What is Fasting? – It’s More than Just a Diet13 minute read
This is a part of a 3 part series on fasting. You can find the link to the next post at the bottom of this one.
Whether you are a Christian or not, chances are you have at least heard the word fasting. Fasting is mentioned many times in the bible and is even popular today among the world for its health benefits. It seems like you can look at a health blog these days with out seeing someones version of a fast.
So what is Fasting?
If you have not heard of fasting, well the concept is simple.
Fasting is to abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.
Fasting is not just a diet. Even though many people use the concept of fasting to lose weight or get healthier in general, that is not purpose of doing a fast. In this post I will focus on the practice of fasting for “religious observance”. Not the secular health benefits of it.
Although I do agree with the definition mentioned above, I believe the below definition better suits the focus of this article.
Fasting is to give up or abstain from a substance, action or habit for a predetermined period of time in order to gain a spiritual closeness with God through prayer and mediation.
Most of the time a fast is referring to the absence of food and/or drink. Such as, entire meals or maybe just meat or sugar. But fasting can also include abstaining from certain activities or habits such as watching TV or going on social media.
You might be saying to yourself, “that doesn’t seem very fun”…
So Why Fast? What is the point?
The reason we fast is to put aside the pleasures of this world and use that time to get closer to God. In our day to day lives, we tend to fill our time with activities that make us happy or feel good. Whether or not it is activities that strengthen our spiritual walk. A lot of times, those activities will take time away from God. We allow them to take time away from:
- praying like we should
- reading our Bibles like we should
- meditating on the word like we should
- witnessing like we should
I’m sure I can make a longer list, but the point is, we let life and the things of this world get between us and our relationship with our heavenly father. Fasting is a way for us to tell God “I love you enough to give up food (or insert your guilty pleasure here)“. While fasting, you are putting your focus on God and your relationship with him rather than focusing on the food or activities that will satisfy you for a short time. That is the point to it all. To put your focus more on God.
Fasting in the Bible
Lets take a look at fasting examples in the bible to get a better understanding of why we fast. If you study fasting in the bible, you will notice very different motives people had for fasting in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, a person usually fasted to mourn or cry out to God in times of grief or urgently seek God and his intervention. In 2 Samuel 12:16-18, David fasted because of the death of his son. He was mourning over his loss and was seeking Gods comfort. Also in the book of Jonah (chapter 3 verses 6-10), Nineveh fasted big time when Jonah told them God was about to cast judgment on them. The king got the entire city involved and even the cattle so that God would change his mind.
In the New Testament, we see fasting more used for meditation and seeking a closer relationship with God. In Matthew 4:1-2 and in Luke 4:24, we see Jesus go into the wilderness to fast. This was to get close to God so he can prepare Jesus to deliver the new law and suffer the weight of the worlds sins through crucifixion. During the fast, Jesus meditated on scripture and used it against Satan when he tried to tempt Jesus.
Reasons for Fasting
Now that we have seen a couple examples of fasting in the bible, lets cover the reasons for fasting. There are multiple different reasons why you might fast. The reason can be as broad or as specific as you need it to be. So I will just cover the common ones.
To Express Grief
Bad things happen. That is unfortunately a part of life. But the way we handle those situations tells a lot about our character. When going through hard times, whether it be from loss or fear, it is easy to turn away from God. It is in those times it is the hardest to pray and focus your thoughts on spiritual things. But it is in those times when it is most important to do those very things. And your the relationship you have with God during that time will dictate your actions.
The here is, when going through a time of grief, our first thoughts should be of God. We should turn to him for his comfort and grace. One way to let God know he is the only comfort you seek is by fasting. We covered a couple examples above found in the old testament.
To get an answer to a specific prayer
Probably one of the most popular reasons to fast today is to seek an answer to a specific prayer. There are always a number of things we pray for on a daily basis. But we all have something that weighs on our heart heavier then the rest. It could be a temptation in your life that you are wanting to overcome or the healing of an illness or disease. Your prayer might be simply asking for Gods guidance on a big decision in your life or asking him to reveal your spiritual gift. Whatever it is, we all have that something we need answers too. Fasting is a great way to clear your mind from the distracting things of this world and actually listen to God.
To Repent
Fasting can also be done as an act of repentance. There might be a sin in your life that has bogged you down and you have finally reached that breaking point with God. A true change of mind is needed in order for you to get to this point. Too often we ask for Gods forgiveness only to back slide the next day. Making the decision to fast for repentance will prove to God that your mind is made up and you are serious about getting this sin out of your life.
Benefits of Fasting
Daniel chapter 1 shows us, Daniel fasted 10 days before he was to get a health assessment (essentially) by the King. This was an assessment to see who was worthy to serve in the palace. Daniel requested to have a diet of pulse (vegetables) and water for 10 days while the other young teenagers ate of the Kings meat. After that ten days, the bible says he looked healthier and stronger than all the others.
While there are some physical health benefits to fasting, the point of fasting is to strengthen our spiritual life.
Fasting will:
- Increase our intimacy with God
- Help us to pray with the right motives
- Increase our faith
- and Help us Hear from God
Different types of Fasts
Full Fast
A full fast is when you abstain from eating all foods and drinking any liquids for a short amount of time. These fasts can last from one meal to three days. One example of this type of fast in the bible is when Esther fasted with her maids and other Jews before she went before the king. A move that could of costed her her life.
