Manipulation: Fasting

I just wanted to clarify something about fasting. It needs to be said that fasting is not manipulation. When many Christians fast their goal is off. When you fast the aim is not to manipulate God to either answer your question or give you favor. That is works friends. Read Galatians and you can see that works is not only the opposite of the gospel, it should be cursed (Galatians 1:9). Works is where you do something for God and He in turn rewards you. It is a tit for tat. You do one thing and so God is obliged to return the favor. This is the opposite of the gospel. Unfortunately, humans (even saved Christians) have a tendency to perform works righteousness.

We have a hard time with grace; A very very hard time with grace. The sayings, 'there is no free lunch' or, ' nothing in life is free,' teach us that grace is not real. So, even though the bible says we are saved by grace and we are perfected by grace, we still try to earn God's favor. "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to obtain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3). Fasting, along with any other spiritual discipline, can become your method of impressing God or manipulating Him to get what you want. So please be careful when you fast. Check your heart to see if you are earning God's favor. Remember the goal is nearness to God. The goal is not to convince God to do your plan.

Always remember when you fast that God is not obligated to answer your request. David didn't see his child live when he fasted and prayed for three days (2 Sam 12) and the disciples haven't seen Jesus return when they fast (Luke 5:35). Does that mean that those fasts failed? Nope! Because the goal of fasting is nearness to God not manipulation. So when you fast, which you should, let God be your aim. Not success, or revelation, or answers, or anything else, just God. God we want You more than we want to know your will for our lives. We want you more than we want your favor on our lives and ministry. You are our desire. We fast so that we can have more of You!