Before We Start, No Shame

This spiritual discipline is rarely practiced in the church anymore. While that's not a good thing, fasting is not about a guilt trip. It's about freedom. This is not something we do to earn God's love. This is not a practice we exercise to be good Christians. It's an invitation to go deeper. Since it is so under practiced most Christians feel like they don't know what it is, what they are doing, ashamed and stupid. Our goal is to provide knowledge, remove the stigma around fasting and get people going.

What is Fasting?

A WORKING DEFINITION OF FASTING

A basic definition of fasting would be: Giving up food for spiritual purposes. Of course, many others have defined fasting in a multitude of ways.

“Not eating food in order to feed on the Holy Spirit.” John Mark Comer
“Whole body hungering for God.” John Piper
“A person’s whole-body, natural response to life’s sacred moments.” Scot McKnight
“Bodily practice where you open up your whole life to the person of Jesus.” John Mark Comer
“Fasting is feasting on our Lord and doing His will.” Dallas Willard

No matter what words we use, fasting is (1) for spiritual purposes and (2) sacrificing food for a predetermined period of days and times. It is found many times in the Old Testament and New Testament. It is a significant spiritual discipline throughout the Bible.

WHAT FASTING IS NOT

Sometimes to define what something is, it helps to define what it is not. The goal in pointing these things out isn't to be legalistic or rigid. Rather it's to define fasting as the Bible defines it. Ultimately fasting is about freedom, not religious rules. Setting that gentle reminder up for context, let's proceed with what fasting is not. Fasting is not:

1. Giving up something other than food. It's become popular in contemporary Christian culture to give up things like social media, your phone, alcohol, red meat, etc. While this is a spiritual discipline and a great practice not to be condemned, it's not fasting. The Bible defines this concept as abstaining. Fasting is exclusively defined as giving up food.
2. A restricted diet. In the Bible people do abstain from eating some things. Daniel eats only vegetables and water (Daniel 1:12). John the Baptist restricted his diet primarily to locust and honey (Matt 3:4). There's nothing wrong with this. In fact it's very admirable as long as it's done with the right motives. However, it's not defined as fasting.
3. A dieting fad. The purpose of a Biblical fast is not for health benefits or to lose weight. While those may be great fringe benefits, they are not the purpose of fasting in the Bible.
4. A rule. Fasting is a spiritual discipline, not a rule. We should not become legalistic or judgmental with ourselves or others when figuring out and applying this practice. 

Why Should I Fast?

While defining something like fasting is important, it's just as important to understand why we do it. Of course there are a multitude of reasons why Jesus called us to fast, but the list below highlights a few of the key reasons. 

1. We fast to starve the flesh and feed the Spirit. We are called to master our bodies, urges and desires through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). In other words we are called to be self-controlled. Fasting reveals our idols and helps us to replace them with Jesus.
2. We fast to petition God for a breakthrough and/or blessing. Sometimes we fast because we are petitioning God for movement in some area of our lives or on the behalf of others. (Acts 13:3).
3. We fast to repent. Fasting can be a whole body apology to God when we have sinned against him (1 Samuel 7:6). 
4. We fast to stand and empathize with those in need. All over the world millions of people suffer in starvation and poverty. They are all created in the image of God and many of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ. When the body of Christ is hurting in one part of the world, we are called to hurt with them (1 Corinthians 12:26). Fasting activates empathy around this issue. Also we as Christ-followers are called to care about injustice. Fasting is a spiritual protest against injustice in our world (Isaiah 58:6-7).
5. We fast to mourn. When we lose something or someone, we need to lament. Fasting is a form of mourning in which God moves with us in our sorrow (2 Samuel 1:12).

Sometimes when we fast it focuses on one of these areas. Other times it touches on all these areas and more. The significant thing is when you fast ask "why" and make sure you know your reasons before you venture into this important practice. 

How Do I Fast?

1. Consult a doctor. If you have any health concerns, please don't fast without talking to a doctor. If you or your physician have any concerns, please do not move forward. With some people’s medical history, they should never fast. That is perfectly fine and justified. 
2. Write down your goal(s) and boundaries. Here is a worksheet to help you work through this.
3. Set up your times and days.
4. Stop eating food, but drink water.

FASTING WORKSHEET

Tips For Fasting

1. Take the time that you would use eating (such as dinner, lunch, etc.) and spend it praying, journaling and studying the scriptures. Don’t just fill your open time with work, friends and other distractions. If you have work or family obligations that are part of normal life you can’t escape, don’t feel guilty. Do the best that you can to balance regular life and sacred time.
2. Along with giving up food, consider giving up anything that may take away your purpose and focus for fasting. Consider also abstaining from TV, your smartphone, video games, etc. Don't busy yourself to try and get rid of your hunger.  
3. Evaluate whether your fast should be secret, shared with others for accountability or even a communal fast where others fast with you. Based on your motives and needs, you can fast privately or with a group. We see examples of both private and public fasts in the Bible (Matthew 6:16-18 and Nehemiah 9:1).
4. Consider reading a book on fasting so you better understand the practice while participating in it. See book recommendation below.
5. Develop a prayer list. Write down what things you should be praying about during your fast prayer times.
6. Talk to and ask questions of our pastoral staff. Fasting is a pretty unfamiliar concept to most Christians so there are no stupid questions. Don't let your lack of knowledge hold you back. We all have to start somewhere.

Digging Deeper Into Fasting

BOOKS
Fasting: The Ancient Practices By Scot McKnight
God's Chosen Fast By Arthur Wallis

SERMONS

Fasting Series
   Fasting Part 1
   Fasting Part 2
   Fasting Part 3
Feasting & Fasting

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Fasting: A Practice Guide
What is Biblical Fasting and How Does It Work?
Fasting Isn't For the Spiritually Elite
Fasting Starter Kit
How to Begin Fasting

HISTORY OF FASTING
Fasting in the Old Testament
Fasting in the New Testament
Fasting in Church History