Bible in a Year - Women’s Thematic Reading Plan | Day 235

Day 235 of the Women’s Bible Plan: Read Matthew 6:16-18 and listen to Jesus’ teaching about fasting in secret. Through this passage, we reflect on what it means to seek the Father’s pleasure in the hidden place, not performing our devotion for human praise, but drawing near to God with a sincere heart.

🌸  Dear Sister, welcome to Day 235 of our reading journey. 

Some spiritual practices can easily become visible to others. When we pray, serve, give, fast, read Scripture, or attend gatherings, others may notice, and sometimes they may even praise us. But in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus brings our hearts back again and again to a deeper question: Am I doing this to be seen by people, or to draw near to the Father?

In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus speaks about fasting. He is not rejecting fasting, nor is He saying that fasting does not matter. What He corrects is the kind of heart that turns spiritual discipline into spiritual performance. Some people made their faces look sad and disfigured so others would know they were fasting and admire their devotion. But Jesus says that kingdom life is lived before the Father who sees in secret. True devotion seeks God in the hidden place, trusting that the Father who sees in secret truly sees.

Today, we may not fast often, but we can still fall into the same temptation: wanting others to know our sacrifice, our effort, our service, or our spiritual seriousness. The words of Jesus invite us back into a simpler love—not doing things to display ourselves, but to seek the Father’s pleasure alone.

A Minute of Grace

Matthew 6:16-18 is part of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. He says that when His people fast, they should not be like the hypocrites, who put on a sad appearance and disfigure their faces so that others can see they are fasting. Jesus says they have already received their reward.

Then Jesus says that when we fast, we are to anoint our head and wash our face, so that we do not appear unto men to fast, but unto the Father who is in secret. The main point is not merely about outward appearance. Jesus is reminding us that spiritual practices are first directed toward God, not toward human attention. Fasting is meant to be a humble turning toward God, a temporary laying down of bodily desire in order to seek Him more deeply. But when it becomes a way to gain praise for our devotion, it loses its true meaning.

“The Father which is in secret” is a precious phrase in this passage. We do not need people to see us in order to prove that we are spiritual. We do not need human applause to confirm our worth. The Father sees prayers offered in hidden places. He sees sacrifices no one else knows about. He sees moments when we set aside our own desires and choose to draw near to Him. What He sees is more true than what people see, and His pleasure is more precious than human praise.

Today’s theme, “Fasting in Secret,” is not only about the act of fasting. It is also about whether our hearts are willing to be true before God. We may ask ourselves: When I serve, do I care too much whether others notice? When I give, do I long to be affirmed? When I pray, practice self-control, endure patiently, or make sacrifices, do I secretly hope others will know how hard I am trying? Jesus gently but directly reminds us not to turn spiritual life into a stage for human attention, but to meet the Father in the hidden place.

Whispers for the Heart

1 Jesus says that the hypocrites fast in order to be seen by others. In your spiritual life, are there times when you care deeply about whether others notice, praise, or affirm you? How does this passage help you turn your focus from human attention back to the Father?

2 Jesus says that the Father sees in secret. Do you believe that God sees the prayers, patience, sacrifices, and self-control that no one else knows about? When no one understands, thanks you, or notices you, are you still willing to be faithful to the Lord?

3 Fasting reminds us to set aside bodily desire in order to seek God. Is there anything you may need to “lay down” today—your phone, busyness, comparison, anxiety, human praise, or a desire that has taken too much space in your heart—so that your soul can return more fully to God?

As you read Matthew 6:16-18 today, do not see it only as a teaching about fasting. Let it also shine light on the motives beneath our prayers, service, giving, family responsibilities, and daily choices. May the words of Jesus teach us to seek the Father sincerely in the hidden place, rather than trying to prove ourselves before people.

Take a quiet breath before you begin. Bring before the Lord your desire to be seen, praised, or affirmed, and also your longing to seek the Father’s pleasure alone.

🎞️ Today's Youtube Video 

🪕 Response Hymn: 

Matthew 6:16-18 (KJV)

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

🪕 Response Hymn: 

💡 Closing Thought ·  Seen by the Father in Secret

After reading Matthew 6:16-18, we see that Jesus cares not only about the act of fasting, but also about the motive of the heart. A person can use outward spirituality to attract human attention, or quietly seek God in the hidden place. Jesus brings our hearts back before the Father: the Father sees in secret and will reward.

As we close this page and return to daily life, perhaps today you will still do many things no one sees: caring for family, finishing work, restraining emotions, praying for someone, refusing temptation, obeying quietly, or continuing faithfully. Remember this: hidden does not mean worthless, and lack of praise does not mean lack of meaning. The Father who sees in secret sees you.

May today’s Scripture remind you not to turn spiritual life into performance, and not to measure your worth by human attention. May you seek the Father’s pleasure alone in the hidden place, choose sincerity when no one sees, remain faithful when there is no applause, and receive comfort and strength from being seen by Him.

🎉🎉 Congratulations on completing today's devotion! 🎉🎉