Fasting to Grow Closer to God

Devotional

Day 1: Heritage in Small Hands

A couple stands before the church, hands resting on their child’s head. The father’s voice cracks as he vows to teach God’s ways. Across the room, gray-haired saints nod, remembering their own sleepless nights and scraped knees. The church becomes a village in that moment—not of shared blood, but shared bread. [48:05]

Children are arrows in the hands of warriors, says the psalmist. God entrusts these small lives to both parents and pew-sitters. Your whispered prayers during nursery duty matter as much as bedtime Bible stories. When you spot a young mother wrestling a stroller, do you see a burden—or a sacred trust?

This week, notice the children in your orbit. Not just their noise or needs, but their potential as kingdom builders. What habit could you form today to support one family’s spiritual journey?

“Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.”
(Psalm 127:3, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one practical way to encourage a parent or child this week.

Challenge: Text one parent you know: “How can I pray for your child this month?”

Day 2: When Stomachs Growl, Spirits Listen

Jesus spent forty days with growling intestines and cracked lips. Satan offered bread, but He clung to Deuteronomy: “Man lives by every word from God.” His hunger pangs became alarm clocks for prayer. The disciples would later forget meals to distribute fish and loaves—too busy feeding others to feed themselves. [52:05]

Fasting turns hunger into a homing device. That afternoon slump when you crave coffee? That’s a postcard from your soul saying “I need something deeper.” God built your body to signal spiritual needs through physical cues.

Next time your stomach rumbles or your hand reflexively checks your phone, pause. What if that itch for distraction masks a thirst for connection? What craving most often drowns out your awareness of God’s nearness?

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.”
(Matthew 6:16, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one comfort you rely on more than Christ’s presence.

Challenge: Skip one routine snack/meal today. Pray for a graduate each time hunger hits.

Day 3: Empty Plates, Full Streets

In Isaiah 58, people starve themselves while workers hunger in their streets. God thunders: “Is this the fast I choose? Loose the chains of injustice!” Fasting fails when it’s performance art. True sacrifice shares bread with the poor—the original “intermittent fasting” that empties our plates to fill others’. [56:47]

The early church fasted not for spiritual clout but to fund orphanages. Abstaining from meat wasn’t about piety; selling their flocks fed widows. Your skipped latte today could buy socks for the shelter.

Open your pantry and calendar. What excesses could be trimmed to feed bodies and souls? When you deprive yourself, does it ever result in someone else’s delight?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice… and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
(Isaiah 58:6-7, NIV)

Prayer: Repent for times you’ve prioritized religious appearances over practical love.

Challenge: Donate the money saved from today’s fast to a local food pantry.

Day 4: Forty Days Without Bread

The wilderness sun blisters Jesus’ shoulders as He rereads Moses’ scroll. “He humbled you, causing you to hunger.” Satan whispers: “Turn stones to bread.” But Christ’s emptiness becomes the space where the Spirit rushes in. Later, He’ll break bread saying, “This is my body”—connecting fasting’s hunger to the cross’ sacrifice. [01:01:24]

Deprivation reveals dependencies. The Israelites needed manna to know their Provider. Your cravings—for control, comfort, caffeine—are signposts pointing to your true Sustainer.

What “wilderness” are you facing—a silent phone, a barren womb, an empty nest? How might fasting help you rely on God’s presence more than solutions?

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days.”
(Luke 4:1-2, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for enduring hunger to become your bread of life.

Challenge: Write down three “crutches” you lean on. Circle one to fast from this week.

Day 5: Alarms Set for Heaven

A college student silences her 8 AM alarm, reaches for her phone—then stops. For seven days, she’s traded morning scrolls with Psalms. At first, the silence grated like a skipped meal. Now, she hears birdsong… and something like a Father’s voice. [01:09:50]

Fasting recalibrates time. An hour saved from Netflix becomes intercession for Ukraine. Minutes stolen from Twitter feed a prayer for your prodigal brother. Every craving redirects like a divine detour sign.

Your phone tracks screen time—what if you audited soul time? What daily habit could you shorten by 10 minutes to create space for heaven’s agenda?

“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.’”
(Acts 13:2, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one distraction to fast from for the next 24 hours.

