The Bible Project Daily Podcast
Real Righteousness - Fasting - Part 2 (Matthew 6: 16-18)
Real Righteousness – Fasting (Part Two)
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Real righteousness is not seeking the approval of people it’s about pleasing God. They got their reward, and you’ll get yours from the father if you’re doing this right.
What is Fasting?
The word means abstaining from something usually food and the way it is usually used in the New Testament. It occasionally can be an involuntary type of abstaining from food. However, what Jesus is talking about here is a voluntary form of fasting. Fasting is never commanded in the New Testament. but Jesus assumed we would do it on occasion.
Why Fast?
When I look in the scripture, I’m not sure I can find a place where it tells us exactly. The closest thing that comes to it is the apostles came back and said to Jesus we couldn’t I deal with this demonic situation and Jesus said this significant spiritual demonic situation can only be dealt with by prayer and fasting, so apparently there’s some exceedingly difficult situations that calls for prayer, concentrated prayer, and that might include that you abstain from other activities to focus on prayer or Bible Study.
How Do We Fast?
One historic Jewish source said at that time, I quote, “the Jewish fast lasted from dawn to sunset, outside that time normal meals could be eaten”. So, the original Jewish form of fasting at the time of Jesus involved ceased from eating during the daytime, once the sun went down, but you could eat an evening meal.
The most common form of fasting today follows the principal that you don’t eat meals but suggest that should at least drink a lot of water I think the scripture does not go beyond that and it up to you to figure it out for yourself.
Other Types of fasting.
We can fast from anything. I know a number of people who felt God had called them to take a time out from watching television or playing computer games. Other felt God called them to abstain from wasting time browsing social media. I have to say the more I read my Bible and listen to the teaching the teaching of Jesus the more I am inclined to believe that a 21st century approach to fasting should be more inclined to deal with these sorts of issues than just not eating food.
Fasting is about recognizing the need to eliminate some of these things, some of the distractions so we can focus on jut the Lord and think about him. Listen to some Christian music, great idea, focus on the Lord and see if that doesn’t help your spiritual life. Amen?
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