Mississauga Worship

SUNDAY Worship Service: JANUARY 19, 2025

Moving Towards the Father through Prayer & Fasting

Matthew 6:1-18

Rev. Charles Lee

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.

A. Expectation to fast

“… when you give to the needy…” (Matthew 6:2)

“And when you pray…” (Matthew 6:5, 7)

“And when you fast…” (Matthew 6:16)

“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15)

“Don’t let your fasting coincide with those of the hypocrites. They fast on the 2nd [Monday] and 5th [Thursday] days of the week. So, you should fast on the 4th day [Wednesday] and the preparation [Friday] day of the week.” (Didache 8:1)

“What we should perhaps ponder is where we are today in comparison with the generation who have gone before us. To be sure, there are dangers whenever religious disciplines are legislated or brought back into play simply because the church used to do it this way, but Christians receive Scripture as God’s Word—and the God of that Word is the one who legislated fasts for Israel. The church carried out that divine blueprint as it reshaped the church calendar into a new form that was entirely focused on the life of Jesus Christ. Who are we to neglect what God’s people have always done?” (Scott McKnight, Fasting)

“Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it.” (John Wesley)

“Fasting is important—more important than many of us have supposed…. For all that, however, it is not a major biblical doctrine, a foundation stone of the faith, or a panacea for every spiritual ill. Nevertheless, when exercised with a pure heart and a right motive, fasting may provide us with a key to unlock doors where other keys have failed; a window opening up new horizons in the unseen world; a spiritual weapon of God’s providing, ‘mighty, to the pulling down of strongholds’” (Arthur Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast)

B. Danger of Fasting

“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.” (Matthew 6:16)

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”(Luke 18:11-12)

“The horrible horizontalizing of holy things”

C. Direction of Fasting

“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.  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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 6:16-18)