149-Fasting Prayer#
149-Fasting Prayer
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
In the New Testament, Matthew 9:14-17, the topic we are sharing today is called Fasting Prayer.
Let's read Matthew 9:14-15 together:
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break; and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Let's pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You! Thank You for bringing Your children here during this time. This week is Passion Week, a commemorative time when Jesus Christ gave His life and shed His precious blood on the cross for all of us. Here, Your children reflect on what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross.
Lord Jesus, have mercy on every brother and sister who comes before You, let us all gain something in Your presence, let us focus our eyes on the cross of Jesus Christ, where there is love, provision, and forgiveness. May the brothers and sisters receive supply here, thank You and praise You, Lord! We completely surrender the following time to You, may the Holy Spirit personally guide each of our hearts. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!
Hallelujah! Today's topic is somewhat special. If this is your first time hearing about Jesus, this is a very fresh topic for you, Fasting Prayer.
During Passion Week, almost all churches across the country and even the world engage in fasting prayer. You have participated in this before, right? I want to ask the brothers and sisters a question: Why do we fast? What does fasting represent? Or let me ask everyone again, what can fasting bring you?
If you say, "I don't know, the church organized it, so I just participated," then you must be the hungriest one. Some say, "I fast to lose weight," which is also a purpose. In short, there must be a reason for fasting. Some say they don't know; since others are fasting, they will fast too. In the end, they feel miserable from hunger. If you don't know why you are fasting, I suggest you don't fast, because that is clearly just starving yourself, which cannot be called fasting; that is just punishing yourself.
Today’s topic is Fasting, for what? Prayer! If you are fasting for other reasons, not what God wants us to do, the purpose of fasting is for prayer, Amen! Prayer is to pray to God, to pray to the Heavenly Father. Many people say the purpose of fasting is to afflict oneself. Some say, "I am not sure if God will respond," or "I have been praying for a long time about something, but God has not fulfilled it."
Some say, "You need to fast and pray; when God sees you fasting, He will immediately fulfill it for you." Brothers and sisters, do you think this is threatening God? There is a bit of that implication, right? If God does not fulfill your regular prayers, then you fast; if three days don't work, you fast for seven days; if seven days don't work, you fast for half a month; if half a month doesn't work, you fast for forty days. You just don't believe He won't fulfill it. Then you say before God, "Lord, please fulfill it quickly; look, I'm about to starve to death. If You don't fulfill it, I will die before You." Have you ever prayed like this?
I have prayed like this before. There was a time when I hit rock bottom in my life, and I really saw no way out. At that time, I had no money, so I chose one thing: to fast! Isn't that clever? Not eating and still praying to God. I fasted for three days, and God did not fulfill it, so I said, "Lord, if You don't fulfill it, I will just starve myself." God did not let me continue and fulfilled it for me.
What I want to tell everyone today is this: Many people, after fasting and having their needs met, immediately take that as truth to teach others, and that is dangerous! I am not saying, "Don't worry, if three days don't work, then try seven days; God will definitely fulfill it." This becomes a condition, just like your child at home saying, "Dad, buy me a toy car." Dad says no, "You already have enough toys." The child says, "I will fast; if you don't buy it, I won't eat. One day without eating, two days without eating, three days without eating..." Will you buy it? Yes, you will, feeling pained.
This is our human thinking. Is our God like this? Is it that before God, you threaten Him, and when He sees you not eating, He feels sorry and fulfills your request? Today we want to share such questions. Some people say the purpose of fasting is a display of piety.
Some say, "If you have never fasted, you are not worthy to be a Christian." This is very dangerous, meaning those who have fasted feel very pious. How does the Bible teach us about fasting? Some fast for healing from physical ailments; some say, "I fast to starve my old self," while others fast for God to fulfill a certain need. However, there are indeed some who fast to establish a good relationship with God or to know God more deeply.
Let's first look at fasting in the Old Testament. We are not under the law; we are under grace. So, was there fasting under the Old Testament law? Yes, under the Old Testament law, God looks at your actions. Brothers and sisters, remember, besides Christianity, other religions look at your actions.
Judges 20:26: "Then all the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked counsel of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother?'"
The first type is crying out.
That's right, this is the way of fasting prayer in the Old Testament, fasting that day until evening. They also offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. This is the first type; people cry before the Lord, showing how pitiful they are, asking Him to fulfill their needs, fasting for a night for God to accomplish something.
