"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. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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.
Matthew 6:16-18

After speaking about prayer, Jesus proceeds to speak about fasting. I have to admit, spiritual fasting is not a regular component of my spiritual disciplines. Yet Jesus begins His comments on the subject with the words, “when you fast…” Jesus said, “when you fast,’ not “if you fast.” What is the obvious inference? That His disciples do fast. Lesson number one: Fasting is a spiritual discipline many of us virtually neglect altogether. Maybe we need to learn from that and make the necessary adjustments in our thinking and practice.

Here is a second lesson: Spiritual fasting is not the same as fasting for health or weight loss purposes. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that if we fast for physical reasons we can check the box for spiritual fasting. Unless…

If we are fasting for physical reasons, and we are mindful to devote our fasts for prayer and spiritual reasons, we might be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Here is a third lesson: Fasting is not a way to turbo-charge our prayers. It is not a means to obligate God to answer our prayers because we bribe Him by skipping a meal.

What then is the purpose of fasting? Next time…