“And when you fast …” Matthew 6:16 NLT
Christians might fast for many reasons: guidance, mourning, repentance, worship, deliverance or protection, strength, purification, for intensifying prayer or just for the love of God. But the above verse – the words of Christ – seems to indicate that fasting is not optional.
Fasting reminds us that we are sustained by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Food does not sustain us; God sustains us.
Richard J. Foster
Fasting helps us realize just how fragile we are and how much we depend on things beyond ourselves.
One way to begin to see how vastly indulgent we usually are is to fast.
It is a long day that is not broken by the usual three meals.
One finds out what an astonishing amount of time is spent in the planning,
purchasing, preparing, eating, and cleaning up of meals.
Elisabeth Elliot
At its best, Christian fasting is not a belittling of the good gift of food. It is simply a heartfelt, body-felt exclamation point at the end of the sentence “I love you, God. I need you more than I need food — more than I need life.”
Fasting isn’t about inflicting pain upon our bodies
and it’s not about removing sin from our lives –
the latter would be repentance and should not be limited to a season.
Biblical fasting is a withholding of things – good things –
that have taken a too-important role in our lives.
Fasting is about dependence.
(unknown)
By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ.
Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything,
even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.
Andrew Murray
And I, who have been so completely loved and so abundantly blessed,
how can I refuse to part with things that distract me,
and keep me from wholeheartedly choosing Christ?