The second type is afflicting oneself.
Indeed, it is to afflict oneself. Ezra 8:21-23: "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions."
Did they encounter enemies? So at this time, they said, "Lord, the road ahead is really too rough and dangerous, so I am now proclaiming a fast to say before God, 'Lord, look at me; I am humbling myself before You. I have a determination to afflict myself; please grant me a smooth path.'" This is a fasting under the Old Testament. "I sought the king for help against the enemy on the road, thinking it would be shameful, 'For I had said to the king, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him; but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him."'" So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer." You see, fasting is also answered by God; that was under the Old Testament law, relying on your actions. When God sees, "Hmm, your actions are not bad, you are crying and humbling yourself," God fulfills your request.
There is another person in the Old Testament who is also under the law, but this person is special: David. Brothers and sisters, do you know what God's evaluation of David is? God said of David: "David is a man after My own heart." The first is crying out, the second is afflicting oneself. David is called a man after God's own heart. When he fasted, it was different from others. When did David fast? When he sinned.
Brothers and sisters, do you remember? He committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. After the prophet told him, he was very angry, saying, "This man should repay fourfold." In the end, he was cursing himself, unexpectedly bringing a curse upon himself, and as a result, his child was going to die. When he saw that the child was going to die, he said, "What should I do?" Fast.
At that time, David began to fast, not eating. "Lord, look, the child is going to die." Was he saying, "If the child dies, I will not eat at all"? No, you see, before the child died, David was fasting. He was unkempt, not eating or drinking, doing nothing, just looking unkempt.
But the child still died. After the child died, the servants dared not speak to him. According to our human thinking, when the child died, he would not eat, being heartbroken. But look at David; this is the Old Testament.
David's uniqueness is that when he heard the child died, he bathed, changed clothes, shaved, and ate. People thought, "How realistic is David?" His servants did not understand and asked, "What is this you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept." We just talked about he did both, right? One is fasting and crying, and the other is afflicting oneself, hoping God would change His mind.
But the child still died. After the child died, he got up and ate. David said a very classic line in 2 Samuel 12:21-23: "David said, 'While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, "Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?" But now he is dead, why should I fast?"
Do you see David's situation under the Old Testament law? David was a very realistic person. Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. He knew God's will was already set and could not be changed, so there was no need to fast. In this way, David's fasting is not related to the previous two types of fasting, but God did not say to David, "You are too realistic; let two more of your children die."
Brothers and sisters, under the Old Testament, God indeed looks at your actions. So under the law, if you sin, you must pay the price. This is very dangerous; we must understand that today we need to know that the purpose of fasting is different from that under the Old Testament. Today we fast to receive the abundance of Christ! Amen! But do not misunderstand fasting; the Bible cannot be misinterpreted. If misinterpreted, it will lead to many jokes and potentially life-threatening situations.
John 14:12: Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." Amen!
You have all read this verse, right? What does "greater works" refer to? Once, when I was communicating with someone, they said, "You don't know; my preacher is very interesting. He interprets this verse as: the works that Jesus did, we all must do, and we must do greater works than these. Jesus fasted for forty days; we must fast for sixty days, meaning we must surpass Jesus." Some even said, "What Jesus did, we must do, and we must do greater works than these." They said, "Jesus carried the cross during Passion Week, which was so painful, so we must walk that road too. During Passion Week, we must go to Israel, carry that cross, and complete that journey." I said, "Why don't you nail yourself up?" Is this a misunderstanding?
So, brothers and sisters, do not misinterpret this verse; that would be very dangerous because what Jesus is saying here about greater works is definitely not referring to fasting. He is referring to saving souls, Amen!
What does fasting mean under the Old Testament?
Let's look at Isaiah 58:6-11:
"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am."
If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
The original meaning of "chosen" in parentheses is "the fast that I love."
Let's first look at what the fast that God loves in the Old Testament is. It says here: "Is this not to loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" Originally, fasting is not to bind yourself tighter. You originally wanted to eat but stopped eating; it is not to make your burden heavier. It is to loosen your yoke. Amen!
To loose the bonds of wickedness means you have been in wickedness and sin, and now through fasting, you return to God. Amen! Leaving wickedness and returning to God, then undo the heavy burdens. We have a heavy burden that we feel we cannot bear anymore. When you come before God, you loosen your burden, fasting and praying before God, allowing the oppressed to go free. You see, during the process of fasting and praying, you can gain freedom, and then breaking every yoke is to bring you back to God, letting go of your past burdens, bindings, and shackles. God wants to completely release you during your fasting, Amen!
