important, and prayer is certainly at the very top of that list.
Fasting focuses our attention; it keeps us away from distractions so our prayers are more intense, sustained, attentive, and real (Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23).
Togetherness in prayer equals powerful spiritual synergy (Matt. 18:19-20). If you lead a church or organization and you have trouble making decisions, or have disunity, Fasting, along with prayer will do you wonders.
Real, authentic Christian formation is developed when we give up the rights to ourselves, and hand over our will to Christ.
In so doing, we begin to understand what is important in life, and experience true freedom, as the chains of slavery formed by our self-willed actions and thinking are broken.
We become transformed and renewed by what He has done, which works more deeply and more powerfully as our devotion increases, and we become more aware of whom we are in Him and become better used by Him!
Isaiah 58 challenged the Jews, prior to their captivity, and maintained that their Fasting was empty of purpose, pretentious, vain, and not pleasing to God.
Jesus calls us to righteous giving, that of giving to others in order to please God. We are not to seek to please ourselves, and certainly not others. When we only seek the praise of others, our giving becomes fuel for selfishness, and God is not glorified.
Return from Christian & Catholic Fasting to Spiritual Fasting MAIN.
Robert Dave Johnston
Fitness Through Fasting - Editor
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