Fasting // Part II
Fasting.
It’s not a word we think about much. If we do we probably equate it more with monks, models, or Muslims than with the day-to-day realities of our own discipleship walk.
And yet, through the ages, fasting has been a central discipline of Christianity. Jesus talked about it. Jesus did it. So did the Early Church. In Matthew 6, a part of Jesus’ longest teaching on discipleship (Matthew 5-7 - The Sermon on the Mount), Jesus talks about three Christian disciplines.
Giving.
Prayer.
And fasting.
It’s interesting that we’ve talked so much about the first two, and almost nothing about the third. Richard Foster writes that in his research he couldn’t find a single book on Christian fasting between 1861 and 1954. That’s 93 years.
We need to rediscover the practice of fasting.
But before we dig in, one crucial foundation. Sebrina taught on this discipline a week ago, and urged us to position fasting within the great and wide realm of Christian freedom. There is never coercion with Jesus, but only invitation. The platform is love, and never guilt. Many are not ready for this conversation until they’re deep enough into the realities of grace. In Jesus’ words (in conversation about fasting) new wine needed new wineskins (Matthew 9:14-17). God loves you whether or not you are fasting. But He also delights in calling us deeper in. And His invitations always increase our freedom.
Three foundational things to think about.
1. The Importance of Fasting
We live in an age obsessed with consumption and convenience. If we want it, we buy it. With Amazon Prime immediacy. Our culture lives this out in so many aspects - from fashion to phones to film to food.
We love eating (I really love eating). Food is awesome. We need it. In Eden, God made food abundant and delicious: “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sign and good for food.” (Genesis 2:9). Enjoying food is a heavenly thing.
But as with so many of God’s gifts, we’ve made it the ultimate thing rather than a good thing. It’s moved from blessing us to controlling us. It’s changed from being a gift to a god. Food, like anything other than God Himself, is a great servant and a terrible master.
Fasting is absolutely crucial in this cultural moment. It is the resolute ‘No’ to being controlled by consumption and pushed around by our bodies’ every desire. It is the rejection of living as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4). It is a decisive positioning of our souls to line up with the values and person of Jesus, where true pleasure only lies. And it’s so powerful.
2. The Impact of Fasting
Mark Sayers writes about ‘Pointing Our Patterns Toward Heaven’ This is essentially what fasting does: it puts a pattern (or practice) into our lives which trains our souls towards the heavenly rather than the things of earth.
There are different ways fasting impacts us.
Firstly, fasting expresses that God is our first love. Fasting is worship. In Sebrina’s words, “Fasting is a theology of priority.” It is a way of naming Him as our ultimate need and longing and love. Every grumble of your stomach becomes a prayer: God I need you more than anything else. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
Secondly, fasting trains our desires towards God. It increases our hunger for Him. When our faith is feeling stagnant and our zeal has grown cold, fasting is powerful remedy: it trains our souls into the knowledge that we need Him more than anything else. Psalm 63 is a great psalm of hunger. Read it. The allusions to food and drink, and God fulfilling our deepest desires is striking.
Thirdly, fasting sets us free. Richard Foster writes that “More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us.” What controls you? Anger? Lust? Envy? Comparison? Shopping addiction? Phone addiction? Pornography addiction? Food? Fasting brings up the real things of our hearts. This isn’t a place for condemnation, but accurate diagnosis of what’s influencing our souls. We have to see it to change it. Fasting exposes these controlling factors so we can bring them to God and move towards freedom.
Fourthly, fasting is connected to increased fruitfulness. Be careful here: fasting is not manipulation of God. He won’t be controlled or bought. But there is a strong link between revival and fasting. The reason, I think, is that those who fast become more and more obsessed with the things of heaven. Their hearts get purer. Their love for God grows. Their humility deepens. And such lives are more ready for the fire of God.
3. The Practice of Fasting
There are some really good reasons not to fast. If you’re pregnant, ill, exhausted, struggling with your mental health, or have an eating disorder, I’d strongly encourage you not to fast. There may be a time when it’s right, but this is a time for looking after your body and healing your heart in other ways. Take up Jesus’ easy yoke, fall into His healing love afresh and rest. Remember the wineskin needs to be new before it can hold the new wine.
However, if you’re basically healthy, you should try fasting. A few practical pointers.
Fasting means food. Abstinence from phones, social media, people, shopping, etc. can be full of benefits, but they’re different from fasting. Fasting means cutting out some or all food, and occasionally drink too.
Partial fast or full fast. A partial fast means you cut some things out of your diet. Examples are the Nazirite drinking no alcohol (Numbers 6) or what’s sometimes called a ‘Daniel fast’, where Daniel ate “no delicacies, no meat or wine” for three weeks (Daniel 10:3). A full fast means cutting out all food and traditionally drinking only water. Some have occasionally fasted for up to three days with neither food nor drink.
Start small. If you’re new to fasting, start small and build it up slowly. Start by missing a meal once a week, giving the time to prayer and listening. You may want to then build to 2 or 3 meals. A weekly fast of 24 hours can be hugely strengthening of your prayer life. You’ll notice that you feel tired as the fast length grows. Take things slower and allow your attention to grow upon Him in this slower pace.
Longer fasts. There may be seasons when you feel led into a longer fast of more than 24 hours. If this is where you’re at, get in touch and we can offer more advice and resources.