It goes on to say: "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?" Originally, when the Israelites behaved very poorly, God told them to fast and pray. What is the purpose of fasting and praying? It is to reflect on your behavioral issues and then repent of them.
When you fast, you can share your bread with the hungry, Amen! Do you see what the problem is? Perhaps in the past, the Israelites did not care for the poor, so when they fasted, they did not eat their bread, and that bread became the food for the hungry. God's intention is to let you see His abundance, and then from within you, you can express God's love, caring for your own flesh and blood, seeing the naked and helping them with clothing.
This is how to come before God under the Old Testament to correct your behavior. "Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'"
Do you see, brothers and sisters? We have been talking about the Old Testament. Isaiah is a situation under the Old Testament law. Under the law, when your behavior is corrected, and you humble yourself before God, weeping and repenting of your behavior, God will answer your prayer. This is something the Israelites often did under the Old Testament. They were stiff-necked against God, resulting in enemies attacking them, losing their homes. When they humbled themselves before God, weeping and fasting, God would save them again, renewing His love for them and answering their prayers. This is a situation under the Old Testament.
Brothers and sisters, when Jesus came, it was different. Under the Old Testament: "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness," this is very comprehensive. First, it means to take away the heavy yoke from your midst, meaning you have brought many burdens to others. Take away the pointing of the finger, what finger? "You did this and that..." Do not judge others; come before God and repent! And speaking wickedness, is it not attacking others? Before God, all these things must stop because you are going to fast and pray, weep, and afflict your soul.
"If your heart is compassionate toward the hungry, And you satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
What is the condition? You must change your behavior; you must do this and that, have compassion for the poor, do not judge others, do not speak wickedly, and then fast. God will give you grace. Is there a condition? This is under the law.
Brothers and sisters, we are not under that law today. In the New Testament, you are not under the law. When Jesus preached the gospel, was He under the Old Testament or the New Testament? He was under the Old Testament! When did the New Testament begin? After He was crucified.
Do you remember that night of Passover? How did Jesus say? "This is My blood, which is shed for you, and the new covenant is established for you!" When did His blood flow? It flowed on the cross, so the New Testament began after Jesus Christ was crucified and His precious blood was shed, and our sins were forgiven. At that time, the New Testament began. Therefore, when Jesus was on earth, He was still under the law.
Galatians also tells us: "He was born of a woman, born under the law." Amen! Jesus was born under the law; He came to save those under the law. While under the law, He taught some New Testament content. Brothers and sisters, can you remember this? He was under the law, so He could not violate the Old Testament law. Therefore, Jesus also fasted, but what He taught under the law was New Testament content. After He was crucified, the New Testament content He taught began.
The text we read today is such a process. Jesus did not require His disciples to fast. At that time, the disciples of the Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "We and the Pharisees often fast." Do you see? This is a normalized fasting. Do you remember a prayer?
The Pharisee stood on the street corner praying, saying, "I pray three times a day, and I fast twice a week." Do you fast twice a week?
So, let us not compare ourselves to the Pharisees; we absolutely cannot compare to them.
Jesus' disciples did not fast, and they thought these disciples were too irreverent, so they asked Jesus, "Look, we often fast, but Your disciples do not fast. Why is that?" Is it a bit of discontent? Today, under the New Testament, if you fast, do not look down on those who do not fast; there is nothing to boast about in that, Amen!
"Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?"
We know who the bridegroom is? Jesus! What kind of days do we have with Jesus? That's right, when someone gets married, we are with the bridegroom. If you say, "I will not eat; I will fast," doesn't that seem a bit problematic?
You come to someone else's wedding, and you are fasting. You can fast at home; why must you fast in front of the bridegroom? So, what does Jesus mean here? While they are with Me, there is no need to fast, but when I leave them, then they will fast.
There was a time when Jesus left His disciples. When was that? When Jesus died. During the time before He resurrected and met the disciples, they all fasted. After the Holy Spirit came down, which is now, after the Holy Spirit came down, He never left you again. So, we are now in this time; we believe in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. God is with us. Amen!
