Fasting that God sees (Matthew 6:16-18)

Speaker: Elder Khoo Kay Hup

Topic: Fasting that God sees (Matthew 6:16-18)

Date: 14 March 2021

When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. Your Father who is in the secret place sees what is done in secret, and He will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:16-18)

 

God sees our motives, our thoughts and our desires. Many of these things are hidden from the public eye but God sees our innermost being.

 

When we fast, we need to allow Him to speak into our lives, circumcise our hearts by putting to death the deeds of our carnal nature (James 4:1-6), and take us through a deep journey of consecration and surrender—not my will but His will (Matthew 6:10), not my way but His way (Isaiah 55:8-9). Give space for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

 

·         In 2012, I went on a 21-day fast and prayer, and fasted from food and totally disengaged from social contacts, both physically and online.

·         I fed on the Word of God, prayed in the Spirit, worshipped God through songs and kept a journal.

 

Does God see our carnality or spirituality? (Romans 8:5-8)

·         Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

·         For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

·         If our desire is on the carnal level, we will never be able to please God.

 

Results of carnality and spirituality (Galatians 5:19-25)

·         We long for the kingdom of God, especially in times of turmoil, challenges and depression.

·         In the kingdom of God, there is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

·         Those who follow after their own carnal desires will not inherit the kingdom of God.

·         Those who belong to Christ have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross.

·         We need to allow our flesh and our hearts to be circumcised by the Holy Spirit.

 

God will reward us according to His plans and purposes

·         Fasting and prayer is not bending God to our will; it is submitting ourselves to His will and His kingdom purposes.

·         The Holy Spirit will pierce through the darkness of our soul and expose that which is carnal and bring it to light so that we will repent of it.

·         As we do so, He will bring life back to us. Jesus came that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

·         He will give us an understanding of His big picture both spiritually and prophetically. (Daniel 9 and 10)

·         He will grant our God-given desires. Eg. Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38); Forgiveness to the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5-10)

·         He will increase our spiritual sensitivity and spiritual authority. Eg. The boy with epileptic seizure (Matthew 17:21)

·         Other examples include: Proverbs 16:7; Isaiah 58:6-14 (esp. vv 8-9)

·         When God takes over, we will see our problems from a different perspective.

 

Finally, a reminder about Fasting (and Prayer):

·         It is a LIFE-STYLE of continual consecration.

·         It is NOT a one-off event.

·         It is one of the ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES God wants us to adopt, in order to be more like Jesus.