Fasting, lent and Prayer

Prayer, Fasting, lent and other devoted events before Gd Almighty

I would like to be short & pointed, clearly separating the recent {popular} practice from the biblical teaching about prayer and fasting. We can see various religious special days, pilgrimage, festivals and special events around us and I think this little study will surprise you.
The 3rd century saw many changes in the then "Catholic" Church, which was in her new power in the Earthly domain. And new power means : carnal, political power-circles. In this way the "church" & the leaders significantly rethought (or over thought?) then "adjusted" and eventually replaced the original apostolic practice, which was based on Christ's teachings. The more religious pious people earned acceptance and benefit in the pagan Roman world the more spectacular and pompous ceremony took place around the church.
Jesus Christ is crystal clear on this:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19

So we need wisdom here. We are not to criticize well worn paths, traditionally conducted by hundreds of generations.
However, We must see & understand the human devotion from the perspective of Heavenly revelations. Our source is Christ and his closest disciples the apostles.
Christ /Messiah has a famous teaching, more precisely a collection of teachings called: "Sermon of the Mountain" which leads us on the narrow spiritual way. You can read them in Matthew's gospel from chapter 5 - to chapter 7. Unlike the Hollywood type movie interpretations this is not one long sermon but various subjects, faithfully collected and written down by the apostles.
There are some identity themed teachings here {Salt and Light, Blessed are those who..} and also some behavioral or moral teachings {anger, lust, divorce, oath, retaliation VS forgiveness, Giving to the Needy or Dealing with the enemies}.
More importantly here, in Matthew's record we can find the main prayer model for every Christian person: the "Our Father prayer". This is our 1st prayer base in the Christianity (in Matthew 6:9)
But we can also read about the dynamic of every prayer, fasting, activity and devotion. This is how the almighty sees the "God — human" relationship. Jesus says:

"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."

God's Kingdom is an unseen kingdom. With other words: non visible non existential kingdom in flesh. This has far-reaching consequences in every area of a believer's life.

"There 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. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4

The way of prayer, fasting and other devotionals is the same:

"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. 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."
Matthew 6:6
"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

There is an inside — outside dynamics in the Christian life, but the outside part, the visible activity depends on the spiritual action by the Heaven and our trustful prayer in the prayer chamber:

“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. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Mt 6:5

Reminder :
Devotion is 100% dependency. Our Father acts in the invisible — it should be seen in the visible. This is the question of trust.

This heavenly dynamic is not a new teaching in the Bible at all : Prophet Isaiah already interpreted God's opinions about those who make devotional deeds/actions but in their hearts they remained sinful and fleshy (carnal). We can read about it — we can learn from it. The Bible - unlike other religious scriptures - is absolutely honest about human sin and depravity. For without diagnosis there is no restoration and healing. And Our Creator God is restoring God!

".. declare to my people their transgression,..
Yet they seek Me daily
and delight to know my ways...
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, 
and oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high."
Isaiah 58:1--

This clearly shows that God Almighty is not satisfied with the outer exercises. He is not impressed by what is influential among the humans!
But we have more to learn from Isaiah. In the next rhetorical question Gd turns the focus on the right practice, toward the righteous heart 's behavior :

"Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a Reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh. "
Is 58:1;

note:
We can see the same teachings
in Proverbs 24:11; Psalm 82:4 etc.

Loosing bonds, giving food or accommodation to the homeless, or restoring dignity is clearly not just moral need before God Almighty. For Him these reactions has way more significance than simple good deeds or rituals.
The essence of His thinking & attitude can be read here, in Hosea 6:6

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
...
For I desire steadfast love
and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God
rather than burnt offerings
Hos 6:4; 6:6

We must learn 3 significant things here:
1. Steadfast love is a special word here for God's love: Hesed. Sometimes we translate it like "mercy" describing a heavenly complex action and attitude. (see the study about it)
2. Hos 6:6 is a poetical form of prophecy. This is a parallelism. It means that the 2nd verse is the rhyme of the 1st. The second sentence is the explanation of the 1st. If we fulfill God's desire for Hesed love = we have deeper knowledge of God himself.
3. The implication from all this that personal prayer for our lives and expressing God's love and grace is more important to Him than any rituals. Not to mention the fact that God is the Examiner of hearts "who sees." (Genesis 16:13, our Abrahamic heritage and 1Kings 8:39, our wisdom heritage)

Questions

- Did you notice that Jesus calls God: Father? Originally: "abba", means "daddy".
- Where do you see weak areas for improvement in your life of intimate prayer?
- Where do you see cruelty and ignorance in the actual life, neighborhood, in your religion or in the actual politics? Would you pray for this?

Suggested studies:
Hos 6:6
Our Father prayer
Jesus's two phases
Hesed and Agape
"prayer" articles, here on the blog

Maastricht, 3-4 April 2025