Challenge: Set a recurring “prayer alarm” at your usual social media check-in time.

Sermon Summary

Child dedication sets the tone by naming children as the Lord’s heritage and calling a church family to pray the prayers they wish had been prayed over them. Jesus welcomes little ones, so the church shoulders their care in prayer and practice, especially for new believers who face attack after baptism. From there the focus shifts to fasting. Fasting shows up as humble hunger for God, not a stunt, not a diet, not leverage. The difference between not eating and fasting is simple: if the hunger pangs do not turn a person to prayer, Scripture, and worship, it is just dieting. The stomach’s grumble becomes a bell that says, pray.

The point of fasting is not to twist God’s arm. God’s plans are not always human plans, and he cannot be manipulated by religious effort. Isaiah 58 exposes the trap of public deprivation with a selfish heart. Jesus’ word in Matthew 6 presses it home: “when you fast,” not “if.” The normal Christian life makes space to trade comfort for discomfort so that God becomes the comfort. Fasting, then, aims at closeness. It clears distractions and reminds the soul that God is the deepest need, more than food, routine, or screens.

Humility sits at the center. Fasting bows low in repentance and dependence. It accompanies grief, intercession, danger, and major decisions. The church’s intercessors become lifelines; God hears those prayers. Fasting also trains self-control and exposes subtle masters. The habit that feels indispensable often reveals itself as a functional savior. Social media, news, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, binge TV, even overwork can be laid down for a season. Replace bad habits with good habits. Replace mealtimes and mindless scrolling with prayer, Scripture, and worship.

What fasting is not matters too. It is not performance, not a bid to appear ultra-spiritual, not a way to earn love. Grace already secures the relationship. Jesus suffered and sacrificed; his blood cleanses. He wants a daily relationship as a Father with children. So the practical call lands plainly: pick something to give up, even one meal or one day off social media, and pray. If a day gets blown, don’t wait for Monday. Start again tomorrow. Take small, doable steps, even two verses from Psalm 117, and keep drawing near.

Key Takeaways

1. Fasting seeks God, not leverage. Fasting never puts God in debt. It trades comfort for communion and lets God set the agenda. Isaiah’s rebuke warns against loud rituals with a cold heart, while Jesus points to a secret life with the Father. The heart, not the hunger strike, is what God weighs. [54:28]
2. Not eating is not fasting. Hunger without prayer just cuts calories. Biblical fasting redirects time and attention to prayer, Scripture, and worship, letting the body’s signals ring the bell of dependence. Even a single skipped meal can become holy if the focus shifts to God. [52:44]
3. “When you fast,” not “if.” Jesus normalizes fasting, not as an extreme move but as ordinary faith. A fast can be as small as one meal or one day off a platform, offered in quiet. The point is to be governed by God rather than by appetites. [60:25]
4. Fast from what forms your comfort. The thing that feels non-negotiable often functions as a quiet master. Identify the reflex reach in stress, sadness, or boredom, and lay it down for a time. Let the ache teach dependence and retrain desire toward God. [64:55]
5. Grace, not performance, grounds fasting. Fasting does not earn salvation or status; Jesus already secured both. The practice simply makes space for real relationship and clearer hearing. Love received by grace grows into disciplined hunger for God’s presence. [68:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:42] - Child dedication and vows
[49:05] - Prayer over the family
[50:36] - Series wrap and fasting pivot
[51:03] - What is fasting for
[52:05] - A working definition of fasting
[52:44] - Dieting vs true fasting
[54:28] - Not twisting God’s arm
[56:14] - Isaiah 58 and empty ritual
[58:11] - What to fast besides food
[59:26] - Seeking closeness and focus
[60:25] - “When you fast,” not “if”
[61:24] - Humility and repentance
[62:59] - Fasting for major decisions
[63:40] - Intercession and a spared life
[64:33] - Diagnosing everyday comforts
[65:22] - Grief, longing, and David’s plea
[66:12] - What fasting is not
[67:19] - Biblical summary of the aim
[68:09] - Grace over performance
[69:28] - A simple challenge to start
[70:24] - Don’t wait for Monday
[71:17] - Small steps, real goals
[71:37] - Closing prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
“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. 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.”

