Mensa Otabil - When You Fast
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We have two days to go for 40 Days of Power, which starts on Saturday, the 26th of June. It’s going to be 40 days of prayer and fasting. I just want to encourage as many of you as possible to join in. Let us seek the Lord and ask Him for help so that He will come through for us in our lives against everything that is fighting us.
Matthew chapter 6, verse 16: This is Jesus speaking. He says, «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.» This is Jesus giving some practical guidelines on fasting and our posture, our attitude when we fast.
There are four things that I would bring to your notice from this passage. The first is that Jesus expects His disciples to fast. He expects us to fast. He says, «When you pray,» not «if you pray.» There is a time for us to fast. We don’t fast all the time, but there is a time when we do, and that is when we’re engaging in fasting. We tend to spend our lives eating constantly. From the beginning of the year to now, most of us have been eating non-stop every day. Now it’s time for us to say, «Yes, we’ve done enough eating. Let us put aside some time to focus on God and direct our attention to Him.» The way to do that is to abstain from food. Jesus expects us to fast; that’s the first thing.
Secondly, fasting should not be pretentious. He says, «Don’t be sad, don’t disfigure your face, and don’t impress people.» So you shouldn’t go through a fast trying to appear as if you’re in some deep spiritual world, contacting very deep spiritual entities, or showing yourself as a super-spiritual person. If you do that, you are pretending, and Jesus says that’s not what you’re supposed to do. Neither should you wear a haggard face looking so tired and weak just to garner sympathy or likes from others because you’re fasting. It shouldn’t be pretentious.
The third thing is that fasting should be done as unto God. Although we are here on earth doing something, we must be conscious that this is for God. We’re doing this as a sacrifice and an offering to the Lord. This is an attitude towards the Lord. The most important person to see us is God, who sees in secret. That means if you don’t advertise yourself as a super-spiritual person, God still sees your spirituality; you don’t need to tell people about it. So yes, we’ve proclaimed the fast; everyone knows about it, but don’t make a big deal of it in your office or wherever you go, sounding the alarm, «Hey, I’m fasting! Look at how spiritual I am.» If you do that, you’re missing God out of this; it’s unto the Lord.
The fourth thing Jesus says is that God rewards us openly. He says for those who go advertising their fast and seeking applause from everyone, they are receiving their reward. But if you do it as unto God, then God will reward you, and He rewards you openly. What you do quietly, God will reward you loudly. What men do not see while you’re fasting, God will allow them to see after the fast. So we do it in quietness with humility of heart, and God rewards us openly. We are just two days away from it. Get your heart ready, get your mind ready. Tomorrow, I will share some practical steps on what to do during a fast, and then on Saturday, we start the fast.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are the rewarder of those who serve You. Help me to serve You with an open heart. In Jesus' name, amen.» Well, my friends, I will catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.