Isaiah 58:6-7 | “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Matthew 6:16-18 | “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, deepen our focus on you.
DAILY THOUGHT: SOCIALLY AWARE FASTING
Fasting, when it is genuine, will also lead us into a greater awareness of the suffering around us. We will find ourselves becoming more responsive to the needs in our midst, especially those oppressed by hunger and poverty. This could be one reason why the prophet Isaiah once cried out: “Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the things 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 them, and not hide yourself from your own kin?”(Isaiah 58:6–7)
DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. Today meditate on the above words of Isaiah. How do you honestly respond to them? What do you sense God may be saying to you? Is there one way in which you can take seriously God’s challenge about socially aware fasting in the next twenty-four hours? Be as specific, creative and practical as you are able in thinking about this.