Fasting Blog
What is fasting?
Fasting is a biblical practice of giving up food or a regularly enjoyed good gift from God, for a spiritual purpose.
Why do we fast?
We are called to sacrifice ourselves and to rely on God. This does not come naturally to anyone. We are innately selfish and want to rely on only ourselves. Sacrifice is the essence of a godly person. So, the core of what we are called to be is not natural and we innately want to do the opposite. Worse than that, we are not just called to do it now and then. It is to be our whole being.
How do we combat this? We practice. Fasting is a denial of self. Combined with prayer – it is a denial of self and dependence upon God. That is the goal. It is not so that God hears our prayers better.
To be able to make large sacrifices, we must be able to make small sacrifices. We do regular fasts so that we are prepared for the required fast in times of despair. But fasting is not just about fasting. We are not simply going to practice fasting so we are ready for a fast.
Just as fasting teaches the ability to deny basic urges of the body and the other spiritual disciplines enable you to mature in godliness, so discipline in small, daily self-denial sharpens your focus on the things that matter (Man Up, p. 288).
Fasting involves hunger. Be hungry. Feel the pain and deny it. Fasting is hard and it should be. It teaches us that our hunger/our belly/our feelings are not our god. It will help us to control other desires.
Is fasting optional?
In the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said “When you pray … when you fast … when you give" (Matt. 6:1–4; 5–8, 16–18).
Jesus only wants what is best for us. He couldn’t want anything less. As such, we should not view this as a legalistic rule that we should follow, but as God’s loving words and direction on how to live a godly life. Fasting is not required for our salvation. That would be works-based salvation (Ephesians 2:9, James 2:26). Prayer, fasting, and giving are the things that Jesus told us to do to become more like him. If we have given our lives to Christ and believe that the Bible is true and breathed out by God (2 Tim. 3:16), our love for him should result in our desire to do these godly practices. Our desire to be more like Jesus should be so great that these practices become second nature to us.
What are the benefits of fasting?
Fasting, when done biblically, makes us more like Jesus.
We have already discussed the fact that fasting helps us to deny our internal urges and become more dependent upon God. When we rely upon God to deny ourselves something so necessary and desired as food, how much stronger will we be at relying upon God to help us battle lust and greed and pride and covetousness?
"If you make it through with an iron will that says no to your stomach, but doesn’t turn your mind’s eye elsewhere, it says more about your love for food than your love for God. Christian fasting turns its attention to Jesus or some great cause of his in the world. Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem, whether it’s fighting against some sin, or pleading for someone’s salvation, or for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus" (Fasting for Beginners by David Mathis).
Beyond this, there are certainly physiological benefits from fasting. These benefits are often not considered when discussing biblical fasts. Some fast solely for the health benefits with no biblical context. Just because there are reasons to fast that are outside of a spiritual purpose does not mean that they should not be considered during a biblical fast. God made our bodies and He orchestrated them to do all of the amazing things that they do. He specifically designed them to have the health benefits that occur during a fast and as followers of Christ, it makes no sense to ignore them. You are not a lesser Christian because you are also interested in the health benefits of fasting.
The body does some pretty amazing things during a fast.
How does fasting tie in with other biblical practices?
Read. Pray. Fast. Give.
This is a linear progression that builds on itself. What would our prayers look like if we didn’t read God’s word? What would our fast look like if we didn’t pray? What would our giving look like if we didn’t read and pray and fast?
From a very practical standpoint to see how all of this can tie together, replace the time that you would eat with prayer and meditating on God’s word. Take the money you would have spent and give it away. Giving, similar to fasting, creates a dependence on God as well as a denial of your selfish desires.
Advice on fasting
Plan ahead. This may seem counterintuitive. You may assume that since you are not going to eat you don’t need to plan anything around mealtime, but I have found planning to be extremely helpful in completing a fast.
As previously mentioned, you will want to incorporate prayer and scripture meditation into your fast. Know what this is going to look like. Know where you are going to go during mealtime to get away from the rest of the world to do this. If the rest of your family is not going to participate, let them know what you are doing so that this discussion doesn’t have to happen at mealtime. I don’t advise sitting and watching others eat while you fast. There is nothing wrong with this, but it will certainly make your fast more difficult.
There are going to be times throughout the day when you will have an overwhelming sense of hunger. Everything inside you is going to tell you to stop. You will become irritable and your mind will race. Sink into this feeling. Trust God with these fellings. If possible, remove yourself from the rest of the world and go pray. Focus on what Jesus did for you. Focus on the fact that you are becoming more like Jesus in that moment. This feeling will pass.
Don’t allow yourself to get dehydrated. When you are dehydrated your body thinks it is hungry.
