Fasting is a word familiar to most humans, irrespective of religion. Anyone can do fasting any time according to their need in life, relationship with God and prayer style. Every honest fasting done is honored by God, irrespective of religion and denomination. It is very acceptable that people cry out to God in times of difficulties and tribulations through honest prayer and fasting. In the Bible we can see that several people wore sack clothes, sat on ashes, fasted, and prayed during difficult times. Fasting is a familiar term for Christians.
Exodus 34:28 – “So he(Moses) was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”
2nd Samuel chapter 12 - After causing the death of Uriah and after being rebuked by Nathan, David pleaded with God for his child born through Uriah’s wife. He fasted and spent all day and all night lying in sackcloth on the ground. God forgave his sin, but his prayer was not heard because of the seriousness of his sin. The child died on the seventh day.
Daniel chapter 10 - In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Daniel had a vision of great conflict. In those days he mourned for three entire weeks, fasted and prayed.
Daniel 10:3 - “I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.”
God heard his prayer and sent an angel with further message.
Ezra chapter 8 -Before returning to Jerusalem from exile, prophet Ezra worried about the safe return of the entire group. He did not ask the king for any help because he had already said to the king about how favorable is the hand of God towards them. Ezra prayed and proclaimed a fasting for the success of their journey. God heard their prayer and delivered them from the hand of the enemies.
Nehemiah chapter 1 - Nehemiah heard about the remnant of the province of Jerusalem who escaped the captivity. They were in great distress, and the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates were burned with fire. Nehemiah sat down, wept and mourned for days. He was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Then he approached the king. When the king saw his sad face, he asked Nehemiah about the reason for his sorrow. When he explained the reason for his sorrow, the king showed mercy towards him, and he allowed him to go back to Jerusalem and build its walls.
Nineveh - The king and people of Nineveh fasted for forty days without eating food and drinking water and wearing sack clothes. God heard their prayer, and He did not do the destruction intended on Nineveh.
Luke chapter 2 - When baby Jesus was dedicated to the temple on the 40th day, there was a widow and prophetess named Anna, who lived in the temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers. She was a widow for 84 years. She lived with her husband only for seven years. She should be more than 100 years old. We read about a holy man named Simeon also who lived in the temple.
Luke chapter 4 - Before starting His public ministry, Jesus fasted for forty days and stayed in the desert. After forty days of fasting he got hungry, and the devil started tempting Him. But the devil failed in tempting Him.
What is a true fasting?
Do your fasting in your secret relationship with God
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.”
While fasting we should do our regular routines in a normal way with a pleasant face and without showing fatigue.
Rend your heart/Repent in your heart
Joel 2:12,13 - “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
After we sin, when we fast with a repentant heart, God will forgive and will not send any calamity.
Stop our wickedness and be kind to the oppressed
Isaiah 58:6 - “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
We should stop our wickedness and cruelties to other people. No one should have tears because of our actions.
Help the poor and needy
Isaiah 58:7,8,9 - “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your near guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
Isaiah 58:10 - “And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.”
Helping the poor and the needy is something that makes God really happy. When we are righteous, the glory of the Lord will be all around us as a protection. Our cry will be heard by God faster. Our prayers will be answered faster.
Do fasting to cast out unclean spirits
Mark 9:29 - After rebuking and casting out an unclean spirit from a boy Jesus said, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
Make your fasting pleasing to your spouse - A husband and wife have taken vows to be there for each other in every situation. The fasting of one person should not be the reason for the temptation and sin of the other person. Before fasting from physical relationship, they should discuss it and consider each other’s opinions. It is because of the temptation the devil can bring because of the lack of control of the other person.
1st Corinthians 7:5 - 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.
There are specific seasons for fasting in most Christian denominations. Twenty five days of fasting before Christmas and 40 or 50 days of fasting before Easter are common among Christians. There are a few other fasting days too. Some Christians fast every Wednesday and Friday. Giving up meat has been a common fasting method among Christians. Some people fast by giving up their preferred items like sweets and liquor. Some people give up preferred activities like partying and talking over the phone. Some people give up one meal a day; some people eat only one meal a day during fasting. Some strict Christians give up meat and all kinds of dairy products.
In a true fasting it does not matter much what we give up. God is looking for how humble we are, how honest we are, how righteous we are, how charitable we are, how loving we are, and how steady we are in keeping our relationship with God and others.
One tendency I have noticed among people, especially among addicted people, is that they give up liquor during lent. Once the lent finishes, they get drunk on the day of Christmas or Easter and ruin the entire peace and happiness of the family. This situation may continue until the next lent. This is something to think about seriously.
Does God need this kind of fasting from us? God lives in glory always. He does not need our fasting. We need fasting for our own blessing and grace. God has given part of His glory to each and every one of us. Animals are God’s creation too. Animals are not given the glory given to us. With this kind of reckless fasting and behavior we become like worse than animals. If our children act like this, definitely we will regret over giving birth to them. In a way God will regret over creating us.
Matthew chapter 12:43 - “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man , it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.”
44 - Then it will return to the house and find it unoccupied, swept and put in order.
12:45 - “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
This explains the reason for a man to keep away from liquor for forty days during lent and then stay drunk until the next lent. The devil brings more of their kind to control this person who has fasted for 40 days. The only solution is not to give any opportunity for the devil in your life.
Ephesians 4:27 - “Do not give the devil an opportunity.”
The devil comes in the form of a person to tempt you. It may be your friends or a family member.
When we fast it should be our goal to gain strength to fight against the temptations of the devil every day and throughout our life. Just fasting from liquor or food or wrong friendship for a few days and going back to the same wrong doing for the rest of the year is hurting God and the family instead of pleasing God and the family. God or the family is not looking for that kind of fasting.
Cicily Sunny, M.A., B.Ed., MSE
