“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

                                                            -Matthew 6:16

Much like prayer, fasting should be a very personal thing that stays between you and God (and your parents if applicable). While some people like drawing attention to themselves and their wonderful religious deeds, the Christian’s ultimate goal should be to bring glory to God – something that isn’t accomplished with a “look-at-me” attitude. True, there are some instances when sharing a word or two with somebody about our fast might be an encouragement to them, but we should always make sure our motives are pure and the situation appropriate. In most cases, however, we needn’t let everybody on Facebook know, “I’m fasting today.”

I also believe it’s important to remember that fasting is much more than just missing out on something special in your life. Are you going to fast from the computer? Then don’t just stay away from the PC; move closer to God! Is the Lord dealing with you to give up a few meals this week? Then don’t just not eat; feast on God! I say this because I know it can be a real struggle to fill that gap in your day with something worthwhile. Sometimes we tend to be satisfied with the physical aspect of fasting and forget about the spiritual side of it, and therefore miss the whole point. Don’t let this happen to you.

Finally, we should remember that our God has a perfect will, and we should always be willing to compromise our desires for His. For example, earlier this evening I was reading in 2 Samuel 12 where David went on an intense fast when his son’s life was in jeopardy due to a severe illness. For 7 days, he ate nothing. But despite this great act of faith, God said ‘no’ and took his son anyway. Yet instead of turning his back on God and losing faith in the power of prayer, David got up, dusted himself off, and moved on. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his son; rather, he understood that the Lord had a reason for doing what He did that reached much further than his own short-sightedness. Fasting doesn’t twist God’s arm into giving us what we want; it is a tangible way of showing Him how sincerely we desire it.