Salt. Lots of salt. Ideally, pink Himalayan or Celtic salt. Salt is as important as water. Your body can run for a very, very long time on nothing but water and salt. If you get a headache, it is almost certainly due to a lack of salt. The carrier is water. No sugar. No fake sugar. Almost all sugar alternatives still elevate your blood glucose levels. When your blood glucose levels increase, you crave carbs. Consuming artificial sweeteners during a fast will almost certainly lead to a horrible experience.
After twelve hours of fasting your body will go into a state of ketosis. While in ketosis your body is burning fat for fuel instead of glucose. It can help if you enter into the fast already in a state of ketosis. This can be accomplished by avoiding carbs for a few days leading up to the fast.
Bone broth can be a lifesaver during a fast. Pour it into a large cup. Add lots of salt. Heat it. Drink it. It tastes like chicken noodle soup without the chicken or the noodles. Buy some ahead of time and use this as a go-to when you are on the edge of quitting.
If you are over the edge and ready to stop and need one last thing to grasp onto before you cave… eat fat. Eat a spoonful of butter. It is 100% fat. Your body is burning fat. You will become satiated and it can pull you through the depths of a fast. Don’t be legalistic. It’s not about the details. It’s about the cross. It’s about the sacrifice.
What if I don’t Complete the Fast?
I encourage you to avoid this thought process. We are called to fast. We are called to sacrifice. Enter into your fast submitted wholly and completely to God and to this process. Focus on the cross. Focus on what Jesus did for you. Know that you have a plan and that you will have encouragement and simply enter into your fast. Once your fast is complete, I encourage you to pray and then journal about your fast. Write down anything that was revealed to you through your fast. This will be something beneficial for you to look back on before your next fast.
I pray that each of you truly submits to your fast. I pray that you pray and meditate on God’s word throughout your fast and that you reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf – a sacrifice that we could never repay and that we did not deserve. I pray that you see Jesus’s command for us to fast as a loving one because He knows that as we do the things that He commands, we will become more like Him. I pray that you become more like Jesus.
Fasting is a biblical practice of giving up food or a regularly enjoyed good gift from God, for a spiritual purpose.
Why do we fast?
We are called to sacrifice ourselves and to rely on God. This does not come naturally to anyone. We are innately selfish and want to rely on only ourselves. Sacrifice is the essence of a godly person. So, the core of what we are called to be is not natural and we innately want to do the opposite. Worse than that, we are not just called to do it now and then. It is to be our whole being.
How do we combat this? We practice. Fasting is a denial of self. Combined with prayer – it is a denial of self and dependence upon God. That is the goal. It is not so that God hears our prayers better.
To be able to make large sacrifices, we must be able to make small sacrifices. We do regular fasts so that we are prepared for the required fast in times of despair. But fasting is not just about fasting. We are not simply going to practice fasting so we are ready for a fast.
Just as fasting teaches the ability to deny basic urges of the body and the other spiritual disciplines enable you to mature in godliness, so discipline in small, daily self-denial sharpens your focus on the things that matter (Man Up, p. 288).
Fasting involves hunger. Be hungry. Feel the pain and deny it. Fasting is hard and it should be. It teaches us that our hunger/our belly/our feelings are not our god. It will help us to control other desires.
Is fasting optional?
In the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said “When you pray … when you fast … when you give" (Matt. 6:1–4; 5–8, 16–18).
Jesus only wants what is best for us. He couldn’t want anything less. As such, we should not view this as a legalistic rule that we should follow, but as God’s loving words and direction on how to live a godly life. Fasting is not required for our salvation. That would be works-based salvation (Ephesians 2:9, James 2:26). Prayer, fasting, and giving are the things that Jesus told us to do to become more like him. If we have given our lives to Christ and believe that the Bible is true and breathed out by God (2 Tim. 3:16), our love for him should result in our desire to do these godly practices. Our desire to be more like Jesus should be so great that these practices become second nature to us.
What are the benefits of fasting?
Fasting, when done biblically, makes us more like Jesus.
We have already discussed the fact that fasting helps us to deny our internal urges and become more dependent upon God. When we rely upon God to deny ourselves something so necessary and desired as food, how much stronger will we be at relying upon God to help us battle lust and greed and pride and covetousness?
"If you make it through with an iron will that says no to your stomach, but doesn’t turn your mind’s eye elsewhere, it says more about your love for food than your love for God. Christian fasting turns its attention to Jesus or some great cause of his in the world. Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem, whether it’s fighting against some sin, or pleading for someone’s salvation, or for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus" (Fasting for Beginners by David Mathis).
Beyond this, there are certainly physiological benefits from fasting. These benefits are often not considered when discussing biblical fasts. Some fast solely for the health benefits with no biblical context. Just because there are reasons to fast that are outside of a spiritual purpose does not mean that they should not be considered during a biblical fast. God made our bodies and He orchestrated them to do all of the amazing things that they do. He specifically designed them to have the health benefits that occur during a fast and as followers of Christ, it makes no sense to ignore them. You are not a lesser Christian because you are also interested in the health benefits of fasting.
