community group discussion guide
introduction
As we continue our series on the practices of the Christian life, we are reminded that these are ways that help us experience more deeply the salvation that is already ours in Christ. This week, we look at a practice that has often been neglected in Reformed and Presbyterian traditions: the practice of fasting. In some ways, fasting cuts against the grain of some of our culture’s deepest impulses: instant gratification, consumerism, and comfort. At the same time, fasting has also experienced a fresh cultural renaissance with its appeal to wellness culture and its promise of reclaiming agency from the encroaching bombardments of society. As we take a fresh look at fasting from a biblical perspective, we will see that it is a way of cultivating self-denial, nearness to God, and love for our neighbors.
Have you ever given something up for a period of time (food, coffee, social media, entertainment, etc.)? What did you learn about yourself through that experience?
read Matthew 6:1, 16-18; Isaiah 58:6-10 (NIV)
Matt 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
16 “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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 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.
Isa 58:6 “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?
7 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?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Take a few moments to reflect on the Scripture. Share some insights, questions, or points that strike you. Then read what follows.
context
fasting as denying self
Fasting, according to Scripture and the practice of Christians throughout history, is best summarized as willfully abstaining from eating for a set period for a spiritual purpose (Akande). The goal of fasting, then, is not abstaining from food itself but to become more and more like Christ. In particular, fasting connects to our need for self-denial in our discipleship to Jesus (cf. Luke 9:23). Fasting trains our bodies to not get what they want, functioning as a practical laboratory for self-denial. As modern western people, we have inherited a cultural narrative that positions the “self” as supreme and tells us that we need not withhold the fulfillment of any desire. But Jesus tells his followers that they must learn the daily habit of denying themselves, and fasting helps us learn this posture. By willingly saying “no” to the legitimate desire for food, we train ourselves to depend on God more deeply. We discover that our lives are sustained not merely by physical provision but by God’s presence and word. Given the consumerism, haste, and individualism of our cultural moment, fasting is an especially important practice for the people of God today.
Fasting done wrongly is any fast whose purpose is to call attention to self. The hypocrites of Jesus’ day fasted by intentionally disfiguring their faces and putting on a somber, haggard appearance to signal their holiness to the public. What appears to be selfless may just be a very subtle form of pleasing the self. In contrast, Jesus instructs his followers to fast in such a way that would not attract human applause but the attention of their heavenly Father. God would honor such devotion by rewarding them with what they were seeking through their fast, which will be further unpacked in the next section.
While the kind of fasting Jesus describes in Matthew 6 is individual and in secret, other Scriptures show us that fasting can also be practiced communally and publicly. Both ways of fasting can help nurture a healthy community by training us not to center ourselves. In a culture where everyone prioritizes self, real loving relationships are hard to sustain because other people often cross our will. The practice of fasting helps us learn how to not always get the things we desire. “With fasting, we decide of our own accord to not give our bodies what they want (food); as a result, when somebody else decides to not give us what we want (or life circumstances decide, or even God decides), we don’t freak out, rage, or go ballistic on Twitter. We’ve trained our souls to be happy and at peace even when we don’t get our way” (John Mark Comer, Live No Lies).
“We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours… We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal.”
—John Calvin
- Jesus commands us to look completely normal when we fast so that our devotion remains “in secret.” Why is “secret righteousness” so important, and what makes it so difficult in an age dominated by social media and the desire for external validation?
- How might fasting help us develop habits of self-denial and deeper dependence upon God? And how might the regular practice of fasting change the way you respond to daily frustrations or interpersonal conflicts?
beyond the self
In Isaiah 58, God challenges his people because their fasting had become self-centered. They were engaging in religious activity in order to transactionally secure blessing from God while “doing as they pleased” (v. 4), practicing exploitation and violence and ignoring injustice and need. God makes it clear that the kind of fasting he desires is one that transforms both our relationship with him and our relationship with others. The purpose of fasting is to build up the two-fold command of love: for God and for neighbor (Augustine).
Fasting is meant to be in service to our neighbors, particularly to those in need. The fast God chooses is meant to undo systemic brokenness — to loose the bonds of wickedness, to break the yokes that keep people enslaved, and to free the oppressed (v. 6). True fasting is directed toward large-scale injustices that typically require a long time to address. At the same time, it is also focused on immediate needs at hand that require direct personal involvement: providing food, shelter, and clothes to those who need them rather than hiding oneself from humanity (v. 7). In the ancient world, choosing to go without a meal directly freed up a limited food supply so that someone else could eat. Fasting creates this kind of physical margin, and God’s invitation is to hand that margin directly over to those in need. Rather than merely going without, fasting creates space to redirect our resources and energy toward others.
Fasting also deepens our experience of God’s presence and grace. As true fasting aligns our hearts with God’s heart for the vulnerable, Isaiah promises that we will then experience light breaking into our darkness and healing springing up in our places of brokenness. We shall experience security, with righteousness and glory serving as an advance guard and rear guard. Finally, God promises an immediate intimacy in prayer: “Here I am.” True fasting is not dour or ritualistic but fills one with spiritual vitality. When our spiritual practices align with God’s heart, they become channels of God’s light healing, protection, and deeper fellowship with him.
“Do you want God to answer your prayers? Be his answer to someone else’s prayer. Do you want God to come in his immediacy and say to you, ‘Here I am’? Get close to someone who needs you and say, ‘Here I am.’ Here’s the paradox at the center of the truth: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Almost nothing in our consumerist American culture encourages us to believe that, but it just happens to be the way life works. Why? Because God is a happy Giver, an intense Lover, a relevant Helper, and he wants us to share in his joy.”
—Ray Ortlund
- Why do you think it is so easy for us to separate our private spiritual practices from our calling to pursue justice and care for the poor and needy? How can fasting help us become more attentive to the needs of people around us?
- Fasting is a way of creating margin that we can use to serve others in need. How might God be calling you to create margin or use the current margin (time, money, energy) in your life right now to serve someone in need?
- Reflecting on both passages, what is a small, practical way our community group could experiment with fasting together to foster healthier community and demonstrate practical love outwardly?
announcements
- Sunday, June 28 | Prayer Walk, 1:15-2:45 pm
Join us for an afternoon prayer walk to see our neighborhood through God’s eyes. - Nominations for Elected Leaders (Last day for elder nominations: June 30)
Nominate a fellow church member to roles of elder, deacon or deaconess. Training and discernment will begin this summer to prepare them to stand for election in May 2027. Visit the link for more details and church members may submit nominations online. - Save the date: Wednesday, July 22 | Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts
Interested in learning how to discern your spiritual gifts, what to do with them and learn how they are different from a calling? More information and registration info will be available in coming weeks.
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Th
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