I’m leading our church through 40 days of fasting and seeking God’s face together, and there has been a lot of confusion and misinformation about fasting. So let me clear the clutter. Here are 4 things you should know about fasting…
- Fasting is not necessarily a private adventure. Quoting from Christ in Matthew 6, many have assumed that we’re not supposed to even talk about fasting. But Jesus never said that. In fact, we have record of His own 40-day fast (Matthew 4). Additionally, we see several examples of communal fasting, as a small group, a church family, or even an entire nation (Acts 13 and 14; Esther 4:15-16; Joshua 23:8; Judges 20:26). The point of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6, is that we’re not to fast for sympathy or others’ approval and applause.
- Fasting is spiritually, mentally, and physically healing. When fasting, our physical hunger pains remind us to crave the Lord. It is the discipline of saying to ourselves and to God, “I have to eat again eventually. But right now, God, I need you more than my next meal.” That changes you and your priorities in incredible ways! But fasting is also good for your body and mind! After about 24 hours, your body goes into a process known as autophagy. This is your body healing on a cellular level, clearing out old junk and refreshing itself with clean, healthy cells throughout your body. Additionally, your body begins producing and releasing new stem cells, which also correct, heal, and repair various parts of your body. The ketones released during fat burning of fasting gives your brain a burst of clarity, and many people (myself included) report a loss of that “brain fog” feeling. Figures that God would command us to do something that is holistically beneficial to us while also obeying Him.
- Fasting starves our flesh and feeds our spirit. Galatians 5 is a contrasting passage between the works of our flesh and fruit of the Spirit. Verse 16 tells us, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.” We spend so much time consuming – and I don’t just mean food. Entertainment, doom scrolling, and pleasure are a constant in the average American’s day. Fasting denies ourselves a real need for a temporary amount of time, to feed our spiritual walk with God, modelling the replacement principle in Galatians 5, Ephesians 4, and Colossians 3, to name a few.
- It will cost you. Nothing worthwhile is easy. It is difficult to fast, especially for an extended period of time. Your body and energy levels shift. There are tough days when you’ll want to quit. But there’s also incredible moments of real joy. I believe these opportunities are always around us, but we’re often clouded by all of the distractions. Fasting forces us to focus, to hone in. It’s always with you while you’re doing it. You’re almost never “not thinking about it.” And it makes time seem to slow way down! My advice is to enjoy the process, not resent it.
I’m personally walking through a 40-Day Fast during this time, while encouraging my church to join me for parts at their discretion. I have longed to do this once in my life for no other reason besides Jesus fasted for 40 days. I echo Paul’s heart in Philippians 3:10, where he says, “That I may know Him [Christ], and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering.”
We have it so easy in our middle-class comforts of America. While many of us have real struggles and setbacks to work through, manage or overcome, the truth is that for most of us, we have to choose inconvenience. So would you choose a temporary inconvenience to deny your physical appetites and grow a spiritual appetite? Would you join in fasting for a few meals, a few days, or maybe longer?
I made a link here, with our participation sign-up, and other resources, like my fasting Instruction Guide, if you’re interested. You can also follow my Instagram account, where I’m regularly posting about my journey through these 40-Days.
Blessings,
Pastor John