03/08/2026
Message Title: Fasting and Prayer Is Supposed to Be Secret, Yet Public.
Fasting and prayer are meant to be secret, yet public. They are secret in the sense that they are between you and God. Others do not need to know that you are fasting. Those who are participating in the fast know they are fasting, but those who are not should not be made aware of it.
According to the Word of God, you should not announce or declare to outsiders that you are fasting. Fasting must be done according to God's Word, not according to personal feelings or human thinking. While fasting, there is no need to pretend to be weak or sick so that people will notice. When you seek the praise or attention of people, you have already received your reward.
Matthew 6:16–18 says:
"Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
But thou, when thou hast speed, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father, which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
These verses teach us not to wear a sad expression or make it obvious to others that we are fasting. Instead, we should look clean and presentable and carry ourselves normally. Our focus should be on God, not on receiving recognition and being presentable. When we fast in secret, God sees and rewards us openly.
Isaiah 58:3–8 also teaches us the kind of fast that pleases God.
In verse 3, the people ask, "Why have we fasted, and You have not seen it?" Yet God answers that while they are fasting, they continue to pursue their own pleasures and oppress others. This teaches us that fasting is not simply abstaining from food while continuing to live in selfishness and sin.
Verse 4 says that they fast for strife, debate, and to strike others with wickedness. Their fasting is filled with quarreling, fighting, and evil behavior. Although they are fasting outwardly, they are quarreling and dictating the purpose of behavior.
In verse 5, God asks, "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?"
Then, in verse 6, God reveals the fast He truly desires: to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke. True fasting produces righteousness, justice, mercy, and freedom.
Verse 7 continues by showing that true fasting includes sharing your bread with the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, clothing those who are in need, and caring for your own family—"hiding not thyself from thine own flesh."
Finally, verse 8 declares the reward of true fasting: "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."
When we fast according to God's will, our light shines forth, healing comes, righteousness goes before us, and the glory of the Lord becomes our rear guard.
Bible Reference...........................
Matthew 6:16–18
Isaiah 58:3–8