It is not recommended to do a full fast for an extended amount of time and it should be done with caution. The body can only function for 3 days without water without supernatural intervention.
Regular Fast
This is probably the most popular type of fast. A regular fast is when only water is allowed. No food, just water. Some people will also drink natural juices but in my personal opinion, that is considered a partial fast which is covered next. This type of fast is often done for for one to seven days.
Partial Fast
A partial fast is when you only cut out certain types of foods and drinks. Examples are, cutting out sugar or gluten or going vegan or paleo. Typically a partial fast usually lasts between 7 days to over a month. One of the most popular partial fasts is called the Daniel Fast. It is based off of the fast Daniel and his colleagues did for 10 days as they only ate vegetables and drank water prepared themselves to be presented before the Kings servitude (Daniel 1).
Supernatural Fast
A supernatural fast is a fast that can only be done while in the supernatural presence of God. This is the type of fast Moses went through while getting the 10 commandments. For 40 days, he did not have any food or water while in the presence of God. Jesus also fasted for 40 days and nights while in the desert. Under normal circumstances, going that long without food, and especially water, would result in death. For obvious reasons, this type of fast cant be planned out.
Material Fast
As mentioned above, fasting can be abstaining from certain activities or things of this world. A material fast is a fast that omits things out of your life such as habits, TV Shows, activities or social media. The trick here is to be honest with yourself and pick something that you know gets most the attention out of your life. For most of us that is social media. We often look to social media for approval from “friends” and put too much weight on our follower count. Fasting from social media can put into perceptive how silly that is and also show us that Gods approval is all that matters.
When should I fast?
That is entirely up to you. The timing of certain incidents in your life usually dictate the timing of a fast. It is not until you might be going through a rough time that you will even think of fasting.
Fasting doesn’t always have to be a result of a hardship or storm in your life. It can be scheduled. There is nothing wrong with scheduling your fasts. What you are doing is essentially scheduling your time with God. It is much like scheduling your bible study time throughout the week. Many people schedule a quarterly or yearly fast. Some more often depending on the type of fast you are doing. The Daniel Fast I mentioned above is usually a yearly fast, done by many Christians in the month of January.
How do I prepare for a fast?
This is a crucial step in fasting. The preparation.
Going cold turkey in a fast can cause some pretty gnarly headaches and muscle cramps and aches. Believe me… I’ve been there. During a Fast your body is detoxing, and you need to be ready for it, mentally and physically.
First you need to prepare your mind. Most of us know, a diet is mostly mental. Well a fast is no different. Get int the mind set that you are going to go through with the fast. Planning the number of days, the type of fast and the menu can help mentally get you ready.
Second, get some support if you don’t want to do it alone. Find family or close friends to do it with. This will hold you accountable and give you someone to pray with or talk to during this time. A small piece of advise though. Find someone you are close to that is also spiritually prepared to take this on with you.
Finally, prepare your body. I wasn’t kidding about the headaches and the muscle aches. You will experience them and the less prepared you are, the more they will hurt. Sorry for the hard truth. So my advice to you would be to take the few days ahead of time to cut back on processed foods and sugars. Also drink lots of water. This will ease the detox pains you are bound to have.
Don’t let that last section scare you. Because in the end, it is all worth it.
The Challenges of Fasting
Well I already covered the one of the challenges of fasting in the last paragraph. That is the inevitable headaches and muscle aches you will get within the first few days. Unfortunately, a lot of people quit mid-fast due to these pains. I attribute that to not being mentally or spiritually ready to fast.
While pains are part of the challenge, the biggest challenge you will face in a fast is Satan himself. He would love nothing more than to have you quit while trying to get closer to God. If you are fasting, I will bet my bottom dollar that the devil will show up and try to knock you down. He will tempt you and do everything in his power to discourage you. Don’t believe me? He even tried to tempt Jesus himself during his fast. So if he has the gall to tempt Jesus, you can count on him showing up on your doorstep. DON’T LET HIM DO IT! Do what Jesus did and quote scripture every time Satan tries to tempt you.
Conclusion
Matthew 4:4 says that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of Gods mouth. This was Jesus’ response to Satan after he told Jesus to turn the rocks into bread so he could eat. And this is the point of fasting. To force ourselves to not depend on bread alone, but to depend on every word of God. Or to put it another way, we fast to cut out the distractions of this world (bread) so we can better hear what God has to tell us.
Sometimes it takes a fast for us to realize we don’t need the things of this world to feel good or fulfilled. All we need is a close relationship to God.
Understand this. You don’t need to fast to get closer to God. Get closer today by making time for prayer. Schedule time daily to be alone with God. Whether it be reading your bible, praying or doing a short devotion in the morning, make it a habit to make time for God.
Read Part 2 of the Fasting series: How to Prepare for your Spiritual Fast
If you want to start studying you bible more effectively, check out my post on the 7 ways to simplify your bible study
You may also enjoy, What is the Perfect Christian?
Travis Haines
Husband | Father | IT Guy | Blogger | Author and Creator of ChristianIntrovert.com wanting to encourage those who question their abilities in Christ. Don't let your Introversion define who you are and don't use it as an excuse to shut yourself out from the world.