True Fasting makes the Lord hear our Cry: Isaiah 58:1-9/Ps.51/Matthew 9:14-15)



"Behold you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high" Isaiah 58:4

It is true that fasting is one of the three cardinal things we are expected to do during the season of Lent. However, if we do not make it to meet God's  standard we will end up not getting any reward from it.

the first reading of today reminds us of the kind of fasting that is acceptable to the Lord and what our fasting is supposed to do for us. The day of  our fasting should not be a day to fight and quarrel, but a day to do good and help the needy, it should be a day we use every opportunity we get to work for peace, give shelter to the homeless, cover the naked and give food to the hungry. Infact, a day of fasting should be a day to grow in righteousness and that will make our prayers to be answered.

when we denying ourselves and pleasure through fasting, we must also be ready to use the things we gain from the fasting by way of grace to do good to others. When we use our fasting do good and heal others we will make God hear our prayers when we call and our righteousness will shine out and God's glory will always be around us to defend us and speak for us.

More good could be done when we let the spirit of God move us to make sacrifice for others and use opportunity of fasting to seek the good of the needy and poor in our midst. our fasting should move us to repentance from sin and avoidance of occasions of sin. God will be happy when we use our day of fasting to do good instead do evil and be wicked and selfish.

when we fast in the way that is acceptable  to the Lord we will pray and the Lord will hear us and will bless us. However, if we do not fast in a manner that is acceptable before the Lord, we will make God sad through our actions.

let Us Pray: Lord Jesus  Christ, give me the grace to practise self denial through fasting and when I fast, may I use my fasting to do good and when I call you may my prayers be answered. Amen.

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