Fasting is Powerful
one
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus makes it clear he expects us to fast.
Fasting is the great one-two punch along with prayer. After the Transfiguration, the Apostles could not overcome the forces of hell present in the boy possessed by a demon. Jesus then tells them they needed to add fasting to their prayer because prayer without fasting is weak.
In her apparitions Mary has reminded us: "You have forgotten that with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and suspend the laws of nature."
Being glued to the news which makes you anxious and angry about the world is counterproductive.
If you want to do some good for the world and for souls. Fast!
two
Why does he want us to fast? Doesn’t he want us to be happy.
Jesus wants us to fast so that we can be happy. God made us for delight, not for sorrow. The supreme delight comes from union with God.
Yes, God designed us to need certain good things like food and clothing, relationships, accomplishment, truth, and beauty to be happy. But these only give a partial happiness.
Total, perfect and everlasting happiness is found throuhg union with God.
And God wants to give himself totally to us – right now.
But we don’t want him – at least not first, or fully.
We want other things more than God.
This disordered desire for worldly things blocks us from God and perfect happiness.
If we want to be perfectly happy, then we need to two things:
· Decrease our desire for worldly things
· Increase our desire for God.
Fasting accomplishes both.
three
Fasting strengthens us against temptation.
If you want to get stronger you must do some resistance training.
Fasting in resistance training.
One reason we give in to temptation and sin is our will, is weak.
We need to make it stronger by fasting, by saying no to legitimate desires so that when we are faced with illegitimate ones, we have the strength to resist.
We call this mortification. Mortification is resistance training.
four
The most important reason we fast is to show Jesus we love him more than earthly pleasures.
Most people have given things up for Lent. When you’re desire for that thing arises tell Jesus, “Lord, I do this for love of you.”
five
What type of fast should we do?
Fast from those things which are killing us spiritually:
Examine your life, acknowledge sinful behaviors and routines, and then cut them off – fast from them.
Fast from eating too much, or from eating the wrong things or for the wrong reasons, like to relieve stress.
Fast from drinking too much.
Fast from all forms of pornography.
Fast from gossip. Don’t gossip or read gossip or listen to gossip.
Fast from your addiction to your screen.
Fast from your addiction to news and social media, entertainment and scrolling…Jesus wants to set you free from addictions through fasting to have the fullness of Life.