#1. What is fasting? Fasting is a deliberate abstinence from physical gratification—usually going without food for a period of time— to achieve a greater spiritual goal. Usually it is coupled with prayer.
#2. Does the Bible command us to fast? Although the Bible doesn’t give a direct command on this issue, examples of fasting appear in both the Old and the New Testaments. One of the most telling passages in which fasting is mentioned is Matthew 6:16, where Jesus is teaching His disciples basic principles of godly living. When speaking on fasting, He begins with, “When you fast,” not “If you fast.”
Also, when questioned as to why the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist fasted while Jesus disciples did not, Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15).
#3. Why should I fast? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book The Cost of Discipleship, said, “Jesus takes it for granted that His disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian life. Such customs have only one purpose — to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.”
#4. Can you show some examples of biblical fasting?
1. To prepare for ministry. Jesus spent forty days and nights in the wilderness fasting and praying before He began God’s work on this earth. He needed time alone to prepare for what His Father had called Him to do (Matthew 4:1-17; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-14).
2. To seek God’s wisdom. Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted for the elders of the churches before committing them to the Lord for His service (Acts 14:23).
3. To show grief. Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed when he learned Jerusalem’s walls had been broken down, leaving the Israelites vulnerable and disgraced (Nehemiah 1:1-4).
4. To seek deliverance or protection. Ezra declared a corporate fast and prayed for a safe journey for the Israelites as they made the nine-hundred- mile trek to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezra 8:21-23).
5. To repent. After Jonah pronounced judgment against the city of Nineveh, the king covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust. He then ordered the people to fast and pray. Jonah 3:10 says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.”
6. To gain victory. After losing forty thousand men in battle in two days, the Israelites cried out to God for help. Judges 20:26 says all the people went up to Bethel and “sat weeping before the Lord.” They also “fasted that day until evening.” The next day the Lord gave them victory over the Benjamites.
7. To worship God. Luke 2 tells the story of an eighty-four-year-old prophetess named Anna. Verse 37 says, “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Anna was devoted to God, and fasting was one expression of her love for Him.
8. For understanding (revelation) and humbling. Daniel fasted 21 days for greater understanding and to humble himself before God. (Daniel 10:2-3) In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I ate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth; and I did not anoint (refresh, groom) myself at all for the full three weeks."
#5. What are the different kinds of fasts in the Bible? Partial fast – Described in the book of Daniel where for three weeks he abstained from “delicacies,” meat, and wine (Daniel 10:3).
Total or Absolute fast – These are total fasts--no food (solid or liquid) and no water. Paul went on an absolute fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus (Acts 9:9). Moses and Elijah engaged in a absolute fast of forty days (Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8). This kind of fast should be done with great care.
Complete fast – Water fasting, especially when fasting for an extended period of time. Jesus fasted for 40 days without food (Matthew 4:1-11)
#6. Can I do other kinds of fasts? Since fasting is a deliberate abstinence from physical gratification and its purpose is to focus on God, you can fast from all that distract you from God. Media fast is something you can do to focus on God. (I would recommend at least a week of media fast if you desire to do it).
You can do a combination of the above fasts if desired.
#7. What is happening spiritually when I fast? As Paul describes so well in Romans 7, there is a perpetual battle between the flesh and the spirit, and our mind (soul) moderates by making decisions about which call to obey. As human beings, we are mind (soul), body and spirit, but spiritually dead without God. We tend to be pushed around by our fleshly desires. Our flesh is all about our relationship with ourselves and our natural physical cravings, which can become selfish and even destructive when left unchecked. Our mind can overrule our body, and give us the capacity to meaningfully relate to others and the world, while our spirit communes directly with God.
As we fast, we deliberately weaken the powerful bond with our flesh and strengthen our relationship with God, spirit to Spirit. But it is an exchange. There is less of us and more of Him.
#8. Some important things to keep in mind
1. Remember that fasting is always motivated by deep desire. That is to say, fasting is not the suppression of desire but the intense pursuit of it. We fast because we want something more than food or more than whatever activity it is from which we abstain. If one suppresses the desire for food it is only because he or she has a greater and more intense desire for something more precious. Something of eternal value!
2. Fasting is all about ingesting the Word of God, the beauty of God, the presence of God, the blessings of God. Fasting is all about spiritual gluttony! It is not a giving up of food (or some activity) for its own sake. It is about a giving up of food for Christ’s sake.
3. Fasting is not something you do for God. It is instead your appeal that God in grace and power do everything for you. Thus fasting is not an act of willpower but a declaration of weakness. It is not a work of our hearts and bodies but a confession of our utter dependency on God and his grace.
#9. I want to fast!
1. Set your objective. Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution of problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. 2. Make your commitment. What kind of fast you are doing and how long you are going to fast. How much time you are going to devote to prayer and meditation of God’s word. 3. Write down your plan and stick to it.