Is GOD happy about our Fasting?

We hear about fasting prayers many times. But see what GOD is saying about fasting. When we fast, are we mindful of our language, are we mindful of our doings and are we mindful to do things that are acceptable and sweet to GOD?
During fasting, if we are seeking our own pleasure, or if we are using filthy language to criticize somebody (first of all, it is for GOD to judge and not us, else we will be judged by GOD for all that we judge others), if we are involving in unwanted or useless talk and worldly discussions, if we ignore the poor and needy, if we suppress the remembrance of someone who is in need, if we are cursing someone, if we are oppressing or extracting more labor from our hired laborers or workers, if we are quarreling with someone and exercising ego feelings, if we are spoiling peace or relationship between any persons with our gossips and useless talk,  then there is no meaning in our fasting. 

We need to spend time ‘for GOD’ and ‘in GOD’ to the most possible extent during fasting. If we are not able to spend time for GOD, at least we should refrain from gossiping and ill talking. We should not turn away our eye from any one seeking help, we should not turn away a beggar, we should forgive others and if we face any one cursing us, we should take that to the LORD in prayer and also ask GOD to forgive them and change their attitude towards us. And then GOD will look at our petition, our prayer will have a sweet smell and GOD hastens HIS answer, else our prayer can give HIM a foul smell.

Isaiah 58: 3 – 5

³`Why have we fasted,' say they, `and Thou seest not? Why have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no note?' Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers.

   ⁴Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

   ⁵Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

GOD does not take pleasure to see HIS children fasting but HE seeks righteousness and true worship from HIS children. He takes pleasure when HIS children do things right and worship in true form and meaning. Then a righteous person’s fasting prayer has more power when it reaches GOD.

When we attend to cries of the poor during fasting, our prayer smells sweet to GOD. When we ask GOD to remove our weaknesses and help us gain control over weakness within us, then our fasting prayers appear righteous before GOD. 

We can discuss on GOD’s word if we have time, we can preach/ talk to someone about GOD’s mercy and HIS manifold works, we can meditate on HIS word and pray sitting in office also (if not possible at least avoiding useless talks). We can honor GOD even more if working employees take permission or leave to spend time with GOD and meditate upon HIS word.

The recent threat to believers is TV right inside their homes distracting their attention towards News, ‘important’ serials, cricket, etc (watching GOD related programs always on TV, without ourselves getting rooted in the Word and prayer will also steal our time from GOD, so first we should spend time privately with GOD by reading word and praying, and then we can increase our knowledge and faith from the preaching in TV and we also should be in a situation to cross-check the preaching in TV whether it is referred from Bible or not). 
Spending more than reasonable time on ‘anything’ else keeping aside GOD will become worship of that particular thing. So we should beware not to fall into satan’s vile devices and avoid worshipping other things unknowingly.

Mathew 22: 37, 38

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

See what the LORD is saying about the kind of fasting that HE likes…

Isaiah 58: 6 - 11
   ⁶"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

   ⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?--when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

   ⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rear guard.

   ⁹Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, `Here I am.' If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the pointing of the finger and speaking vanity (wickedness),

   ¹⁰and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity (your light will dawn in darkness) and thy darkness be as the noonday.

   ¹¹And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. 

Many of us may think because I am in prayer (at home), I have not seen anyone crying for food or anyone in need outside. But is each one of us not aware (?) that there are many people begging or needy outside? We could at least carry the food that we do not eat (or the approximate money equal to cost of the food) and lend it to someone?
Yes, to do GOD’s work, why are we not running after them to exercise our faith works instead of those people running after us? Can we imagine how much we force GOD to bless us with these small deeds?
If we do not fast to GOD’s liking, we will only make our body weak, but our fasting will be devoid of GOD’s notice.
If somebody is wrongly accusing us, we should pray GOD to forgive them and help them understand about us. Then GOD will bless us and if they are worthy they will be blessed, else they will be punished.

Romans 12:20

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

And one more important point here is – Is it as easy as it appears to forgive someone?
‘NO’. For this fleshy body it is not possible. We may think that we have forgiven but actually we remember their accusation as often as possible and also whenever we require discussing. How can we call this real forgiveness?  

We can only feel real forgiveness when we earnestly seek it from GOD. So we should ask GOD to help us adorn this ornament of forgiveness. Not once, but many times continuously we should seek this from GOD. We can make out what feelings we hold towards others within us. Then we should remember that GOD is warning us of our ill feelings. Then we should confess this weakness immediately near GOD and seek HIS help in overcoming this. We should forgive others because we are already forgiven. 

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

GOD understands that our body is sinful and we are already born with sin. HE reconciled to this sinful nature of man through the blood of JESUS shed upon the cross for mankind. If we do not believe that we are already forgiven, it means that we do not trust the blood of Christ (OR) we are in doubt about the power of the blood of Christ that carried away the sins of this world.

John 1:29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

When we forgive others, our prayers will have faster answers.
May GOD bless this word in saving more souls for HIS eternal kingdom.