Fasting: What Is It? Why Do We Do It? How Do We Do It?

You may not be aware, but this past Monday was the beginning of a month-long fasting period that Muslims around the world observe, called Ramadan.  After spending 2.5 years living in Central Asia and experiencing this fasting season firsthand, this is a month that I always dedicate to remembering my experiences and praying for the salvation of Muslims around the world.  You see, the word Islam means “submission” and all Muslims fast out of submission to Allah (Arabic word for God).  Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam that Muslims do with the hope of gaining acceptance from God.  There is not surety of salvation in Islam, but only the hope that your works are enough.  As I began praying this month for Muslims, I began thinking about how fasting is not something that Christians discuss or practice as much as we should.  Unlike Muslims, we don’t need to fast in order to gain acceptance before God.  We have acceptance through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.  However, what is fasting for the Christian and why and how do we do it?  Let’s explore…

What Is Fasting?

In our culture, fasting has become one of the most misunderstood and rarely practiced spiritual disciplines that we find in the Bible.  There are not many sermons or teachings on fasting, and I personally know very few Christians who engage in fasting regularly.  However, with fasting being addressed over 70 times in the Bible, it is something we should pay attention to.  Donald Whitney defines fasting as the “voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.”  Now, we can also fast from other things such as television and phone time, but the Bible only uses food when speaking of fasting.

The types of fasting and lengths of fasting vary greatly throughout the Bible.  There are examples of individual fasts that no one knows about to group or national fasts that everyone knows about.  There are fasts that last for a part of the day and fasts that last for 40 days.  There are fasts from both food and water, fasts from food only, and fasts from only some foods.  Do you have clarity on what fasting is yet?  Ha!  We love to have things simplified and paired down to specific guidelines and rules but fasting does not fall into that framework.  There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fasting.  The key is knowing that Biblical fasting involves limiting our food intake for a period determined between God and us for a specific reason.  Our reason for fasting is key!

Why Do We Fast?

Now let’s talk about what this reason or motivation is and what the Bible says about why we fast.

1. We Fast Because It Is Expected: In Matthew 6:16 Jesus instructs his followers saying, “And when you fast…”  Again, in Matthew 9:15 he explains that fasting will happen once He is gone.  Jesus doesn’t speak of fasting as being optional, but as something the Christian will do and want to do.
2. We Fast to Hunger For God In Prayer: When we pray, we are connecting in relationship with the God of the universe. We are growing in relationship and communing with God.  God has made our bodies in a certain way and has given us the gift of fasting to dig even deeper in relationship than prayer provides.  Our aim in fasting is not to get a specific word or gift or peace, but to get God Himself!  We may fast and focus our prayers on God’s will, deliverance, repentance, temptation, kingdom advance, etc. but our aim is God Himself!  Are we hungry for God?  John Piper has said, “We ache and yearn—and fast—to know more and more of all that God is for us in Jesus.”
3. We Fast to See Our True Self: Have you ever heard the term “hangry”? When we are deprived of food, we find out who we really are.  So often food medicates us from experiencing what is at the depth of our hearts, but when we fast our true self comes out.  Knowing the reality of where our hearts are pushes us to pursue God more deeply and depend on Him more fully.

How Do We Fast?

So, let’s review.  Fasting is abstaining from food or drink or both for a time determined between us and God to dig more deeply in relationship with Him through prayer and to see the true state of our hearts.  If fasting is expected and the main reason for fasting is to get more of God, who is the greatest treasure, then the big question is… “Why would we not fast?”

It’s action time… how do we get started?

1. Daily Pray for Help And Direction: Set a specific time daily to pray about fasting. Take just a few minutes and ask God to grow your understanding and to lead you in this discipline.
2. Start Small: Don’t immediately start by trying a 40-day fast. Here at Unstatus Your Quo®, behavior change starts with tiny steps leading to your ultimate Target Behavior. Work your way into fasting.  One of your first steps might be trying to skip one meal every two weeks.
3. Actually Fast: Remember that fasting is not only about not eating food. We fast for a reason.  Take the time that you are stepping away from food to seek God through prayer.  If you aren’t seeking God, then you are just pursuing a weight loss program.
4. Get Accountability: Matthew 6:16-18 describes a private fasting time and how we should fast in a way where others do not notice what we are doing. However, if we are just getting started, it is good to have someone encouraging us along the way.
5. Fast Together: The church I attend has a quarterly fast. This month, I am fasting together with a group for the sake of praying for God to work among Muslims around the world. Look for opportunities to join in and fast with your church and community.

God didn’t intend for fasting to be confusing or neglected.  He didn’t intend for fasting to be something to be used to gain acceptance.  God gave us fasting as a gift to know Him more.  Let’s take hold of that gift today!

Noah

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