"But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." John 4:32-34
Jesus Set the Example for Fasting
Jesus Fasted! He fasted before He began His public ministry and during His ministry. In this portion of scripture, we see proof of His fasting. He had just met with the woman at the well, and when His disciples returned, they offered Him food, trying to get him to eat. Jesus is displaying His willingness to submit to the authority of God the Father in His life. He declares that His "food" is to do the will of the Father.
Worship
The word "worship" in the Old and New Testaments means to bow down before and pay homage to (Strongs Concordance). It gives us a picture of submission to an all-powerful and awe-inspiring being - God! Interestingly, in the same chapter, John 4, Jesus explains to us what worship should now look like.
"Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father." 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21, 23-24
Jesus teaches us that worship is a life we live in humility and submission to God. It is a life we live in the Spirit that is honest before God. Then in the same instance, He reflects fasting as part of this life by exemplifying it to us in this very event that He teaches us about worship. You see, we must live a life of fasting in prayer as we live a lifestyle of worship. Jesus did. Therefore, so should we. Our lives must be submitted to our Lord, where we gain nourishment and strength from simply doing the will of the Father.
Activity
Just a friendly reminder here that while we fast, we must pray and, in doing so, humble ourselves before God so that He is in control of our lives. This is worship. As we do this, I want to challenge us to make sure that we first set time aside to praise Him while we are fasting and praying. Then, we must also plan this year to continue to fast. This should not be a one-time event during our 21 days of consecration, but let's determine in our hearts to live a life of fasting and worship unto God.