Fasting! I’m going to be upfront with you right now. Fasting is not my favorite topic to discuss and I do not personally participate in fasts—of food anyway—for various reasons. However, that does not mean it’s right or wrong for you to participate or to not participate as the Lord leads. It is Biblical but is not a direct command or demand. But the Bible does say that fasting is something good, profitable, and beneficial.
What is it? Got Questions.org is a great resource for answers to questions about the Bible and Christian living. In a post on Fasting, they state that fasting can be considered “Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God”. It does not have to be fasting from food. It could be giving up social media (no rotten tomatoes, please!), candy, newspaper, YouTube videos, those time-consuming games on your phone or other device, romance novels, or sports (had to include men here!). Whatever it is you want to give up, choose it wisely. Is it feasible? Is it doable? Then decide how you will spend the time that you would have spent on the social media or whatever you’ve chosen. I’m going to call the thing you want to replace an impedimentbecause that’s what it really is. It’s impeding you from making strides in other areas because it’s taking your time, energy, and focus away from more important things.
Timing. Fasting does not have to be a long-term extended amount of time like when Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days. It could be as simple as skipping lunch and going for a prayer walk or turning off the television and picking up your Bible for the length of time you would have watched your favorite show(s).
Replacing. Fasting is not just about giving up or the time saved, but about replacing it with something good or better. This verse is not specifically talking about fasting but is applicable to both fasting and temptation. When you give something up and don’t replace it with a better option, you could be tempted to regress or digress from the intention of the fast.
“Do not deprive each other except perhaps by
mutual consent and for a time,
so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.
Then come together again so that
Satan will not tempt you
because of your lack of self-control.”
I Corinthians 7:5, NIV
Prayer, Bible study, memorization, meditation, worship and maybe even fellowship (if it’s for the right reasons and God-centered) are all good replacements for the time you would have spent on your “impediment”. You must realize that Satan is NOT going to like that you’ve given up something he can use to distract you and spend your time getting closer to God. So brace yourself and be ready with those “It is written…” statements from Scripture when Satan tries to deter you from the good things God has for you when you draw close to Him.
Beware! These good things of God are not easy to implement nor maintain. You will start to pray and Satan will give you distracting thoughts. You sit down and open your Bible and the phone rings. You’re meditating on what you just read and you someone rings your doorbell. You put on some praise music and start worshipping the Lord with it but the electric goes out or the battery depletes itself. Even in fellowship with other Christians, there’s always the unfortunate possibility that the conversation goes off track and instead of being encouraged and built up, you find yourself in the middle of a gossip mill or a pet peeve rant. These distractions are from Satan. He wants you to give it up and go back to your “impediment”. Don’t do it! Pray. God is stronger than Satan and will give you the victory if you submit to God rather than Satan.
Warning. Take precautions if you are fasting from food so you don’t get dehydrated or pass out. Don’t isolate yourself completely in case of an emergency. Tell someone what you’re doing and where you will be if you plan to go on a hike or be somewhere other than the place you would normally be on that given day. Turn your cell phone off but take it with you and check for messages intermittently without interrupting your time with the Lord. Be safe.
Why? There are good reasons to fast. Last week we talked about temptation, specifically the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. If you haven’t taken time to reflect on them, do that now. Jesus was preparing to begin His ministry to the lost and needed to spent time in prayer and meditation before doing so. That is the best reason I know to fast—to prepare my heart for something up ahead, or just to draw closer to the Lord.
Other reasons to fast might be when seeking guidance for a decision, discernment for how to handle a situation, to be quiet and allow the Lord to search your heart, or just to be alone with God and worship Him. Whatever the reason and whatever “impediment” you choose to lay aside for a time, be committed to guarding that time to devote to the good/better choice you’ve made.
Blessings. Receive the blessings God gives you as a result of your time with Him. Then go out and share them with others.
Next we’ll head into a new topic of communicating with God which may seem redundant, but bear with me and glean what you can.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, guide me through a fast that will be meaningful and bring glory to You.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
- Easter – resurrection and salvation