Worship and fasting have similar characteristics. They both can be superficial and don't make any difference in the spiritual. One can do both with a lot of dedication and lot of zeal but it may not impress our Lord Jesus Christ. Why you asked? It is because worship and fasting should be done giving importance about their true meaning as the Bible teaches us on Isaiah 58.
Shout the message! Don’t hold back. Say to my people Israel: You’ve sinned! You’ve turned against the LORD. Day after day, you worship him and seem eager to learn his teachings. You act like a nation that wants to do right by obeying his laws. You ask him about justice, and say you enjoy worshiping the LORD.
You wonder why the LORD pays no attention when you go without eating and act humble. But on those same days that you give up eating, you think only of yourselves and abuse your workers. 4 You even get angry and ready to fight. No wonder God won’t listen to your prayers! Do you think the LORD wants you to give up eating and to act as humble as a bent-over bush? Or to dress in sackcloth and sit in ashes? Is this really what he wants on a day of worship?
I’ll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused! Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don’t turn away your relatives. Then your light will shine like the dawning sun, and you will quickly be healed.
Your honesty will protect you as you advance, and the glory of the LORD will defend you from behind. When you beg the LORD for help, he will answer, “Here I am!” Don’t mistreat others or falsely accuse them or say something cruel. Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless. Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.
The LORD will always guide you and provide good things to eat when you are in the desert. He will make you healthy. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water or like a stream that never runs dry. 1You will rebuild those houses left in ruins for years; you will be known as a builder and repairer of city walls and streets. But first, you must start respecting the Sabbath as a joyful day of worship.
You must stop doing and saying whatever you please on this special day. Then you will truly enjoy knowing the LORD. He will let you rule from the highest mountains and bless you with the land of your ancestor Jacob. The LORD has spoken!
One can fast and pray with resentment, fear and anxiety. It is a complete waste of time to hate our brother but still declare days prayer and fasting in the church. God sees the heart and the fasting that he declares is not starvation of the body alone.
It is fasting with compassion and love for others. It is to care for the lost ones who have no one to help them. It is to take the orphans as our children. To embrace them with love and care and give them the necessary nourishment. It is to forgive our enemy and love them as if they are our allies and not to kill innocent lives It is to be generous to others sharing what we have as Jesus described it.
He said if any one of us has two pants, it is very necessary that we give one to the needy. It is to take care of our family including our parents and not to abandon them when they are old. All the above are included in one principle of God. That is to love everyone as we love our selves. Therefore, love should be the motive for fasting.
God is love and the Spirit. Any one who wishes to worship the Lord has to do it giving most importance on the spiritual aspect of life and not just the physical world.
God is not impressed by our physical performance since even those who said there is no God can perform well. Only three things move God Love, hope and faith.
You show me a person who loves his neighbor and God and I will show you a person who has obeyed all the laws. We hope to see the future trusting God and his promises. A person without hope is helpless.
No one dares to face the future unless there is something we love to see and that we hoped for. Finally, faith is the key feature that triggers the hand and protection of God up on his children. God dares to rescue those who dare to believe him even if the world is abandoning him.
Our God is a loving God who loves everyone that does good and opposes those who do evil in the name of worshiping the Lord. God encourages us to participate in all acts of kindness before we even think about gathering to worship him or giving offering to him. He expects us to forgive those who do harm to us as he forgives all our sins.
Isaiah 1:11:
“Your sacrifices mean nothing to me. I am sick of your offerings of rams and choice cattle; I don’t like the blood of bulls or lambs or goats. “Who asked you to bring all this when you come to worship me? Stay out of my temple!
Your sacrifices are worthless, and incense is disgusting. I can’t stand the evil you do on your New Moon Festivals or on your Sabbaths and other times of worship. I hate your New Moon Festivals and all others as well. They are a heavy burden I am tired of carrying.
“No matter how much you pray, I won’t listen. You are too violent. Wash yourselves clean! I am disgusted with your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong and learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help those in need…