The intent of a fast is to dedicate our time to FATHER. FATHER spoke in Isaiah chapter 58:<\/p>\n
1 \u201cCry aloud, spare not; \u200b\u200bLift up your voice like a trumpet; \u200b\u200bTell My people their transgression, \u200b\u200bAnd the house of Jacob their sins.<\/p>\n
2 \u200b\u200bYet they seek Me daily, \u200b\u200bAnd delight to know My ways, \u200b\u200bAs a nation that did righteousness, \u200b\u200bAnd did not forsake the ordinance of their God. \u200b\u200bThey ask of Me the ordinances of justice; \u200b\u200bThey take delight in approaching God.<\/p>\n
The people had sinned and rebelled against Our Heavenly Father and yet they acted as though they were walking in righteousness. They asked why their fast seemed fruitless and FATHER answered them:<\/p>\n
3 \u200b\u2018\u200bWhy have we fasted,\u2019 they say,<\/em> \u2018and You have not seen?<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bWhy<\/em> have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?\u2019<\/p>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b\u201cIn fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,<\/u><\/p>\n \u200b\u200bAnd exploit all your laborers<\/u>.<\/p>\n 4 \u200b\u200bIndeed you fast for strife and debate<\/u>,<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bAnd to strike with the fist of wickedness<\/u>.<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bYou will not fast as you do<\/em> this day,<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bTo make your voice heard on high.\u201d<\/p>\n The people satisfied their selfish desires, they continued to work, they quarreled among themselves, even turning into fistfights. In essence, their flesh guided their actions instead of them bringing their flesh into submission. If you fast to exalt yourself above others, then FATHER will not \u201ctake notice\u201d.<\/p>\n Jesus spoke in Mark 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, \u201cFollow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.\u201d In effect He said, \u201cDo what I do and you will become like Me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:<\/p>\n 16 \u201cMoreover, when you fast<\/u>, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. <\/p>\n 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, <\/p>\n 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is<\/em> in the secret place;<\/em> and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.\u201d<\/p>\n Notice that Jesus did not use the phrase \u201cif you fast\u201d therefore He did not consider fasting as an optional activity. Additionally, we should not bring any attention to our fasting else our ego will rise up rather than coming into full subjection. Jesus affirms to us that fasting has a reward from FATHER and that in itself ought to encourage each of us to fast!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The intent of a fast is to dedicate our time to FATHER. FATHER spoke in Isaiah chapter 58: 1 \u201cCry aloud, spare not; \u200b\u200bLift up your voice like a trumpet; \u200b\u200bTell My people their transgression, \u200b\u200bAnd the house of Jacob their sins. 2 \u200b\u200bYet they seek Me daily, \u200b\u200bAnd delight to know My ways, \u200b\u200bAs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-love"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6719,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions\/6719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/servias.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}