What does the Bible actually teach about fasting, and why should Christians practice this often misunderstood spiritual discipline? In this episode of Rooted in the Gospel, MaCarly explores biblical fasting and helps Christian women understand what fasting is, why Jesus taught about it, and how it can deepen our dependence on God.

Rather than treating fasting as a diet, a way to prove our spirituality, or a method for earning God's favor, we'll discover its purpose in the Christian life: intentionally setting aside a physical appetite to seek the Lord through prayer, Scripture, repentance, worship, and dependence on Him.

We'll explore different types of fasting in the Bible, examine Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6, and discover the biblical reasons God's people fasted, including seeking guidance, expressing grief, praying for protection, repenting, and worshiping God. You'll also learn how to approach fasting with a clear biblical purpose, without turning it into legalism or a performance for others.

Whether you've never fasted before or want to better understand this spiritual discipline, this conversation will help you consider what it means to hunger for God above temporary appetites and pursue Christlikeness for the purpose of godliness.

#RootedInTheGospel #BiblicalFasting #ChristianWomen #SpiritualDisciplines #BibleStudy

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — What Comes to Mind When You Hear the Word Fasting?
03:00 — Why Christians Should Understand the Purpose of Fasting
05:00 — What Is Biblical Fasting—and What Is It Not?
07:00 — Different Types of Fasting in the Bible
11:00 — Private, Congregational, and National Fasting
15:00 — Did Jesus Expect His Followers to Fast?
18:00 — Why Fasting Must Have a Biblical Purpose
20:00 — Biblical Reasons to Fast
23:00 — What Are You Hungering for Most?
24:00 — How to Turn Physical Hunger into Prayer
27:00 — Fasting, Dependence on God, and Christlikeness
28:00 — How to Begin Practicing Biblical Fasting

💬 Fasting is not a way to earn God's love. Our acceptance before God rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. We do not fast to make God indebted to us; we fast because we want to seek Him.

May even our deepest hunger remind us to seek Christ above every temporary appetite. May we become women who faithfully practice spiritual disciplines, not to earn God's love, but because in Christ we already have it.