Becoming like Jesus requires us to practice the life of Jesus. Fasting teaches us to hunger for God more than hungering for food. The Practice of Fasting Matthew 6:16 “And when you fast… Matthew 4:1–2 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Joel 2:12–13 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. The Problem with Fasting Matthew 6:16 “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. The Point of Fasting Matthew 6:17–18 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. Matthew 9:15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. “Those who celebrate the ascension of the King now crave the consummation of the kingdom. We fast and we pray and we crave the day when what we have tasted and seen in Christ will be complete.” - David Platt How could you incorporate the practice of fasting in your life? Are there any circumstances in your life that would lead you to fast? What are you hungering for more than Jesus?