FASTING AND PRAYERS:

“They then said to him, John’s disciples are always fasting and saying prayers and the disciples of the Pharisees, too but yours go on eating and drinking. Jesus replied surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then in those days they will fast” (Lk.5:33-35)

This does not mean that fasting and prayers is not important rather for different individuals it can be done in different ways, time and modes with regards to ones disposition towards the voice of God’s spirit in him/her [“instead, I tell you be guided by the Spirit and you will no longer yield to self-indulgence” Gal.5:16] as well as the directives of your spiritual director {‘the priest’s lips ought to safeguard knowledge; his mouth is where the law should be sought, since he is the Lord of sabaoth messenger’ Mal.2:7, “let no one disregard you because you are young but be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave and in your love, your faith and your purity” 1 Tim.4:12}.

But the highest, noble and awesome fasting as well as prayers you can do that will attract Divine approval is extrication from sinful habits like prayerlessness, smoking, lying-lips, exam-malpractices, forging-documents/results, anger, pride, unforgiving-spirit, buying and selling on Sundays, unworthy reception of Eucharist, drunkenness, masturbation, glutton, disobedience to parents/elders/clergy/constituted authority, stealing, abortion, fornication, adultery, depraved or corrupt friendships/relationships/discussions, pornography, lesbianism, homosexuality, back-biting, jealousy, injustice against the less-privileged/disabled/orphans/widows, neglect of the poor and our neighbors needs/plights, malice, envy, slander, heresy, apostasy, partying-spirit, idolatry, blasphemy, indecent dressing, upload and download of nude/half-nude pictures of ourselves or others from the internet to our phones/ipads/ipods/laptops e.t.c, keeping or hanging nude/half-nude pictures of ourselves or others on our wall-rooms/offices/shops/schools e.t.c thus “you love uprightness and detest evil. This is why God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness as none of your rivals” (Heb.1:9)

Hence replacing these bad habits in a world where it seems everybody is doing the wrong thing under the disguise of religiosity (“this people honors me only with lip-service while their hearts are far from me” [Mtt.15:8], ‘these people are counterfeit apostles of Christ. There is nothing astonishing in this: even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. It is nothing extraordinary, then when his servants disguise themselves as the servants of uprightness. They will come to the end appropriate to what they have done’ {2 Cor.11:13-15}) is much of an acceptable fasting and prayer to God who does not delight in sacrifice rather than obedience {1 Sam.15:22} with these good habits; joy, peace, patience, trustfulness, pray constantly (1 Thess.5:17), diligence to responsibilities, gentleness, kindness {‘refuse no kindness to those who have a right to it, if it is in your power to perform it. Do not say to your neighbor, go away! Come another time! I will give it to you tomorrow, if you can do it now’ Prov.3:27-28}, utterances that administer grace to the hearer, building up mutually as occasion offers [Eph.4:29], “with this in view, do your utmost to support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding, understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with devotion, devotion with kindness to brothers and kindness to brothers with love. The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive. But without them, a person is blind or short-sighted, forgetting how the sins of the past were washed away. Instead of this, brothers, never allow your choice or calling to waver; then there will be no danger of your stumbling, for in this way you will given the generous gift of entry to the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet.1:5-11)