When Gandhi wanted to capture the attention of the powerful and prompt them to act against injustice, he went on a hunger strike. A number of years ago when I was confused and heartbroken, I began a 3-day fast. We are physical creatures, and the state of our soul or the hopes of our heart require physical expression.
Scripture suggests that our use of (or refraining from the use of) food is a natural and expressive way that our body reflects the spiritual realities we experience. Scripture offers a myriad of causes that would prompt our fasting from food, but the underlying theme is that our fasting is a response to God. Some of the reasons we might turn to God in fasting include the following:
• A tragedy has struck, and we turn to God in sorrow. For instance, when David mourned the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 3:35).
• A purposeful way of attuning ourselves to God, remembering that God’s presence is what we most crave. Biblical fasts concluded with feasts, declaring that those who are hungry for God are filled.
• An act of solidarity with the poor. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told Israel that the fasting He desired would result in sharing their “food with the hungry” (Isaiah 58:7). Augustine asked this penetrating question: “How many poor can be filled with the breakfast we have this day given up?”
We can fast for these reasons and many more. Each allows us to physically obey God, to physically pay attention to Him, to seek God with our mouth and our stomachs—all our human sensations. In fasting, we encounter God with our bodies.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 6:1-13
More:
Read Joel 2:12-15. Mark the different human emotions and physical expressions that are mentioned. Who is the central character in this text?
Next:
What has been your experience with fasting? How can fasting draw us closer to God?
lindagrace on February 5, 2012 at 5:09 am
My first experince was hard,I fasted the whole day till the following morning .My whole body was trembling because it wasn’t used to it and i felt like i was going to die,luckily my mother brought me a glass of warm water that had glucose.my purpose of fasting was to have a closer relationship with God.I must admit fasting has helped me grow spiritually and have a closer relationship with God.
winn collier on February 5, 2012 at 10:50 am
My experiences have not been many, but the times I’ve fasted, they’ve been meaningful. It’s important to add a note in these conversations that we need to be very attentive to health issues. And some people’s body chemistry is such that fasting is a bad idea.
tom felten on February 5, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Good point, Winn. With that in mind, it’s good to remember that we can “fast” ifrom a number of things—not just food.
mike wittmer on February 6, 2012 at 1:28 pm
I am always convicted when I hear about fasting. This is something that I simply don’t do well, and I don’t know of many others who do either. This seems to be a lost discipline today. Thank you for reminding me about its importance.
sheridan voysey on February 8, 2012 at 3:25 am
Ditto. It’s been a while…
sheridan voysey on February 8, 2012 at 3:25 am
This is one of the most concise descriptions of fasting’s purpose I’ve read for a while. Thanks Winn. Convicting!
daisymarygoldr on February 8, 2012 at 3:36 pm
This is an important topic especially with so much confusion among Christians about fasting. There are many social activists in the land of Gandhi who fast unto death to peacefully protest against injustice or corruption. For Followers of Christ fasting is not a hunger strike to dissent against God and demand for our rights to be filled or healed.
In the Bible, fasting among Jews was a religious activity associated with grief and mourning— in the hope that God will be moved to forgive, heal and deliver people from their troubles. In other words the thinking was if they went without food to afflict their souls, it would win God’s favor to pardon their sins, heal their diseases and protect them from their enemies.
This is similar to people asking why God does not heal their sickness or answer their prayers when they have been doing all the right things like church attendance, tithing, fasting and praying. Such attitude reeks of self-righteousness and pride. It is in this context God tells them in Isaiah 58 that He is not impressed by their outward show of humility and mourning. Fasting that pleases Him requires putting away of sins which will set other people free from oppression.
For Christians, fasting is not a religious requirement. Jesus fasted before He began his ministry on this earth. The early church fasted before Paul and Barnabas went on a missionary journey. The church where I grew up fasts on a monthly basis specifically before conducting gospel raids, VBS, special gatherings and revival meetings. The fasting is mostly from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm and some church groups do an all-night thing from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. Liquids like water or fruit juice is allowed for those who want. We fast to spend time in singing, mediating on God’s word, and to pray for all sorts of needs like protection from: the elements of nature, forces antagonistic to the preaching of the gospel, outbreak of contagious diseases and provision of basic things like food, water, shelter and electricity. Most importantly it is to seek unity of the Spirit among the brethren because in the midst of such evangelistic events all kinds of crazy catfights occur to prove who is greater than the other. And the outcome? Supernatural results— nothing less than miracles.
So, why do we fast? Fasting is a symbolic way of demonstrating that food for the belly is not primary. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work”. It is to say that our bodily need is secondary to doing work for the kingdom of God. When God’s people fast and pray, we engage in spiritual warfare— not in our physical strength but by His Spirit. Fasting and prayer prepares us to fight against principalities and powers of darkness that hinder us from doing God’s will.
daisymarygoldr on February 8, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Forgot to mention we also fast and pray before appointing elders and deacons in the church.
Mzwakhe Nxumalo on April 7, 2012 at 2:37 am
AMEN TO THAT.