Day 7 – Making Room
Matthew 6:16-18
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Fasting is one of the most misunderstood practices in the Christian life. It can easily be associated with effort or spiritual intensity. Yet in Scripture, fasting is often less about what we give up and more about what we make space for.
Jesus speaks about fasting as an assumed part of life with God. He does not open with 'if you fast'; he gets straight to it with 'When you fast'. He does this, not to draw attention to the act itself, but to the posture of the heart. Fasting is not meant to be performative or public. It is a private turning toward God. It is a way of reordering our attention towards what is most important.
By voluntarily setting something aside, often food, we become more aware of our appetites and our dependencies. Fasting slows us down. It exposes what we reach for when we are tired or stressed. In doing so, it gently brings us back to the reality that we are sustained by more than what we consume.
In fasting, hunger becomes a teacher. It reminds us of our limits and invites us to bring our desire to God rather than immediately satisfying it. Scripture tells us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from God. Fasting creates room to listen for that Word again.
Fasting also reminds us that waiting is not wasted time. Hunger creates a pause we would often avoid, yet it is within that pause that God meets us. Instead of rushing to fill the space, fasting teaches us to remain attentive. In that waiting, trust is formed, and dependence deepens.
This is not about proving devotion or earning God’s favour. It is about learning to rest in God when something familiar is absent. In the quiet created by fasting, we discover that God is attentive and He is more than enough.
As we make room, we are reminded that our deepest hunger is ultimately met in God Himself.
Family discussion questions
1. What do you tend to reach for most quickly when you feel tired, stressed or unsettled, and what might fasting reveal about that habit?
2. How could you approach fasting as a time of attentive waiting, trusting that God meets you there?
3. Where in your life do you sense an invitation to slow down and make space for God?