Spiritual Practice:

Fasting

Hunger for God

By fasting, we mean a set period of time in which Christians abstain from food and set their hearts, minds, and bodies on God in hunger for him. The Bible does not command fasting. Instead, it assumes God’s people are regularly practicing it. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us:

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:16-18

Christ is not telling his disciples whether or not they should fast. He is instructing them on how to fast when they engage in it. Even the frequency of fasting in the Bible stresses its importance. Baptism, a clear command for all those who come to faith in Christ, is mentioned 75 times in the Bible, and fasting is mentioned 77 times. As those who desire to follow Christ, fasting should be a spiritual practice that is evident in our lives.

Purposes of Fasting

If fasting is encouraged in Scripture, then what is it for? Jesus describes fasting as an activity that expresses our longing for his fellowship:

“Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Matthew 9:14-15

Fasting heightens our hunger for our true food, Christ himself; it enflames our spiritual taste buds for communion with God as we set aside physical nourishment that can distract us from our deepest needs. John Piper summarizes the longing for God that fasting represents:

  • We fast because we’re hungry for God’s Word and God’s Spirit in our lives.
  • We fast because we long for God’s glory to resound in the church and God’s praise to resound among the nations.
  • We fast because we yearn for God’s Son to return and God’s kingdom to come.
  • Ultimately we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us.

Throughout Scripture, fasting is also practiced to call on God for specific needs in the lives of his people. The church fasts and prays for direction (Acts 1:1-3). God calls his people to fast as an act of repentance and turning back to him after sin (Joel 2:12-13), and Daniel fasts in desperation for God to act as he faces persecution (Daniel 9). In short, fasting is an act of faith that God is good and desires to move in the hearts and lives of his people.

Practical Instruction

In terms of practice, fasts are taken up individually and corporately in the Bible (1 Samuel 7:5-6, Ezra 8:21-23, Nehemiah 9:1-3, Joel 2:15-16, Jonah 3:5-10, Acts 13). These fasts always include abstaining from food, but Christian liberty allows food abstinence to take many forms. A full fast consists of consuming nothing but liquids for an allotted amount of days or could include abstaining from all liquids as well during this period. A partial fast consists of fasting for an allotted time in a 24-hour cycle. For example, a partial fast could be abstaining from food between sunrise and sundown. Lastly, a Daniel Fast is a popular approach that abstains from meat, sweets, and bread for an allotted amount of days. If you take medications or have any health-related issues, you should consult your doctor before engaging in various forms of fasting.

In our culture, including various forms of media in the practice of fasting is a powerful instrument for obstructing distractions and centering ourselves on the Lord. By abstaining from television, social media, YouTube, podcasts, etc., we can assess if these items have become idols in our lives and turn to more prolonged time fellowshipping with Christ. In our fasting, we should strive to put everything on the table that is holding us back from more hunger for God.


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