Perhaps not for you, but for me, sometimes I seem to lose touch with Jesus.  I get a little lost, and I need to reconnect with Him!  I’ve read and heard all my life that fasting is the way to have a closer walk with Jesus.

            In Matthew 9:15, while Jesus was teaching, His twelve disciples did not fast.  Jesus said no groomsmen fasted while they were with the bridegroom!  Did he assume we would fast after He was gone?

            After the events of the past few months, I feel as though I should fast for forgiveness and healing for this country from now until I get to Heaven!  2 Chronicles 7:14 says the nation needs to repent and seek God’s face, and fasting seems the best way to do that.

            In our Christian life, we first need an intimate, personal relationship with God, and prayer gives us that.  We need to do good to others, and tithing is a way to do that.  We also need to discipline ourselves, and fasting is one way to get that accomplished.   

            Fasting was an important part of the lives of so many Bible characters.  I think of David, Esther, Daniel, Paul and others.  Perhaps it should be important to us as well.

            Webster says “to fast is to abstain from food.”  Well, I do that before blood tests and doctor visits, but that is not Biblical fasting.

                Strong’s Bible dictionary defines Biblical fasting from the Greek word asitos, meaning “without taking food for spiritual purposes.”  There are Hebrew words for it also, but no reference to the origin of the custom.

            This ancient practice is found in most religions of the world.  Traditionally, fasting has been widely used for the purpose of purifying the person or making amends for wrong-doing. 

            Most religions designate certain days or seasons as times of fasting, as Lent, Yom Kippur (Jewish) and Ramadan (Muslim- that’s a whole month when they fast from dawn to dusk, and then eat between dusk and dawn.). 

            Certain events for some people have been considered appropriate times for fasting, such as just before a major personal commitment (like when my husband was ordained).  Prayer accompanies Biblical fasting, which makes it different from ordinary fasting.
            My first experience with fasting was during my first year at Southeastern Christian College.  The president announced that there was a need for funds or the college might be shut down, so he asked that we pray and fast.  I spent time in the prayer room, like other students, and then went about my daily classes and duties, as usual, but I did not eat at meal time.  It was a moving experience and we noticed the funds came, so we knew God had answered our prayers and fasting.  We had a purpose and saw it fulfilled.

            So, Biblical fasting is a physical discipline. It is not a hunger strike or a diet plan.  Those are neither holy nor spiritual. If done the way Scripture describes, fasting is a very spiritual practice to help our spiritual life by centering on spiritual purposes.

            Several kinds of fasts mentioned in the Bible were for specific purposes.  The disciples fasted to break sins that limited them.  Ezra fasted to solve specific freedom problems.  Samuel fasted for revival  to win people back to God.  Elijah fasted to break negative habits; the widow fasted so she could provide for others; Paul fasted when making decisions to see God’s will; Daniel fasted to enrich his physical health; John the Baptist fasted so God could use him to influence others; and Esther fasted so God would deliver them from the evil person Haman.

            Today there are three basic kinds found in scripture that we follow.  First is the NORMAL FAST.  That is going without food for a definite period, but not without water, and commonly lasts from sunrise to sunrise.  You should drink plenty of water during the fast.  Luke 4:1-2  Jesus was in the desert, forty days and ate nothing.

            The second is the ABSOLUTE FAST.  That is going without food or water and must be short.  (Moses’ 40 day fast would kill anyone without supernatural intervention!)  Acts 9:8-9 Paul was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

            Third is the PARTIAL FAST.  That is the restriction of diet rather than complete abstinence.  It includes omitting one meal a day, or omitting certain foods for a certain period.  Eating only veggies for several days is a good partial fast.  Some eat only bread and water for a few days.   Daniel 10:1-3  Daniel ate no bread, no meat or wine, for three weeks.

            Suggestions for fasting are to set aside time for repentance, worship, and prayer; make requests to God and seek His will; study scripture and listen to Him; and record ideas, insights, directions and instructions.