All four Gospels tell us that the Holy Spirit dwells in us until the end of the world. Amen! God will not leave you again. In this case, you can choose to fast or not to fast. Do you understand what I mean? This is not a forced requirement, but under the Old Testament law, there was a specific day called the fasting day, which you had to fast. So this part is spoken to those under the Old Testament.
Under grace, we can fast, but it is not a forced requirement, Amen! Because when Jesus was on the cross for our sins, shedding His precious blood, God was already pleased with you, Amen! Today, your prayers are answered not because of your actions but because of the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood brought you a new covenant. God remembers this covenant; therefore, when you pray, God fulfills it, Amen!
We are in a relationship with the covenant. Matthew 6 tells us:
16 "Moreover, when you fast, 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. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
This is interesting. Today, we must not use fasting to boast. This week is called Passion Week, but I prefer to call it Resurrection Week. Many people have posted about fasting, about fasting sermons, and some fasting testimonies. I have really seen some people's fasting testimonies.
It is really very interesting. After they fasted, they have something to boast about. "I fasted for forty days; look at me before fasting, and look at me after forty days of fasting." Are you showing off to people or to God? Although fasting can help lose weight, you don't need to write out the entire process of your fasting and post pictures. That is for people to see. But God said: "When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that no one sees you are fasting, and then God will reward you." Amen!
Do not make your face look miserable and say, "I am fasting." Your husband says, "Wife, please cook well for the children today." You say, "I am fasting." "Hurry up and go to work." "I am fasting..." Don't make your face look so miserable as if after believing in the Lord, this person becomes abnormal. During this week of fasting, they do nothing, as if they must do this. In fact, this is not forced; it is voluntary, Amen!
The purpose of fasting under the New Testament is to meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ, to reflect on all He has accomplished for us, Amen! Do not use fasting to boast. I once met a Korean missionary who was very impressive. When we met, he handed me a business card. Guess what was written on it? I was shocked; it said, "I am Pastor So-and-so. I have been pastoring for forty years, and I have fasted for forty days, three times. I have been on a mission in China for so many years." There were other things I did not see or remember, but I just remembered one thing: he fasted for forty days, three times!
Seeing this, I immediately felt ashamed. Since I believed in the Lord, the longest I have fasted was three days, and he did it three times for forty days...
Brothers and sisters, can this be boasted about? Remember, the purpose of our fasting is not to show off ourselves; it is about your relationship with God, Amen! If you deviate from this original intention, it is better not to fast because you will discourage many people. What about those who cannot fast for forty days? They will feel, "Look, he fasted for forty days and has spiritual power. His church is growing, and his family is smooth sailing. Why doesn't God hear my prayers?" Because I did not do a forty-day fast! Many people try to do this and end up having problems, so do not do such foolish things.
Today, the purpose of fasting is to meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen! Let me ask everyone a question: Who was the first person in the entire Bible to fast for forty days? It was Moses. Moses was an incredible person. Today, anyone fasting for forty days must drink water, but Moses, the Bible clearly states, did not eat or drink. Who dares to compare with Moses!
Let's read Exodus 34:27-28 together:
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write these words; for according to the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
So, brothers and sisters, the first person to fast for forty days was Moses. We cannot compare at all; no one can do forty days without eating or drinking; they would die early. So do not try this, but under the New Testament, do we have to do this? We are not comparing who is more pious or who is more miserable; this is not the style of a Christian. What we should proclaim is the grace of Jesus Christ upon us, Amen!
There is something I want to ask everyone: What was Moses doing while fasting for forty days? Have you thought about this? What was Moses doing while fasting for forty days? Some say, "The Bible says the Lord wrote the words of the covenant, which are the Ten Commandments, on the tablets." Brothers and sisters, do you think God took forty days just to write ten sentences? How long would it take you to copy the Ten Commandments? It wouldn't take a day, right? Could you copy it in an hour? A normal person could definitely finish it in an hour, right? So why did God take forty days?
What was Moses doing on the mountain? Actually, it is very simple. We have been saying that whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, the content of fasting must be focused on Jesus. At any time, our preaching theme cannot deviate from Jesus! Amen! So, when you are before God, at any time of service, do not stray from Jesus! This includes fasting, Amen!
Today is Sunday, and the main character of Sunday is Jesus Christ. When fasting, the main character is also Jesus. Let's first look at this question: What was Moses doing on the mountain for forty days? He was not listening to God explain the Ten Commandments in detail, preparing to manage this group of people. No, he had a covenant, which was to reach an agreement with the Israelites. What was their covenant? The covenant of the Ten Commandments.
