"His Voice Today"
September 30
🔸️ Fasting is required in the true Christian life! 🔸️
In 1Corinthians chapter 7 Paul and in Matthew chapter 17, the Lord Jesus mentioned the need for fasting. Jesus emphasized the need for fasting especially, to get ride off the unclean spirits. So fasting is the activity of our own wish and depending on our burdens.
Jesus emphasized much about fasting unknowingly to others. May be we can’t hide the fact that we abstain from eating food, for those in our house. But, of course we should never fast knowingly to others! So the purpose behind fasting is more important than fasting!!
Jesus said, "When you fast" (Matthew 6:16), knowing that His disciples would fast. As He continued, Jesus warned "When you abstain from eating food in order to please God, do not look sad as the hypocrites look. They make their faces appear sad in order that people will see that they are abstaining from food and will think highly of them".
But today, many believers are the ones who boast that they have fasted "for so many days." They openly disregard Jesus' command in Matthew 6: 16,17. Jesus said that their reward was consumed on this Earth. That is, this verse categorically emphasising the fact that such people would never receive the reward which we ought to receive from God through fasting. That is why Jesus wisely advised people "when you abstain from food, should comb your hair and wash your face as usual, in order that other people will not notice that you are fasting because you will look as you always do".
Thus if we are to receive the reward of fasting truly from God, we must be careful to fast as privately as we can! Then, the Father God who sees us, even though no one else sees us, will reward us in public!!
Prayer:
Our heavenly Father! Help me to get closer to You still; help me to do the fasting privately in order to overcome the 'impurities' (unclean spirit). In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Author:
Brother Zac Poonen
Translated version of the Tamil "Family Meditation Book".
From:-
https://t.me/hisvoicetoday
0 Comments