Does God want to fast?

[Robert_Sock]

Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require :
Psalm 40:6

I’ve been fasting on Fridays, but I’m not sure that it’s that pleasing to God. I have come to the conclusion that it’s much easier to fast than to resist temptation and vice and build virtue. OTOH, it’s said in certain domains of Judaism that King David was made righteous through fasting. So, is fasting the most efficacious path to righteousness?

LOVE!

 

[JamalChristophr]

I think we need to practice virtue and pray for righteousness to grow. Fasting is a means to an end. It can help, I think. But remember, it’s not an end in itself.

 

[drforjc]

We see the early Christians fasting in the NT:

Acts 13

1. 
   *]
   

   1. 
      ]2] While they were worshiping the Lord and* fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
      ]3] Then after fast*ing and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

   1. 
      Acts 14
      1. 
         *]
         

         ]23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and* fast**ing they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed.
         *]

         Jesus Himself fasted
         
         Matt 4:
         
         1. 
            ]2] And he* fast**ed forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.
            
            Why distrust the Church’s experience and wisdom of 2000 years?

 

[Mintaka]

Fasting isn’t something you do all by itself. You’re also supposed to give alms and do good deeds, and to pray.

If you do good things, it uses up a lot of time you might use for doing bad things. So I think that might help you learn to resist temptation.

Seriously, though, the traditional way to resist weakness and temptation is to strengthen the virtues that oppose them. So you might want to prescribe yourself certain kinds of good activities, as well as just doing good in general.