What did Moses do after coming down from the mountain? He began to build the tabernacle. Exodus 25:40: "And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
Isn't that the content of those forty days? So do not think, "Oh, Moses was up there suffering; he did not eat or drink, and he was studying the Ten Commandments." Moses would have died!
He was not studying the Ten Commandments; God told Moses the entire model of the tabernacle. Do you know that the entire tabernacle is all about Jesus? Amen! The Ark of the Covenant is the sign of God's presence! It is also the sign of Jesus being with us! The entire tabernacle, including the golden lampstand, the bronze altar, the altar of burnt offering, and the basin, all relate to Jesus.
In fact, during those forty days, God was detailing the tabernacle to Moses and telling him, "You must always think of My Son, Jesus Christ!" Amen!
Now look at the New Testament, Hebrews 8:5-6: "They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: 'See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'"
Is this past?
There is a characteristic of the Old and New Testaments: the Old Testament is a shadow, and the New Testament is the reality. Amen! We see now, is it now? Is the previous tabernacle past? The covenant under the Old Testament law is now the New Testament era. "Now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Amen! Originally, under the Old Testament, Moses fasted, and all matters of the tabernacle pointed to the Messiah. When Jesus came in the New Testament, He is that Messiah! Amen!
So, our relationship with God is no longer the Old Testament covenant but the New Testament grace covenant, Amen! Under the New Testament, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, today God will answer your prayers; God will listen to your prayers, Amen! When we understand that being with God is such a beautiful thing, you can choose to communicate with Him through fasting, Amen! That is a very beautiful thing!
Brothers and sisters, think about a question: How much time have we wasted in our lives on trivial matters? I won't mention anything else; just take eating as an example. How much time do you spend eating? Have you calculated it? The time spent buying groceries, washing vegetables, cooking, eating, and washing dishes—how much time does that take up in your day? More than a third, right? I know some people take one or two hours to eat, and in the evening, it is even longer; some eat until eleven o'clock. We waste a lot of time on this.
But God's intention is that during fasting, you eliminate all the time that wastes your time and draw close to God! Amen! That is a very beautiful time. Thank the Lord! We must understand that our strength does not come from the results of fasting, Amen! Many people tell me, "Teacher Ren, if you want power, if you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must fast. Then the Holy Spirit will fill you!" Is this statement correct?
Is it fasting that fills you with the Holy Spirit?
No, how can the Holy Spirit fill you? It is actually very simple: meditate on God's Word! Amen! Meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ, and you will be filled. It is that simple, so many people have reversed the verses.
Let's look at a person in the New Testament who fasted for forty days. Who was it? Jesus! Why did Jesus fast for forty days? We just mentioned that under the Old Testament law, people cry and afflict themselves, hoping for good behavior to gain God's favor. So why did Jesus fast?
Some say it was to show His piety. Did Jesus need to show His piety? Did He need to express His piety through fasting? Some say, "If I fast, God will love me more." Did Jesus need to fast to make the Father love Him more? So why did Jesus fast? Some say, "I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit." Was Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit only after fasting? That's right; some remembered. Let's look at this verse; it is just reversed.
Let's read Luke 4:1 together: "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil."
Brothers and sisters, do you know? In the Old Testament, people had to express their piety, do some actions, repent, fast before God, and gain God's favor. But the New Testament is different. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, Amen!
God will listen to your prayers, Amen! You can be filled with the Holy Spirit, Hallelujah! Just like Jesus, before fasting, He was already filled with the Holy Spirit. After Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness.
Brothers and sisters, do you know why the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness? Many people say, "When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit leads you into the wilderness; aren't you doomed?" It is better not to be filled; originally, you were in the land flowing with milk and honey, but after being filled with the Holy Spirit, you ran to the wilderness. Why go there?
So, the Bible cannot be misinterpreted. Here it says Jesus, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When did the devil tempt Jesus? Was it at the beginning of the fast or at the end? That's right; you remember this. Why did the devil tempt Jesus after He had fasted for forty days?
Those who have fasted should understand that once the fast is over, you relax. At the same time, that is also when your body is weakest. Do you understand? But one thing is strongest: your inner life. For example, if you fasted for forty days, your physical supply is gone, but every day you immerse yourself in God's Word. At that time, your inner life is constantly thinking about God, so you know that you are filled with God's Word.
