By Larry Stout

In his Sermon on the Mount teaching in Matthew 5-7, Jesus outlines the pattern of life that would describe a person who wishes to follow in the path of discipleship. Living “godly,” which means to live as God Himself expects, can only be done through the gift of grace which we experience through the means of grace. These are expressed brilliantly in David Mathis’ book, Habits of Grace. He describes these as listening to God’s voice, speaking to him in prayer, and joining together with his people as the church (“hear his voice, have his ear, belong to His body”).

Mathis notes that Jesus included fasting as a means of grace which we partake of voluntarily in the Sermon on the Mount, just as giving (Matthew 6:2-4), praying (6:5-15), and fasting (6:16-18). He notes, “Fasting is as basic to Christianity as asking from God giving to others. The key here is that Jesus doesn’t say, ‘if you fast,’ but ‘when you fast.’” (Habits of Grace, p.120).

The early church practiced this pattern of fasting as well. We see Saul (later Paul) fasting after he had encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was blinded in the process. He fasted as he sought the Lord to process what had happened to him (Acts 9:9). Likewise, when the church leaders in Antioch were praying for the next steps in the church’s ministry, they were fasting as a part of their worship (Acts 13:3). And when Paul and Barnabas were sent out as a result of those prayers, they engaged in church planting by appointing elders after prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23).

Fasting does not earn us merit badges with God. Rather, it helps humble us to get serious with God. “I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine. (Psalm 35:13).

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