People who have voluntarily chosen to become disciples of Jesus are required to participate in the communion of Christ's sufferings. Although we are not destined to nail ourselves to the cross and relive the suffering of Jesus at Calvary, yet we are asked by God to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Fasting, for many years before Christ, was the symbol of a person who humiliated himself to demonstrate to God that he was sincere in seeking God's blessings. Fasting is a serious matter, but it can be approached with the wrong motivations. The Holy Bible tells us what false fasting consists of. The Israelites made fasting a ritual and often announced that they were fasting before God. Even though they had done a lot of penance, God was not impressed, as if he hadn't even noticed! God responded through the prophet Isaiah in chapter fifty-eight, that he did not notice them because they lived for themselves even while fasting. They continued to oppress their workers, even while they were fasting. God asks: What's the point of fasting if you keep fighting and arguing? This type of fasting will never get us anywhere with God. They humbled themselves by making gestures of penance, bowing their heads like a blade of grass in the wind. They dressed in sackcloth and covered themselves with ashes, but all this is unacceptable to God. God tells them what true fasting is, that is, fasting to share with the poor and hungry; stop oppressing workers and start treating them fairly, giving them what they earn; cover oneself with sackcloth and ashes to give clothes to the needy and not hide from relatives in need of help; stop fighting with each other and free those who are unjustly imprisoned. The reasons for fasting remain, as mentioned by God. We fast with only one reason and that is to seek God. If we fast to impress people or as a ritual or as a test of willpower, this has been and will always remain unacceptable to God. It simply does not He will listen to your pleas and requests. Different types of fasting There are various types of fasting:* absolute fasting, which is without water or food and must be approached with careful consideration as you are guided by the Holy Spirit;