There is something in us that wants to be spiritual. To do the right things, say the right words, perform the right rituals. And there is nothing wrong with wanting that, until the performance replaces the real thing.
Because you can do all the right things and miss the point entirely.
The Fasting That Is Not Fasting
Fasting is a spiritual discipline. Jesus assumed His followers would fast. But here is what He said about it:
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen."
Matthew 6:16‑18Jesus is saying: if you fast and everyone knows it, you got what you wanted. You got the credit. But if you fast and nobody knows, the reward is different. Greater. From the Father.
So here is the question: is your fast about looking spiritual, or about actually connecting with God? Are you fasting to be seen, or to be changed?
The same thing goes for any spiritual discipline done for applause. If you pray loudly in public so people hear you, that is not prayer. That is performance. If you give to be seen, that is not generosity. That is advertising.
There is a version of every spiritual practice that is not spiritual at all. It is just performance. And the performance might look exactly like the real thing, except it does not change you.
The Prayer That Is Not Prayer
Jesus also said this about prayer:
"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
Matthew 6:7Pagans used long, repetitive prayers. They thought more words meant more power. And Jesus said: do not be like them.
But here is what we do: we pray long prayers. We use the same phrases over and over. We repeat the same requests, as if God needs reminding. We treat prayer like a list we are checking off, rather than a conversation we are having.
That is not prayer. That is talking at God, not talking to God. And there is a difference.
The Worship That Is Not Worship
Worship can also be fake. You can sing the words and feel nothing. You can lift your hands and not mean it. You can go through the motions while your heart is far away.
That is what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."
Isaiah 29:13Jesus quoted that. That is the same thing He said to the religious leaders of His day. They had all the right moves, all the right words, all the right rituals. And none of it meant anything because their hearts were not in it.
And here is the thing: it still happens. Every Sunday, in churches all over the world, people go through the motions. They sing the songs, they bow their heads, they say the amen. And none of it changes them. Because it is not worship. It is performance.
The Twist
Here is what nobody expects: God would rather have less of your performance and more of your heart.
A short prayer that is real is better than a long prayer that is fake. A simple worship song that you mean is better than a complex one that you do not. A fast that changes you is better than a fast that everyone sees.
The point is not the ritual. The point is the relationship. And if you are doing the ritual but not getting the relationship, you are wasting your time.
Ask Yourself This
Which of your spiritual practices have become performance? Where are you going through the motions? Ask God to make the ritual real again.
The goal is not to look spiritual. The goal is to actually know God. And that happens in the secret place, not the public one.
Father, help me to do spiritual practices for relationship with You, not for performance for others. Transform my rituals into real connection. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire