Confessions About Fasting Last Sunday’s post about sharing our spiritual struggles was really the introduction for this week’s post, my groaning to reach what I strive for: a 24-hour fast. My confession is that my normal joy of fasting has been mired in a season of misery. For most of the past ten years, I’ve […]
A curious phrase pops up in the book of Joel: holy fast. A Holy Fast A fast is going without something, such as food, to draw closer to God. By implication it should be a holy act, so why does the prophet Joel make a point of specifying a holy fast? I wonder if it […]
In an earlier post, I talked about fasting. I admitted that despite the spiritual benefits—while tangible and profound—fasting is a mystery to me. I also shared that the most difficult part of my fast was ending it well. From a physical sense, when that initial morsel of food touches my tongue, I am often filled […]
Fasting, after falling out of favor, is being reclaimed as a viable spiritual discipline. While I admit to regularly fasting, I also admit to being regularly perplexed by its practice. Fasting is simply going without something (usually food) for a time to draw closer to God. When I fast, this does happen, but I’m not […]
A byproduct of my spiritual formation is a disdain for ritual. To me, a ritual is a meaningless religious activity that is mechanically performed; it is an empty ceremony and a mindless habit, devoid of substance. This perspective is due in part to what I read in the Bible, where God repeatedly criticizes his followers […]
By Donald S. Whitney (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) As stated in the book’s title, “Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life,” this work discusses spiritual disciplines for those who follow Jesus. Spiritual disciplines are willing and intentional actions that promote spiritual growth, making us more like Jesus. They should not be thought of actions that earn […]
Fasting for the Right Reasons Although many people ignore its practice, fasting is demonstrated in the Bible and is an encouraged practice. (See the blog entry, “When You Fast…“.) However, fasting rightly requires fasting for the right reasons. Here are some of them: Wrong reasons for fasting includes to earn God’s attention or favor, out […]
Fast for the Right Reasons In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional.He doesn’t say, “If you fast…,” but rather, “When you fast…” Jesus’ teaching applies to us too. Fasting is intentionally going without something in order to better connect with God, such as to focus on prayer or seek […]
When, Not If In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, there is a word that is interestingly repeated by Jesus. It is the word when: “When you give to the needy…” [Matthew 6:2]“When you pray..” [Matthew 6:5 and 7]“When you fast…” [Matthew 6:16] Notice that Jesus doesn’t say if you give, if you pray, or […]