What Every Christian Should Know About Fasting

Abstaining from Food is a Powerful Tool That Benefits Most Believers

Apr 3, 2009

Man Cannot Live by Bread Alone, Bianca de Blok Photo

The practice of fasting often enhances a person's ability to reach a new level of spirituality, to gain the ear of God or to bond with like-minded believers.

Fasting is controversial in some circles, but in tough times, even the spiritually timid may look for new ways of reaching out to God.

Should Christians Fast Today?

Fasting has been a useful spiritual discipline for thousands of years, so there is no reason to think it is not effective today. Jesus never commanded his believers to fast. Yet, he seems to assume that they will do so because in Matthew 6, he provides rules for fasting.

Then, three Gospels - Matthew 9, Mark 2 and Luke 5 - all record Jesus’ answer to the Jewish leaders when they criticized his disciples for not fasting. He said that they had no reason to fast because the bridegroom (Jesus) was with them. He went on to say that the day would come when he would be gone, and that was when they should fast.

Paul tells believers to fast (1 Corinthians 7:5) and Acts tells us that the early church fasted. When the disciples are unable to cast out a demon Jesus tells them that, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29) This statement makes it clear that fasting increases one’s spiritual abilities, providing power.

What is the Purpose of Fasting?

In the Bible, when God’s people had a request – forgiveness of sins, strength in battle, guidance or direction – they fasted to show their humility and need. Often God provided what they needed. Yet, when supplicants, like the Pharisees in the New Testament, proudly made a show of their fasting or boasted how often they fasted, God ignored them.

Unfortunately some people see fasting as a way to get God’s attention. Such measures are unnecessary, God’s Word (Psalm 121:3-4) states that God never sleeps and is always attentive to the needs of believers.

Advantages of Fasting

The benefits of fasting for a set period of time are many.

It gives one strength over other bodily desires
It brings a clarity of thought that is unimaginable
Provides a focus that is outside of self and more closely aligned with God
A way – artificially induced perhaps, but nonetheless real – of dying to self
Increasing empathy for others
It is a discipline that strengthens the spirit even while the body becomes weaker
It helps the many people in a body focus on one thing

The religious believe that fasting can be a way to show a strong feeling, commitment or dedication. When King Saul and his sons were killed, the soldiers who served with them fasted because of their sorrow.

Today, religious organizations may promote a day of fasting to benefit a program or with prayer, as the foundation for a new undertaking. Just as celebrities go on hunger-strikes to bring attention to something they feel needs to be remedied, ordinary people may choose to miss a meal to signify their solidarity with the homeless, for instance.

Prior to starting his ministry, Jesus went to the desert and fasted for forty days and nights. Even without all of the other indicators, if Jesus is to be the example that Christians are to follow, then many believe that fasting is clearly something that believers should be doing.