When you fast...

In Jesus' famous sermon on the mount, He makes a connection between the practice of prayer and the discipline of fasting. Here's Matthew's recording of this in chapter 6:9-16 (ESV):

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

And when you fast..."

Prayer AND fasting complement each other well. Jesus' statements seem to affirm and assume people of faith would practice both of these disciplines. 

For me, if I am facing a major decision or difficulty, these 2 practices really help enhance my ability to focus, reflect, and really listen to the Lord.  These practices have been a way for me to get into God's presence more intentionally.

So maybe we all might lean in to prayer AND fasting a little more in our lives and see what God might do in our world today!

Here's a helpful article I read on this today:  https://biblehub.com/q/bible's_view_on_prayer_and_fasting.htm

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash