Matthew 6:17-18 But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face, 18 so that you don't show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Slowly reading through Mathew 6 and this portion of the Sermon on the Mount a simple word jumps out time and again, it is "when". In this chapter Jesus says "when you give", "when you pray", and "when you fast". Regarding the praying and the fasting he says it twice. It is important that we notice that he uses the word "when" and not "if".
The giving and the praying part are probably more common in our lives than the fasting. We may do it occasionally or as part of lent, but the passage indicates that it should be a normal function of our lives, not just for the sake of not eating, not for the sake of being noticed, but for the sake of drawing closer and letting that hunger remind us that we should hunger for God.
I won't get into the legal definition of what it means to fast, I'll leave that up to you and your heart. But I will encourage you to consider a fast and see how God will speak to your heart "when" you do it. While you are doing it perhaps read one of David's psalms, They were often written when David sought the Lord, spent time with him and recorded his words, not with an audience in mind but with his relationship to God in mind.
Matthew 6:16-18
The Message (MSG)
16-18 "When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.
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