Fasting

Fasting is usually ignored by the church. It is explained away by saying it is an OT work that is not needed in the NT due to the work of Jesus. Is this true? What does the NT say about fasting. Plenty.

Matt 6:16 (“When”, not “if”) "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Mt 9:14-17 – John the Baptist and his disciples fasted - there is a time when fasting is not right (ceremonially)

So we see that Jesus absolutely expected that his disciples would fast after he was gone and that God blesses the disciple that fasts. Since we have now gotten over the fallacy that we should not be fasting, we need to think about what fasting is.

There seems to be two categories of fasting. The first and most obvious is to fast because you want something. I’m looking for God’s blessing in my life, so I fast to attain it. In this way, fasting is much like prayer. We often pray to God when we need something. However, if all we ever do is pray for God to give us things, then we miss a big portion of what prayer is. We pray for ourselves but we also pray for others. We pray to worship. We pray to confess our sins and to thank God for what He has already done. In the same way, fasting needs to be more than just a way to get something from God.

So in the same way, fasting is an attitude. We fast, not always to get something from God, but also to grow closer to Him and to know Him more. If we see fasting as a way to force God to give us what we want, then we miss the picture. Fasting is not only so that God can hear us, but so that we can hear God. By hearing God through our fasting, we are able to be blessed by Him, know His will for us, and be successful in what we do since we can then step out and do His work. So the first thing we have to do is change our attitude. Let’s not think of fasting as only a way to get something from God but also as a way to get closer to God. Let’s think of fasting as a way to honor God, to praise Him and thank Him as well. Just like prayer. We’ll let the benefits come as they may.

Next, there is a proper way to fast. Matt 6:16-18 Jesus tells us how NOT to fast. If we bring credit to ourselves or if we make fasting a big deal, a huge struggle or a public statement, then we are like the Pharisees. This is not pleasing to God and hence we have no blessing from doing this. However, if we don’t look like we’re fasting and we do it privately to come closer to God, then God will bless that. Jesus tells us that then God will reward us.

Just the act of fasting doesn’t bring God’s pleasure – Is 58:3-12, Luke 18:9-14 There is a wrong way to fast. If we do it ceremonially, then we miss the boat. The people in Isaiah’s time were fasting but God was not pleased with their fast. He tells them that they fast but they continue living as the always live, working their workers too hard, still looking for those things of earth that bring us our happiness. They thought they were humbling themselves but they really weren’t. They were continuing in the same life they always had. In Luke’s gospel, we see that God is not pleased by the haughty attitude of the Pharisee. He is not fasting with the right attitude. He is looking for God to give him a blessing rather than being humble and looking for God’s face. In the end, if we are fasting to get praise from the world, or if we are going through the motions because we want to be blessed by God, or if while fasting we continue to live our lives as we do everyday, then God will not be pleased. However, if we fast in private, if we do it humbly, seeking God’s face, then we will be blessed and rewarded. It’s about humbling yourself and repenting. God was not pleased by fasting without these – specifically by ceremonial fasting.

Mt 9:14-17 – from this, we see that John the Baptist and his disciples fasted. However, we also see that there is a time when fasting is not right. For Jesus’ disciples, it was not the right time to fast. If we are already in the presence of God, then we don’t really need to fast. However, Jesus doesn’t say to John’s disciples that they should not be fasting. Hence, if we are farther away from Jesus, it would be appropriate to fast. Fasting in this case allows us to focus on God with the proper heart and spirit.

There are several types of fasts in the Bible:

An Absolute fast is no food or water. (Jonah 3 - Ninevah, Esther 3:15-16 – also, Jesus, Moses and Elijah - had supernatural help (40 days – longest in the Bible)

Full fast – no food. With water. – This was the norm. Usually for one day (sunrise to sunset).

Partial fast – not all foods – health or job reasons – Dan 10:2-3

Why fast? Why does God want us to fast? Why isn’t praying enough? I don’t know – maybe to show our dependence on Him. Maybe to show that we put Him above our own bodies. Maybe to show that we give our bodies over to Him. The Bible doesn’t explain God’s reasons and so we shouldn’t be asking. We see how God replies to Job when he asks why God does what He does – God doesn’t answer but makes it certain that Job understands that there are many things in the world that he doesn’t and cannot understand and until he is able to have the knowledge and wisdom of God, he should be satisfied with knowing that God does what He does and it isn’t for us to understand why.

So when do we fast? One of the reasons for fasting is to know God’s direction in our life. Matt 3:16-4:2 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness to begin his ministry and in time of temptation

Paul – Acts 9 – for direction – again in Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (corporate, with prayer, for ministry direction and success) – Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (for beginning a new ministry – notice “in every church”)

IS 58:11 –. The LORD will guide you always;
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
       and will strengthen your frame.
       You will be like a well-watered garden,
       like a spring whose waters never fail.

If we fast properly, God will always lead us and guide us in the direction we need to go

Ninevah – Jonah 3:10 – for forgiveness

Esther 4:16 – for protection and direction

Finally, we see that God also desires Corporate fasting, or fasting by an entire assembly. Esther, Samuel (1 Sam 7), John the Baptist. Joel 1:14

So in summary, we learn:

• Fasting is expected in the NT.
• Fasting is an attitude. Specifically Humbleness and Repentance.
• There is an improper way to fast
  • making a big deal
  • publicly
  • ceremonially
• There is a proper way to fast
  • Don’t look like your fasting
  • Privately
  • Humbly
• There is a right time to fast
  • when you aren’t close enough to God
• There are 3 types of fast
  • Absolute
  • Full
  • Partial
• Trust God that there is a good reason to fast
• Fast when we need:
  • Direction
  • Forgiveness
  • Protection
• Corporate fasting is important to God

Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it. - John Wesley

We eat, not because we NEED to eat. but because it's TIME to eat - Richard Foster

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Last modified: Aug 16, 2009