Matthew 6:1-18

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

Matthew 5:1

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Psalm 1:6

6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, 

but the way of the wicked will perish. 

Proverbs 11:10

10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, 

and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. 

FASTING IS GIVING UP SOMETHING GOOD TO GAIN SOMEONE GREATER.

Throughout Scripture, fasting is connected to hunger for God:

• clarity

• repentance

• guidance

• protection

• breakthrough

• intimacy

• spiritual understanding

Fasting is not just giving something up—it’s creating space for God to fill.

Dallas Willard - “Fasting a discipline of “abstinence,” a way to reorder our desires so that we learn temperance, humility, and spiritual attentiveness.”

And while food is the most common form of fasting, Scripture also includes abstaining from:

• drink

• sleep

• sex (for a season, by mutual consent – 1 Cor 7:5)

Today, fasting can also mean stepping away from:

• technology

• social media

• entertainment

• shopping

• noise

• distractions

Not because these things are sinful, but because your soul needs to breathe again.

B. Why Christians Fast

Fasting is not commanded—but it is expected.

Jesus doesn’t require fasting; He assumes it.

Christians fast to:

• humble themselves before God

• seek clarity

• intensify prayer

• repent and return

• cultivate self-control

• demonstrate spiritual hunger

• shift focus from worldly concerns

• align the heart with God’s presence

James says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Fasting is one of the ways we draw near.

C. Jesus’ Main Warning About Fasting

Do not fast to be noticed.

Do not fast to look spiritual.

Do not fast to impress.

“When you fast… do not look gloomy…

But anoint your head and wash your face…

That your fasting may not be seen by others,

but by your Father who is in secret.”

Fasting is not a show—it is surrender.

The reward is not admiration—it is intimacy.