Jesus said when you fast, not if: ”And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 NLT

Jonathan Edwards (American theologian, revivalist, the First Great Awakening (1703 – 1758)) wrote much on the spiritual discipline of fasting. Here are four reasons he cites for why believers should fast:

1. To Humble Ourselves Before God: By abstaining from food and other comforts, we acknowledge our dependence on God and our own insufficiency. This humility opens the heart to God’s grace and fosters a spirit of repentance and submission.
2. To Seek a Greater Sense of God’s Presence: Fasting, setting aside physical needs and distractions, allows for more focused prayer and communion with God, heightening our spiritual awareness and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
3. To Seek God’s Guidance and Aid in Times of Trouble: Fasting, combined with prayer, demonstrates earnestness in seeking divine intervention and clarity, showing a reliance on God’s wisdom and power.
4. To Express and Intensify Prayer: The act of fasting signifies the seriousness and urgency of one’s petitions before God, amplifying the believer’s plea for God’s mercy, intervention, and blessings.

Fasting is not merely a physical discipline, but a profound spiritual practice that deepens one’s relationship with God, enhances prayer, and demonstrates genuine humility and dependence on divine providence.

h/t @DustinBenge