Fasting

¹⁶ “And ^(A)when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. ^(B)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, ^(C)anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. ^(D)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Temptation of Jesus

4 ^(A)Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness ^(B)to be tempted by the devil. ² And after fasting ^(C)forty days and forty nights, he ^(D)was hungry. ³ And ^(E)the tempter came and said to him, “If you are ^(F)the Son of God, command ^(G)these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴ But he answered, ^(H)“It is written,

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

^21 (A)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river ^(B)Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, ^(C)to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. ²² For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ^(D)“The hand of our God is for good on ^(E)all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” ²³ So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

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