            At the end of the fast, a small glass of fruit juice should be the first meal, then gradually introduce small amounts of easily digestible foods.

            For healthy people, no harm results from short-term fasting.  It is wise to consult your doctor before beginning any fast lasting longer than three days.  If you fail to reach your goal, try again until you do succeed.  God will honor your faithfulness.

            Remember that fasting is a tool, a discipline to draw us closer to Jesus.  It is not a legal doctrine,  it is not mandatory, and your salvation does not depend on it!  It is beneficial only if practiced under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is important, but it is not a major biblical doctrine.  Unless there is the true devotion of heart, there is no lasting benefit. 

            People ask if fasting is as important as the Lord’s Supper or baptism.  In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus seems to say that fasting is part of the Christian life like giving and praying.  He was talking to people there who fasted often, and everyone knew it, so He said, “when you fast.” Not “if.” Though Jesus said, “when you fast,” He did not say “you must.”

            Also, Matthew 9:14-17 states that the disciples would not fast while Jesus was with them, but that they would after He was gone. In this passage, Jesus supported fasting and assumed his followers would fast after He had left them.

            Jesus never commanded fasting. He did not say, “Thou shalt fast,” but it seems He did expect that we would.  After studying this subject, in my humble opinion, my answer is “Yes, I think we should, as needed.”

            Biblical purposes for fasting include getting rid of personal lusts (I Cor 9:27),  strengthening personal prayer (Acts 10:30), chastening the soul (Ps 69:10), humbling the soul (Ezra 8:21), seeking the Lord (2 Chron 20:3-4), preparing for spiritual warfare (Matt 17:21), in despair (Dan 6:18), national emergency (Jonah 3:5), repenting (I Sam 7:6), mourning (I Sam 31:13), for protection (Ezra 8:21-23), and special events (Acts 13:2-3).

            You should know the purpose of your fast and then look for the results of it.   It will strengthen you spiritually and help you overcome obstacles to a joyful Christian life.

            Resistance, interference, opposition, peer pressure, family, and doctors will make it hard to overcome.  Finding time may be difficult. Fasting means you will be moving closer to Jesus, away from the devil, so he will challenge you.  Some people have prayer partners to help them by interceding as they fast.

            Fasting must center on God who sustains us.  By abstaining from food, we feast on the Word of God and that nourishes us.  It also keeps our natural desires in check and balances our spiritual selves.

            Following Jesus, we pray, tithe, forgive, and fast.  That gives us spiritual, mental, and physical health.  Another benefit of fasting is listening more closely to God to what He wants us to be and do.  It also gives us new direction for ministry, new insights during Bible study, a greater desire to pray, new power for spiritual warfare,  victory over strongholds, assurance of divine protection, increased sense of God’s presence, a breaking of bad attitudes, answered prayer, insight and restoration,  joy, gladness and cheerfulness.

            Jesus began his ministry with a 40 day fast and said his disciples would fast later.  He gave no specific guidelines about frequency.  Since then, fasting has gone through changes for individual and corporate fasting.  We follow Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, about it being done without the knowledge of others. 

            Besides keeping it private, to fast properly, we need a sincere, humble attitude, centered on God.  Along with that, we need a heart that is authentic and pure.

            You may want to keep a journal while fasting.  It is a personal time, accompanied only by confession of sin, repentance, humility, mourning, prayer, reading the scriptures, and worship.

            It has been suggested that three days before you start your fast, you should eat only things God created for food, and in the purest, most natural form possible.  Drinking pure water during a fast is highly recommended.

            Several famous Christian writers have made statements about fasting, but one I really like is by John Piper.   He wrote,  “Christian fasting is the hunger of a homesickness for God.”     

            So, Biblical fasting is a voluntary laying aside of food for a time while you seek to know God in a deeper experience, in the privacy of your own place, accompanied with prayer.  Perhaps this is the way I can reconnect with Jesus and cure my homesickness for Him.

            May God bless us as we try to exercise this discipline and draw closer to our Father.

-Joyce Broyles lives in Jennings, LA