Jesus was just like this. Before fasting, the Father had already recognized Him, saying, "You are My beloved Son." So He knew His identity, Amen! When He finished fasting, at that time, the devil began to tempt Him, saying, "If you are the Son of God." Isn't this making Him forget His identity, forget that He is the Son of God? When will we be defeated by the devil? When will you fall into the devil's trap? It is when you are uncertain about your identity!
In other words, when you are uncertain that God loves you, you are easily tempted by the devil and will fall into his trap. This is why I want everyone to often declare before God: "Today, in Christ, I am Your righteous one! Today, I declare that God loves me!" Why do we need to declare this? It is to remind you of who your identity is; you are God's beloved child! Amen! Because only through God's Word can you overcome the devil!
Jesus set an example for us. At Jesus' weakest moment, the devil came to tempt Him. At that time, Jesus overcame all the temptations of the devil through God's Word, Amen! So it is absolutely not through fasting that you gain strength; you are already in strength. It is just that through fasting, you forget what you are busy with and look only to Him, relying on God's provision, God's Word, and God's power. By relying on that strength, your strength becomes greater than before, Amen! That is the reason. We do not gain strength through fasting; we gain strength through looking to the grace of Jesus Christ. You do not gain faith through fasting; you gain faith through continually hearing the Word. Hallelujah!
So why do we still fast today? Jesus fasted to face the devil's temptation, setting an example for us. What kind of example? Even at His weakest moment, He could overcome the devil. Today, isn't that our strength? This means that even at Jesus' weakest moment, the devil could not defeat Him. How much less so now that Jesus is not fasting, and how much less so when Jesus is strong? The devil is even less of a problem, so I rely on Jesus, and I can also overcome all the schemes of the devil.
So when you are fasting, think about the power of Jesus Christ, think about what He accomplished for you on the cross, and at that time, you will also gain strength, Hallelujah! So the center of fasting is Jesus Christ! Do not let fasting become about what you have done; that would be wrong. The purpose of fasting is to meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ and enjoy the joy of being in His presence.
So if you want to fast, I have a suggestion: arrange a day, prepare other things, and then take a day to come to the church. Here, no one will disturb you; it is just a beautiful communication with God. You can sing, read the Bible, or share with others; all is good.
Set aside that time, and at that time, you will indeed see the light in the Bible that you have not seen before. That is the reason, because you are not thinking about worldly matters or family matters.
Many people turn fasting into a formality, saying, "This week is Passion Week, so I will fast on Friday, not eat, but I will cook for the children, go to work, do this, do that!" On that day, they don't even have the opportunity to read the Bible. Does this fasting have any meaning? No meaning. Fasting is about having a private conversation with God, temporarily setting aside your physical needs. This is the meaning and purpose of fasting.
So I do not recommend that everyone fast while working; it easily becomes formalized. Mark 9:29: Jesus said, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
A few days ago, we talked about this verse. Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, and there was a child possessed by a demon whom His disciples could not cast out. Jesus went and cast out the demon with just one word. Later, the disciples privately asked Jesus, "Why could we not cast it out?"
Jesus said, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer." The original text does not have that verse, meaning the words "fasting" were added by later translators. Mark's Gospel specifically mentions this; does it mention fasting here? Is it in parentheses? "There are ancient manuscripts that have the word fasting here."
Matthew's Gospel mentions that this kind can come out only through fasting, while here it does not use that term. I want to briefly explain this to you. The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—have many repetitions. Why are there repetitions? Four different people describe the life of Jesus from four different perspectives.
I want to tell you that Mark's Gospel is the earliest written of the four Gospels. Matthew and Luke both refer to the content of Mark's Gospel. If you read carefully, you will find that there are many things, especially in Matthew and Luke, that are the same as in Mark. This means they referred to the revelations of the previous person and added some testimonies and examples afterward. Amen!
This is permitted by God. We are all building spiritual work on the foundation of the prophets and apostles. Think about it; when you go out to preach, you can also preach what I preach because we are all guided and revealed by one Holy Spirit. Even if you preach what this pastor preached, it is also acceptable. Amen! Because this situation appears in the four Gospels from the beginning. Matthew's Gospel refers to some of Mark's content.