Isaiah 58:3-5 (ESV)
“‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ 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. 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?”

Observation questions

According to Matthew 6:16-18, what does Jesus contrast with genuine fasting? How does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on avoiding performance (see [54:28])?
Isaiah 58:3-5 criticizes fasting paired with selfishness. What specific behaviors does God reject in this passage? How does the sermon warn against similar attitudes (see [56:47])?
The sermon distinguishes between “not eating” and true fasting. What practical difference does it highlight (see [52:44])?

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus assume his followers will fast (“when you fast”) rather than leaving it as an optional practice? How does this shape our view of fasting as a normal part of faith (see [01:00:25])?
Isaiah 58 condemns fasting that ignores injustice. How might fasting with a humble heart actually lead to addressing injustice or serving others, based on the sermon’s call to replace comforts with prayer (see [56:14])?
The sermon says fasting “trains self-control and exposes subtle masters” (see [01:04:55]). Why might giving up something like social media or sugar reveal deeper spiritual dependencies?

Application questions

The sermon warns against fasting to “twist God’s arm” (see [54:28]). What is one situation in your life where you’ve been tempted to use spiritual practices to manipulate outcomes? How could you refocus on seeking closeness with God instead?
Identify a “non-negotiable” comfort in your daily routine (e.g., scrolling, caffeine, TV). What would it look like to fast from it for 24 hours, replacing that time with prayer or Scripture (see [01:04:55])?
Jesus says to fast in secret (Matthew 6:17-18). How can you practice fasting without drawing attention to yourself, especially in a culture that often celebrates visible discipline?
The sermon encourages starting small: “even one meal” (see [01:00:46]). What manageable step could you take this week to begin incorporating fasting into your spiritual life? How will you respond if you “mess up” and need to restart?
Isaiah 58 ties fasting to humility and justice. How could your fast lead to tangible acts of love (e.g., donating meal money to someone in need, serving a friend instead of scrolling)?

Sermon Clips

45s

“When you fast. So people think fasting is this this crazy Christian type of faith. No. It's just normal faith of people trying to grow closer to the lord. It's not a three day, one week, forty days. It could be one meal. You could literally skip breakfast and pray for that person that's on your heart and that is a fast. You could give up TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, whatever social media is for twenty four hours. Give it up for three days and see how that might even change your life. We are called to not let anything control us but be controlled over all of it. So we give control to God and he will help us.”

37s

“To seek closeness with god. Fasting helps remove distractions and reminds us that god is our deepest need more than food, comfort, or routine. It creates intentional time for prayer, worship, repentance, and dependence on him. If you've ever gone without something for a while, especially something that's controlling your life or your mind, you realize how much you need him. You realize how much you focus on that one thing and dwell on it and think about it and it really shows what you need.”

54s

“I would be a tiny tiny man standing in front of you. That'd be for the completely wrong reasons. It's not to show off, it's to grow to the Lord. It's to grow closer to him. It's not to impress people. It is not to appear ultra spiritual. And it's not to earn salvation or god's love because that's already been given to us. It is to grow close to him. So we've got some good reasons why we fast. It's to seek God's direction, steering intense prayer before major life decisions, repentance and spiritual renewal, interceding for loved ones, to grow in discipline, or to simply dedicate focused time to God.”

61s

“And as I start to wrap this up, I wanted to give you a biblical summary on some things. And that's that the main purpose of fasting is not punishment. It's not religious performance or self denial for its own sake. Biblically, fasting is voluntarily giving up. Come on. Thank you. Something legitimate for a time in order to seek God more earnestly, to humble ourselves before him, and to devote ourselves to prayer. Fasting does not earn God's love. As Christians, we already approach God through grace, not performance. How blessed are we that it's not our performance? It's nothing that I did, nothing that I could do.”

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Fasting to Grow Closer to God

Devotional

Day 1: Heritage in Small Hands

Day 2: When Stomachs Growl, Spirits Listen

Day 3: Empty Plates, Full Streets

Day 4: Forty Days Without Bread

Day 5: Alarms Set for Heaven

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Fasting to Grow Closer to God

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