Fasting
I’ve practiced fasting from after dinner until lunch for many years. These days, fasting is widely embraced for its health benefits, but its deeper value is spiritual.
Biblical fasting is meant to open our eyes to more of God, to awaken a deeper hunger for Him, to draw us nearer to Christ, and to train our hearts to find strength and joy in His presence. If every other benefit of fasting were stripped away, this alone would be enough.
John Piper, in his book "A Hunger for God," writes this;
“Bread was created for the glory of Christ. Hunger and thirst were created for the glory of Christ. And fasting was created for the glory of Christ.
Which means that bread magnifies Christ in two ways: by being eaten with gratitude for his goodness, and by being forfeited out of hunger for God himself. When we eat, we taste the emblem of our heavenly food—the Bread of Life. And when we fast we say, “I love the Reality above the emblem.” In the heart of the saint both eating and fasting are worship. Both magnify Christ.”
Fasting is about what our hearts crave. It exposes what we truly hunger for, and teaches us to hunger for God above all.
“I humbled my soul with fasting…” (Psalm 35:13)
When you remove food, what rises to the surface reveals your deeper desires. Fasting is meant to redirect that hunger toward God.
For Jesus, fasting wasn’t optional. Notice His words:
“When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16) Not if, but when. Jesus expects His people to fast.
This has been a practice for the people of God for centuries.
“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting… rend your hearts and not your garments.” (Joel 2:12–13)
But many of us mistake fasting for denial. Denial is giving something up for a time, like social media, desserts, or entertainment. That can be helpful for drawing near to God, and disciplining ourselves, but biblical fasting is specifically fasting from food. (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Why fast?
God rewards fasting because we are saying with the cry of our hearts that nothing else satisfies me, except for Christ alone.
Historically, during Lent, the church set aside this season leading up to Easter to fast and pray, to express their desire for Christ alone and to prepare their hearts to remember the cross and celebrate the resurrection.
So this is why this year we are leaning into fasting.
What could fasting look like?
For some, fasting for a full day may be appropriate. For others, depending on health or season of life, it may not be wise and that’s okay.
A simple place to start:
Resources:
Biblical fasting is meant to open our eyes to more of God, to awaken a deeper hunger for Him, to draw us nearer to Christ, and to train our hearts to find strength and joy in His presence. If every other benefit of fasting were stripped away, this alone would be enough.
John Piper, in his book "A Hunger for God," writes this;
“Bread was created for the glory of Christ. Hunger and thirst were created for the glory of Christ. And fasting was created for the glory of Christ.
Which means that bread magnifies Christ in two ways: by being eaten with gratitude for his goodness, and by being forfeited out of hunger for God himself. When we eat, we taste the emblem of our heavenly food—the Bread of Life. And when we fast we say, “I love the Reality above the emblem.” In the heart of the saint both eating and fasting are worship. Both magnify Christ.”
Fasting is about what our hearts crave. It exposes what we truly hunger for, and teaches us to hunger for God above all.
“I humbled my soul with fasting…” (Psalm 35:13)
When you remove food, what rises to the surface reveals your deeper desires. Fasting is meant to redirect that hunger toward God.
For Jesus, fasting wasn’t optional. Notice His words:
“When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16) Not if, but when. Jesus expects His people to fast.
This has been a practice for the people of God for centuries.
“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting… rend your hearts and not your garments.” (Joel 2:12–13)
But many of us mistake fasting for denial. Denial is giving something up for a time, like social media, desserts, or entertainment. That can be helpful for drawing near to God, and disciplining ourselves, but biblical fasting is specifically fasting from food. (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Why fast?
God rewards fasting because we are saying with the cry of our hearts that nothing else satisfies me, except for Christ alone.
Historically, during Lent, the church set aside this season leading up to Easter to fast and pray, to express their desire for Christ alone and to prepare their hearts to remember the cross and celebrate the resurrection.
So this is why this year we are leaning into fasting.
What could fasting look like?
For some, fasting for a full day may be appropriate. For others, depending on health or season of life, it may not be wise and that’s okay.
A simple place to start:
- Skip one meal and replace that time with prayer
- Fast from sunrise to sunset
- Fast two meals and eat one
- The goal isn’t the method, it’s making space to seek God.
Resources:
- A Guide to Christian Fasting by desiringGod.org
- Should Christians Fast? by TableTalk Magazine
- "For The Church" on Fasting by Jared C. Wilson
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