On Fasting

Dear Church,

I’d like to take a few minutes to lay out some guidelines for those of you who would like to pray and fast with us on Holy Saturday.

Fasting is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines available to the believer in the Church Age. Throughout the history of Harvest Community Church, the Elders have joined together to fast at times when we really needed to hear God speak clearly. Also, I have prayed and fasted with some of you privately during times of unique distress. Each time we’ve sought God in this way, He has been faithful to give us clear direction.

Essentially, fasting is setting aside time that would normally be used for eating and other activities and devoting it instead to prayer and spiritual contemplation. As the day goes on and you feel that unfamiliar groaning in your stomach, you’ll be reminded that today is a special day – a day when you’re joining together with others in the Body to seek God’s face.

There are no hard and fast rules about fasting. Some abstain from all food; others fast for a set number of hours or eat sparingly. Some drink only water; others drink juice to provide the body with carbohydrates. Spiritual fasting entails setting aside certain activities and/or reducing the intake of food in order to replace them with prayer and a heightened sensitivity to spiritual things.

The New Testament word translated ‘fast’ refers to one who has not eaten, one who is empty.

Three types of fasts are generally recognized:

Normal fasting, in which there is no intake of food for a prescribed period of time, though there may be an intake of liquids.

Partial fasting, in which the diet is limited, though some food is allowed.

Absolute fasting, in which there is a total abstinence from food and drink.

It is important that you know your own body and that you fast safely. If you have medical concerns, you may want to consult your doctor before fasting.

The point of fasting is not to hurt your body, but to offer it to the Lord in devoted prayer for a set period of time.

That said, those who choose to fast are in good company: Moses fasted for 40 days at least twice; Jesus fasted for 40 days immediately after His baptism by John. Something special can happen when we humble ourselves before the Lord and commit ourselves to focused prayer. Don’t be surprised if you feel the flame in your heart growing as the Lord leads you closer to your “first love.”

In the Old Testament, fasting was understood to be an act of self-renunciation designed to turn away God’s wrath and move Him to act mercifully toward the sinner.

In times of trouble, such as the one our nation currently finds itself in, people fasted to beseech God for mercy, asking Him to spare them from impending disaster (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:9; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Jeremiah 36:6, 9).

Regular fasts were usually for one day, morning to evening, with food permitted at night (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 14:24; 2 Samuel 1:12). We also find longer fasts: Mordecai called for a special 3-day fast (night and day specified) in Esther 4:16; a 7-day fast was called at the time of Saul’s death (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 3:35); Moses fasted for 40 days on Mt Sinai (Exodus 34:28); Daniel fasted for 3 weeks before receiving important prophetic visions (Daniel 9:3; 10:3, 12).

However, over time fasting became an empty ritual. What began as a sincere reflection of personal and national humility devolved into a showy act of pride. So, the prophets cried out against the hypocrisy of the practice. Jeremiah wrote: “The Lord said to me: Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry …” (Jeremiah 14:11-12).

Jesus’ understanding of fasting is significant in that it signaled a radical change in the public’s understanding of fasting. His teaching about fasting broke sharply with the tradition of the Rabbis. Jesus fasted as a part of His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). Immediately after his baptism, our Lord was led out into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. He met the attacks of the devil by fasting, praying and appealing to Scripture – specifically, He quoted from Deuteronomy and Psalms.

For our Lord, fasting was a picture of His utter dependence upon God.

Also, Jesus taught about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:16–18). This teaching constituted a radically new approach to voluntary fasting. He condemned the type of fasting that seeks the favor of men by a visible (and hypocritical) display of outward piety. Instead, Jesus taught that true faith seeks an audience with God – not man – and that with a genuinely pure heart.

Jesus, of course, never condemned fasting; He Himself fasted! However, He gave it a sharp, new meaning: Fasting is seeking God’s face.

Fasting is always comprehended in the context of prayer. Therefore, fasting should always conform to the same spiritual posture as prayer: a reverent quietness before God arising out of genuine gratitude. It should be accomplished with a spirit of thanksgiving, grounded in faith, with an ear toward hearing God’s still, small voice, and an eye toward contrition/confession/repentance, and a desire for spiritual growth.

So Church, those of us who will be fasting on Holy Saturday will bind our spirits together and ask the Lord to draw us nearer to Himself as we contemplate the momentous events of Holy Week. May we all come to a deeper appreciation and comprehension of the height, and width, and length and breadth of the love and mercy that the Father has lavished upon us in the death of His Son.

I look forward to seeking the Lord’s face together with you.

In the Victorious One,

P. Gene