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Fasting


In the day of atonement, Israel is advised to deny yourself - in few versions it is described as fasting.
That is the exact truth about fasting.
Why do you fast?
Are you trying to please a cruel hearted Father by deny food to yourself and torturing your body? 
Are you trying to grab attention of a sleeping God? 
Are you trying shout aloud by not eating, when you think God cannot hear what you pray?

Fasting is not to get things done in an authoritative or aggresive way.
Similar to the servants of baal in Elijah's times.

Here in these passages in Leviticus none depicts fasting as a channel of approval from God. It is not a key to accomplish your desires. Everywhere here it is related to worshipping God. The very essence of fasting is this - I'm trying to tell my body that God is more important for me than my body, than my needs, than me myself.
Now what if physically because of ailments I'm not able to fast?
Who said fasting is of food alone?
It can be a digital fast.
It can be a newspaper fast.
It can be a book fast.
It can be Netflix or Amazon Prime fast.
It can be a social media fast.
What's the point in not eating non vegetarian food for 25 or 50 days (as in lent) for a person who doesn't basically like to eat chicken or fish. It is actually like hitting a lottery for him.

What is dearest to your heart, you should be able to say no. In that way you are trying to tell your system - God is more important

NB: This write up is not related to "denying of yourself" as told by Jesus. That's another entirely different story.
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