Fasting and the Father’s Reward

Church family:
Fasting has always been countercultural. It pushes against Western values by calling us to self-denial and sacrifice. It is neither easy nor comfortable, unlike the convenience and ease our culture often celebrates. And those values have also made their way into the Western Church, yet Jesus fasted and He calls us to do the same.

At the very start of His ministry, the Son of God was tested. Satan tried to pull Him off the path of humble obedience and suffering. If Jesus had failed, there would be no cross, no resurrection, and no salvation for us. But Jesus did not fail. He stood firm by trusting His Father, and His fasting was part of that victory.

Then, in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that fasting is of utmost importance (Matthew 6:16–18). Jesus assumes His disciples will fast like He did. He does not say, “if you fast,” but “when you fast.” And He reminds us that the Father who sees in secret is not looking to shame us, but to reward us in our fasting and praying.

This should encourage and challenge us. Fasting is not about earning God’s favor. It is about learning to depend on Him more than on the things we naturally reach for. Jesus’ words in the wilderness make that plain: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In other words, food is real and necessary, but God is more necessary.

The connection to Israel in Deuteronomy 8:3 is important. In the wilderness, God humbled His people and gave them manna to show that life depends on His Word, not bread alone. Manna taught that God can provide with a single word and reveal Himself when every other hope is gone. Satan twisted that lesson when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4) to make bread for Himself, but Jesus answered that true life and deepest satisfaction come from God, not food. Jesus calls us to fast to remember that our ultimate nourishment is the bread of God's Word not physical food.

That means Jesus’ fasting was not random. It was purposeful. It exposed His unwavering trust in the Father and prepared Him for faithful obedience under the great pressures of living on earth. And it reminds us that our commitment to fasting will do the same in our lives. Fasting reveals what controls us, exposes where our hearts are attached, and helps loosen the grip of lesser loves that we allow to become our daily bread.

If we are honest, many of us are ruled more by comfort than we realize. Fasting gives us a practical way to say, “Lord, You are my portion.” It is a small but powerful act of trust that God promises to reward. This week consider setting aside a meal or two or three to pray, reflect, and seek the Lord. Ask Him to show you what your heart relies on most. Then ask Him to make Christ more precious to you than bread, comfort, or control. This is the reward that God our Heavenly Father promises us when we fast—knowing Jesus.

See you Sunday, not living by bread alone: Steve