Fasting
By AJ Pearson
“When you fast…” Matthew 6:16
Jesus expects, even commands His disciples to fast and explains how to and how not to do it. Yet, fasting is probably one of the least practiced spiritual disciplines among Christians in America today. It is important to keep a proper view of God in mind when we look at spiritual disciplines. We must remember that God is sovereign and that fasting is not a means of manipulating God. Fasting is also not a way in which we gain favor from God. Our position with God as His children was accomplished by the person and work of Jesus, not our own doing.
So, what is fasting? Although there are only few mentions of fasting in the Bible, the concept is found in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, the most common word translated as “fast” is the Hebrew word “tsom”, meaning “to abstain from food.” In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “fast” is “nesteuo”, meaning “to abstain from eating.” In Scripture, we see the spiritual discipline of fasting is not eating for a period of time. Many people today have put forward the idea of fasting from things other than food, such as our phones. While this is not a bad idea (and is necessary if it is becoming an idol in your life), it is not the same as fasting described in Scripture. We will focus instead on abstaining from food along with why and how we do it.
Food is a good thing that God has given us. Eating a meal or enjoying snacks together is often a time of fellowship, so why should we fast? Jesus enjoyed meals with people and was even accused of being a glutton (Matthew 11:19). After being raised from the dead, He shared a meal with the disciples on shore (John 21:12). But Jesus also fasted for forty days (Matthew 4:2). We also see John the Baptist fasting in scripture (Matthew 11:18). We see Christians, including Paul, fasting in the book of Acts (13:2). In the Old Testament people would fast because of sin, to seek forgiveness, to humble themselves, or even in response to preaching. (Deuteronomy 9:18; 1 Kings 21:27; Jonah 3:5; Daniel 9:3) The clearest and most in-depth teaching on fasting can be found in Matthew 6:16-18:
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
We see here that fasting is not some outward show of piety we do to impress others with how religious we are. Jesus says that those who fast for this purpose have received their reward. The praise of other men is all they will receive for this form of fasting. Jesus teaches that when we fast we are not to make it obvious to others; we are not to go around telling everyone that we are fasting so they can know how religious we are and make them think we have a great love for God. I don’t think this means we cannot under any circumstances tell someone we are fasting. I believe there are times when it may be right to do so. For example, if you have a friend who is trying to get you to try a delicious snack, you may have to say to them “no thank you I am fasting.” The sum of Jesus’s teaching on fasting is that it is not to be done to make us look good, but it is to be done in the eyes of God.
There is no more specific instruction on fasting in scripture than Jesus’s teaching and it is the most important thing to look at to know how and why to fast. However, the experiences of other believers can help us as well. Paul Washer describes fasting as “one passion driving out another passion.” What does this mean? It means that we fast because our desire for God and the accomplishment of His will is greater than any other passion we have. We fast because we know that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus quotes this when Satan tempts Him in the wilderness after fasting for forty days (Matthew 4:4).
Here is a great way to consider fasting: when you feel that hunger in your stomach during a fast, go to straight to God’s Word or to a time of prayer. Let the hunger serve as a reminder that only God can satisfy your hunger, both literally and spiritually.
I know that when my stomach rumbles, my normal reaction is to go to the fridge or pantry and grab a snack or maybe even make a McDonalds run. But when I am fasting, I try to use hunger as a cue to pray or meditate on or read scripture. In doing this, we may have to make an intentional effort to avoid merely going through the motions of saying a quick prayer or reading a verse to check a box, as it can be easy to do when we are hungry or preoccupied.
Deuteronomy 8:3 could be a great verse to meditate on while fasting. I have only fasted, and some of these times didn’t feel particularly spiritually moving. Yet, even during those times of fasting, when all I could think about is how I cannot wait for it to be over, I have been reminded of two things. First, my stomach might be more in control of my life than I think. Second, in my hunger, I’m shown who I really am: how I act, think, talk, and how I treat people when I get a little hungry. I also would say that whether or not it feels like a “good fast”, it always is an opportunity to exercise self-control.
Fasting is not a way in which we manipulate God, and it is not a way for us to show off how Christian we are. Fasting is a way we draw near to God, and it is a way of exercising self-control and showing what our passions are. If you want to talk to someone about fasting, while I am certainly no expert, I would be happy to talk with you.
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger…This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Who ever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:35; 58
REFLECTION
Take some time to consider what implementing a spiritual discipline of fasting could look like in your life.*
Fasting from various things such as social media, sugar, or television is very popular. While these things can be helpful as well, why do you think that the focus of fasting as seen in the Bible is specific to food?
What do you think the purpose of fasting is? Have you ever fasted before?
What role could fasting play in our spiritual growth?
*We want to take a moment to acknowledge the very real possibility that some of you reading this article currently struggle with or have struggled with an eating disorder of some kind. We want to make it abundantly clear - we are not advocating that your starve yourself or cause yourself any physical pain or suffering in the name of fasting as a spiritual discipline. Eating disorders pose a real threat to your health and wellbeing and are never the answer. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to your small group leader and/or Chris, Makayla, or Michael so we can help you walk through this challenging moment in your life.