The body does some pretty amazing things during a fast.
- Hours 0-12 are digestion and insulin levels are still relatively high.
- Hours 12-18 are fat burning. Insulin levels fall and you enter into ketosis.
- Hours 18-24 ketosis is well underway, and levels of the hormone glucagon are rising, which counteracts the action of insulin by stimulating the liver to turn stored glucose into sugars to be burned.
- Hours 24-48 autophagy begins. Your body begins to turn on itself to become more efficient at waste elimination, repairing itself, and detoxification. Your body begins to clean itself out at a cellular level.
- Hours 48-54 human growth hormone surges to help us repair tissues.
- Hours 54-72 autophagy (cellular cleansing) peaks.
How does fasting tie in with other biblical practices?
Read. Pray. Fast. Give.
This is a linear progression that builds on itself. What would our prayers look like if we didn’t read God’s word? What would our fast look like if we didn’t pray? What would our giving look like if we didn’t read and pray and fast?
From a very practical standpoint to see how all of this can tie together, replace the time that you would eat with prayer and meditating on God’s word. Take the money you would have spent and give it away. Giving, similar to fasting, creates a dependence on God as well as a denial of your selfish desires.
Advice on fasting
Plan ahead. This may seem counterintuitive. You may assume that since you are not going to eat you don’t need to plan anything around mealtime, but I have found planning to be extremely helpful in completing a fast.
As previously mentioned, you will want to incorporate prayer and scripture meditation into your fast. Know what this is going to look like. Know where you are going to go during mealtime to get away from the rest of the world to do this. If the rest of your family is not going to participate, let them know what you are doing so that this discussion doesn’t have to happen at mealtime. I don’t advise sitting and watching others eat while you fast. There is nothing wrong with this, but it will certainly make your fast more difficult.
There are going to be times throughout the day when you will have an overwhelming sense of hunger. Everything inside you is going to tell you to stop. You will become irritable and your mind will race. Sink into this feeling. Trust God with these fellings. If possible, remove yourself from the rest of the world and go pray. Focus on what Jesus did for you. Focus on the fact that you are becoming more like Jesus in that moment. This feeling will pass.
Don’t allow yourself to get dehydrated. When you are dehydrated your body thinks it is hungry.
Salt. Lots of salt. Ideally, pink Himalayan or Celtic salt. Salt is as important as water. Your body can run for a very, very long time on nothing but water and salt. If you get a headache, it is almost certainly due to a lack of salt. The carrier is water. No sugar. No fake sugar. Almost all sugar alternatives still elevate your blood glucose levels. When your blood glucose levels increase, you crave carbs. Consuming artificial sweeteners during a fast will almost certainly lead to a horrible experience.
After twelve hours of fasting your body will go into a state of ketosis. While in ketosis your body is burning fat for fuel instead of glucose. It can help if you enter into the fast already in a state of ketosis. This can be accomplished by avoiding carbs for a few days leading up to the fast.
Bone broth can be a lifesaver during a fast. Pour it into a large cup. Add lots of salt. Heat it. Drink it. It tastes like chicken noodle soup without the chicken or the noodles. Buy some ahead of time and use this as a go-to when you are on the edge of quitting.
If you are over the edge and ready to stop and need one last thing to grasp onto before you cave… eat fat. Eat a spoonful of butter. It is 100% fat. Your body is burning fat. You will become satiated and it can pull you through the depths of a fast. Don’t be legalistic. It’s not about the details. It’s about the cross. It’s about the sacrifice.
What if I don’t Complete the Fast?
I encourage you to avoid this thought process. We are called to fast. We are called to sacrifice. Enter into your fast submitted wholly and completely to God and to this process. Focus on the cross. Focus on what Jesus did for you. Know that you have a plan and that you will have encouragement and simply enter into your fast. Once your fast is complete, I encourage you to pray and then journal about your fast. Write down anything that was revealed to you through your fast. This will be something beneficial for you to look back on before your next fast.
I pray that each of you truly submits to your fast. I pray that you pray and meditate on God’s word throughout your fast and that you reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf – a sacrifice that we could never repay and that we did not deserve. I pray that you see Jesus’s command for us to fast as a loving one because He knows that as we do the things that He commands, we will become more like Him. I pray that you become more like Jesus.
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3 Comments
Thank you for sharing. It seems every fast I do reveals something physically I may be doing that is hindering my growth spiritually. I always grow in my daily encounters with God but when I fast it seems those encounters go deeper and I see more clearly where moments of deliverance have happened in places I have been working my salvation out with fear and trembling. I am learning deliverance is when the flesh submits to the Holy Spirit and I have learned with each fast there isn’t a fast track to spiritual growth but our growth comes through daily discipleship with God, with others and in prayer and fasting.
This is so helpful, Josh! Thank you!
Thanks, Josh! This is helpful!