Over the years, the way of fasting has been the practice of depriving the body of food for spiritual purposes. For many that couldn’t do without eating three times a day, fasting as a spiritual exercise may be a difficult thing. But the practice of fasting has been before the Bible was written. To see the power of fasting and prayer, we must do it in a proper way.
According to John Piper in his book “Hunger for God,” he said, “Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of a homesickness for God. Christian fasting is not only the spontaneous effect of superior satisfaction in God; it is also a chosen weapon against every force in the world that would take that satisfaction away.”
So, the question remains: how should we fast biblically? In this article, we are going to guide you on how you can fast as a Christian and be able to experience the power of fasting and prayer.
Before we continue, we should also know that fasting goes beyond abstaining from food; it can also mean staying away from things like TV, social media, and sex (for married folks). But our focus in this article will be general Christian fasting: food deprivation.
Should Christians Fast?
During the time of Jesus here on earth, he accused the Pharisees of how they do their fasting. This is to confirm that fasting has been a thing religious people have done over the years. Even though Jesus’ disciples were accused of not fasting during His earthly ministry, He said they will fast when the time comes. He even taught how fasting should be carried out (Matthew 6:16-18).
Biblical View of Prayer and Fasting
Both in the Old and New Testaments, fasting was mentioned throughout the Bible. Moses fasted for forty days, and Jesus fasted for forty days. Even though fasting was mentioned and discussed, no passage in the Bible teaches us how to abstain from food.
In Isaiah 58, God witnesses the people of Israel fasting for a day to ask for God’s assistance: justice for Israel and retribution against those who have wronged Israel. People complain, nevertheless, and no assistance is provided.
God exposes the Israelites’ oppression of their people, turning the tables on them. People behave violently toward one another, and employers refuse to pay their employees. God reminds the people through Isaiah that He wants them to stop oppressing one another and not go a day without food.
They were pretending to follow God’s commandment, but in reality, they were not. Jesus also told His disciples to not put on a show when fasting.
Believers should not fast because they want to put on a show or look righteous. They must know that fasting is a practice of mortifying themselves before God. You should not pride yourself in how many days you fast or how long you could fast; rather, you must understand the intent behind fasting.
Examples of people who separated themselves to seek God through fasting and were able to see the power of fasting and prayer are;
- Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4)
- Mordecai (Esther 4:3)
- David (Psalm 35:13)
Fasting is not only for believers, as mentioned above. People like Martin Luther, John Knox, and so on fasted and prayed. These are important church leaders during a vital time in history known as the Protestant Reformation.
Why Should Christian Fast?
Fasting is not just a vacation from food. It is a way of adding extra pep to your prayer. It is important to note that your fasting is not the reason God answers your prayers; it is a way to position yourself to receive from God.
According to the scripture, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV). So, when we fast, we humble ourselves before the most high. It is a way of showing our humility and brokenness. So one can go as far as weeping, mourning, and wearing sackcloth. All these are just to put themselves in a state where the flesh is not standing in the way.
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How to Fast Biblically?
We have two fasts generally practiced by Christians today. They are:
- Partial Fast: This was practiced by Prophet Daniel (Daniel 10:3) for the three weeks. It was recorded that during his time in exile, he abstained only from delicacies like meat and wine.
- Complete Fast: It means you are drinking only water or sometimes juice during fasting for a long period of time. Taking juice will provide you more energy to continue fasting and still humble your flesh.
It is advisable to start slow if you are new to fasting. It will help your body to adjust to the demand for food.
Preparing for the Fast
Fasting must be done with prayer. If you say you are fasting, you must schedule a time to worship and seek God in prayer. Spending time with God must be planned and not in a hurry. The planning can start by repenting of your sins. It is important that God will not listen to a prayer made by a sinner. Ask him to forgive you.
Thereafter, you can make your requests known to God and ask for His will to be done. Studying the Bible should be part of your plan. Just as we mentioned above, spending time with God should not be hurried. You should come to His presence with your notepad and take time to listen. He will give you instructions, ideas, insight, and direction. All these must be written down. When all the voices around you quiet down, the voice of God will be loud in your ear.
For extended fasting, the first few days will be very challenging. Drink enough water. You can add apple or watermelon to boost your energy. You must persevere no matter how hungry you are. And seek medical advice in case of any health challenges.
Ending the Fast
There is a proper way to break a fast. Your desire to quickly put food in your body must be curbed no matter what. During fasting, the stomach has moved due to contraction, and every other organ involved in the processing of food is at rest. The longer the fast, the more time the body needs to adjust to be able to start functioning properly again. Solid food should not be used to break a fast. Light food is best to help your body adjust properly.
Failure at Fasting
You may not get your first attempt right, and that is okay. Building resilience to fasting takes time. You just have to keep trying until you succeed. To experience the power of fasting and prayer, we must do it continuously until we see results.
