In Matthew 9 Jesus was questioned as to why his disciples were not fasting. He replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Matthew 9:15.
Two thousand years ago Jesus was taken up into heaven after his resurrection. Since then, his disciples have fasted…
Well, not all of them.
Many followers of Christ simply do not practice any form of fasting. Why is this, when Jesus said plainly that they would?
Perhaps many followers of Christ simply don’t understand its purpose and meaning? So let’s start there… What is fasting? Fasting is denying the body food for a period of time for a spiritual purpose. It is a spiritual practice that connects us to God.
What are some of those purposes? There are at least four.
1. Fasting renews your spiritual fervor.
I’m sure you have noticed how terribly easy it is to drift from God. To allow your relationship with Him to get stale and stagnant. To lose your taste for the bible and prayer. To stop attending services at your local church. Life gets busy. Children come into the picture. There is a job transfer. Some new friends enter your life who could care less about God. No wonder the bible implores us to “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11.
It’s easy to lose our focus.
Stoval Weems, in his book Awakening, wrote, “Fasting awakens your hunger for God. When you shut down your natural appetite, your spiritual appetite awakens. You are passionate for more of God and your desire for God becomes greater than your desire for other things.” Fasting refocuses your mind, emotions and will upon God and the things of God like nothing else. It refocuses your life upon Him. Fasting clears the fog of worldliness that has settled into your life.
2. Fasting helps you die to yourself.
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” If a person is not willing to deny himself, he/she cannot make progress in the spiritual life. They can never become the type of person who is living in the easy yoke of Christ, full of joy, contentment, and peace.
Paul made it very clear that the sinful nature inside of us must die. In Colossians 3:5 he wrote, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” But how does one do this?
Fasting!
Fasting is a key strategy to dethrone your physical appetite. When you fast effectively, your soul is strengthened and the Spirit of God is empowered to lead your life. The Spirit, not your appetite, takes control. You can then use your new soul strength to say no to other darker, more damaging, appetites of the sinful nature. Desires of revenge, lust, jealousy or greed. Those desires begin to die off one by one.
3. Fasting aligns your will with God’s will.
The apostle John tells us that, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” I john 2:17 A true disciple is devoted to Gods will, not his or her own. But how does a person live for the will of God?
Again, fasting trains us to say no to what we want; it refocuses our life on what God wants and what is going on in the spiritual realm. Fasting helps us to do what Paul said in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
As you fast, you will find that what you are seeking more than anything else is what God wants in every context of your life. God gets what God wants in your finances, relationships, emotions, thoughts, employment, and sexuality. In this sense, fasting transforms you.
4. Fasting is fuel for the soul.
Jesus said when he was fasting for 40 days and being tempted by the devil, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
In the same way, your body uses food for fuel, your soul is made to run on God. When we fast we are bringing that truth to the forefront of our minds. It’s so easy to run, both our body and our soul, off of worldly things and forget about God.
But, Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is the Living Water. Only His Spirit can satisfy your soul. When you fast you are seeking only God for your sustenance and strength. By means of prayer, worship, meditation upon scripture, and fellowship with other believers, we take the Bread of Life into our souls and we are satisfied.
Do you think it might be time for you to try a fast?
What questions come to mind about fasting?
Have you ever tried a fast? What were the results?
Check out these resources for further study on fasting.
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