What is fasting? The word fasting means to abstain from food and water for a certain time, and in the Bible we find that there were several men who did this act, and even Jesus himself told us about this, which is supposed to be the correct way in which we should fast.
Jesus said about fasting:
16 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.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:16-18
We must have well defined in our Christianity what is fasting, and in that way we can make a fast that pleases the Lord. The first thing we must take into account is that we do not fast so that others know that we are doing it and thus want to presume that we are a little more spiritual than others.
Jesus speaks to them saying that do not fast so that others know, since that is the way the hypocrites do it.
Fasting is an act where, apart from abstaining from food and water, we abstain from this world, we separate ourselves for God, we go before His Presence to strengthen our relationship with Him, to please Him more. We also fast when we are going to take an important decision in our lives, but fasting should never be to show others that we fast.
Remember this always: “Fasting is a means to abstain from the world and strengthen our friendship with God, it is not a means to show spirituality to others”.