Here it is mentioned that when these two have slight discrepancies, we need to check the original text. The original text does not mention fasting. The three Gospels mention this issue, and they are completely consistent. So it is absolutely not to say, "Oh, look, this person is possessed by a demon; what should we do? We should fast!" This person is seriously ill, has cancer; what should we do? Fast! It is as if fasting has become our last resort. In fact, it is not.
What Jesus said is, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer." Jesus did not say, "Demon, come out! Do not enter him again!" Is it prayer? So this is the important authority.
Brothers and sisters, what is the purpose of fasting? We have been emphasizing that the purpose of fasting is to enjoy being with Jesus. The entire focus of fasting is on Jesus. Hallelujah! It is about setting aside time to communicate with God. This is the purpose of fasting. Therefore, spiritual power does not come from more fasting but from looking to and trusting Jesus Christ! Your power does not come from fasting; it comes from the power of the Holy Spirit. So do not focus on your actions; focus on the power of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
Some also ask me, "Teacher Ren, when fasting, should I drink water? Is it allowed?" Do not return to the law! Moses fasted for forty days without eating or drinking; who can do that? That would really kill someone! Do not live under the law; live under grace. So if you want to fast, God is pleased, Amen! Determine according to personal circumstances. For example, should an eight-month pregnant woman fast for a week? Don't do that. We are not saying to be compassionate or anything; wait until the child is born, and after a month, fast. Do not make it so legalistic. If you are not careful, it will really cause problems. You can refrain from eating, but the fetus cannot fast with you, so do not live under the law; that is the meaning.
Today, I mean that some people have weak constitutions. If they do not drink water for a day, they will feel weak. In that case, fasting can include drinking water. But some say, "I will not drink water or eat; I can completely do that." Fasting is not about how pitiful you appear or what you have done; the main character of fasting is Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! It is about being with Jesus, communicating with Him. That is a very good day. We can meditate on the early church, in the apostolic era, where everyone shared everything in common, singing praises to God in the temple every day, taking communion!
Wow, those were very good days! During that time, the Bible records that miracles and wonders were almost seen every day. They were not the result of fasting; they were praising God in the temple every day, looking to God, fellowshipping with each other, sharing, and the power was manifested.
I encourage brothers and sisters to set aside time every day for a beautiful time of communication with God, and your strength will also be manifested, Amen! Thank the Lord!
Finally, let's look at a passage of scripture to conclude, Colossians 2:16-17:
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
One is the Old Testament, and one is the New Testament. So you can understand that in terms of food, the Old Testament sabbath and fasting days are all about food and festivals. In these matters, let no one judge you; do not accept others judging you. "Are you a Christian? Why don't you fast?"
Do not accept such judgments from others, Amen! And do not judge others, "Have you ever fasted?" Do not judge others like that because these are just shadows of things to come; the substance is Jesus Christ! We should not live in the shadows; we should live in the reality, Hallelujah! Even if you fast, you should meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ. Do not meditate on the shadow; do not meditate on the festival; meditate on the Lord of the festival, Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
As we come before God, especially during this Passion Week and Resurrection Week, you should reflect on what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross. Even when you choose to fast, you should know that the purpose of our fasting is for prayer, not to express our piety or to seek God to accomplish something through our fasting.
Today, you are the beloved child of the Heavenly Father. God is willing to give you everything freely because Jesus paid the full price for all your sins on the cross. He is willing to pour out all blessings upon you, not because of your good behavior, but because Jesus paid all the costs for you, and you are grateful.
So you say before God, "Lord, I want to remember what You have done for me on this day. I want to set aside the time in my daily life to be with You and communicate with You." This is a very pleasing thing to God!
Lord Jesus, we thank You!
Thank You for the precious blood You shed for us on the cross! You have cleansed us completely! Today, we can enjoy all Your blessings before God! Today, we receive Your power! We thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much! And in the name of Jesus Christ, I heal all your diseases! I remove all your weaknesses in your hearts in the name of Jesus Christ!
Because Jesus on the cross has accomplished everything! He is willing to save you! You say, "I am very weak now." Through Jesus, you can be strong today! In your life, you are willing to communicate with Jesus, or on such a day, you are willing to have a beautiful communication with God. You are welcome to fast, but do not look down on those who do not fast! Because we are all recipients; we are freely receiving the grace given by Jesus Christ!
Thank You and praise You! Thank You for giving us such a beautiful time, so that each brother and sister can gain something. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!