The right motive for fasting

Matthew 6:17 "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Throughout the bible fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. There are health benefits. You can find plenty of articles on the internet regarding the potential health benefits of fasting. That must never be the motivation if you are going to achieve anything that will aid your spiritual life. In fact, motivation is the single most important factor. Wrong motivation when it comes to fasting will render it unproductive for your spiritual life.

The Pharisees wanted everyone to know when they were fasting. They would let their appearance become disheveled to give the outward impression that they were suffering through a fast. They were fasting and they wanted everyone to know. Jesus was teaching that they had their motive wrong. The motive ought to be to grow in intimacy with God, not to put it on display so everyone else can see how spiritual you are.

That brings us to a major reason for fasting....intimacy with Christ. Consider this passage:

Luke 5:33 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"


The Pharisees were watching Jesus and picking him apart attempting to find fault with him. They thought they had an issue that they could get some traction on, so they bring it up. Notice how Jesus responds to their criticism:

Luke 5:34 And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."

Jesus is saying, the purpose of fasting is to achieve intimacy with Me......I am with them face to face, so there is no need for them to fast now.....but one day I will be crucified and ascend to the Father, and when I am no longer with them physically, then they will fast.


So the motive is intimacy with Jesus.

To what degree do you desire intimacy with Jesus?

I played some football in High School. I had had a football coach that during a tough game would get us huddled up and say, "This game is going to boil down to who wants it worse. We are in a dog fight. The dog that wants it the worst is going to win. YOU GOTTA WANT IT!"

Can I say to you that when it comes to achieving deeper intimacy with Christ, YOU GOTTA WANT IT! If you are just fasting so that you can feel better about yourself because you did something spiritual you won't grow closer to Christ.

Before you fast, check your motive. Make sure there is but one thing and one thing alone that is driving your soul to fast.......to know God deeper.