Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting

Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting

Out of all the spiritual disciplines we are looking at in our series, fasting is perhaps the most intimidating. But when put into practice, it can be transformative in a way we might not expect. We can look to the Bible to help us develop a foundation for understanding what fasting is and how we can implement it into our lives.

There are many instances of fasting represented in the Old Testament. We will highlight just a few here. In Exodus, Moses fasted while on Mount Sinai receiving the law from the Lord (see Exodus 34:1–28). In Leviticus, the Israelites were commanded to fast every year for the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16; 23:26–32). The Lord said to the prophet Joel that the Israelites should fast in repentance and turn away from their sin (see Joel 2:12). And figures like Ezra and Nehemiah fasted and led the Israelites to fast while doing their work to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God (see Ezra 8:21–23; Nehemiah 1). In each of these instances, the people refrained from eating as a way to deny themselves. But self-denial is not the ultimate point of fasting. Throughout the Old Testament, fasting was meant to help the people turn their focus to God—just as every other spiritual discipline does—so they could grow closer to Him and become more like Him.

God lays this purpose out clearly in the book of Isaiah. In Chapter 58, He critiques the Israelites for the way they had been fasting, which was only to get the attention of God and others, appearing pious while living sinfully in other ways (see Isaiah 58:3–5). After this critique, God says this:

“Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:6–7).

God wanted the Israelites to understand that their fasting was not just about not eating for a period of time; it was meant to turn their eyes from themselves so they could become people who followed after God’s own heart and represented Him well to others.

This is why fasting has remained a spiritual practice even after the Old Testament. Jesus gave instructions for fasting in His famous Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6:16–18), and the early church continued the practice in the book of Acts (see Acts 13:2–3; 14:21–23). While their fasting (and the fasting we do today) often centered around food, it is possible to fast from other things. If there is anything in your life that is taking up your focus, and you know it would be valuable to refrain from it for a time to refocus on God, you can fast from that. For example, various types of media can be good to fast from. In our current culture, we are inundated with so many different forms of media, and it is easy for them to turn our hearts and minds away from the Lord.

But self-denial is not the ultimate point of fasting.…fasting was meant to help the people turn their focus to God…

Because fasting is such a foundational practice in the Bible, we practice it as a church every year. Early in the year, we host a 40-Day Fast, during which we not only fast but also walk through portions of Scripture together and focus our prayers, knowing that God will be faithful to help us grow to look more like Christ. Most people restrict their eating in some way, either by giving up a type of food or by eating less frequently, but we also encourage fasting from other things. Social media is a common thing for people to put aside for all 40 days, and it goes a long way toward minimizing distractions and helping turn people’s focus back to God.

If you have never fasted and would like to try, do not be afraid to start small. Even one day of fasting can be extremely valuable to your spiritual health. Pick what you think will be most valuable for you to abstain from for that time, and allow your attention to be captured by God. 

All of our past 40-Day Fast devotionals and guides are available online, and you can follow along with them any time you feel God leading you to do so. Our next church-wide 40-Day Fast starts in January, and you are welcome to join us for it. Details can be found at experiencecc.com.