Why Do We Fast?
The primary goal of fasting is simple. To draw near to God.
Each year our church takes twenty-one days to pray and fast at the beginning of January. During this time, we intentionally seek God in prayer and believe for Him to move in powerful ways.
Why do we fast?
Fasting is willing abstinence from food for a period of time. It is one of the most abused and least used of all the practices of Jesus. Yet, for millennia, it was a core practice of following Jesus. We live in a culture not only of food but of excess, luxury, and addiction. For so many of us, the desires of our bodies have come to hold power over us. In the battle with our “flesh,” we have become its slave, not its master.
Why are we fasting now?
We encourage fasting for twenty-one days each year in January at Victory Faith. This is part of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, a season of focused prayer as a church family. You may also fast at other times during the year for your spiritual development. It’s typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more. The timing of your fast is not as important as the strength of your focus on God as you fast.
On Sunday, we put together a message about fasting that you’ll want to watch if you missed it on Sunday.
In her message, she pointed to three biblical reasons for fasting.
1. To Starve The Flesh
We live in a culture not only of food but of excess and luxury and addiction to what psychologists call “the pleasure principle.” Yet, for so many of us, the desires of our bodies have come to hold power over us. In the battle with our “flesh,” we have become its slave, not its master.
Fasting is an ancient Christian discipline to break the power of the flesh in our life – our desires, sins, and cravings – and to feed on the Holy Spirit.
Like all the spiritual disciplines, it’s straightforward to lose sight of the “why” behind fasting.
(Source: Practicing The Way)
2. For Prayer
We believe that God is responsive—he acts differently than he would based on the prayers and actions of his people. Indeed, fasting is not a manipulative device by which the fasting person assumes they can pressure God into doing something they want. Fasting is not a way we jump ahead in the prayer journey, but how we pray and do it matters. Fasting is a critical method of engaging your entire person (not just your mind) in prayer. Fasting fosters an internal intimacy, a quiet space in which God’s voice has more room. God is relational. Like any other intimate relationship, we hear one another better when we focus our entire person on the other. Fasting is not a hunger strike but a way of expressing to God our hunger for him to move in our life.
(Source: Practicing The Way)
3. For Solidarity With The Poor
Isaiah presents another dimension of fasting as a spiritual practice: fasting as standing in solidarity with the poor. When we choose this fast, we allow our bodies to feel hunger, which becomes an act of solidarity with those hungry by no choice. We align our bodies to connect with those suffering. We unite our hearts with those experiencing injustice: systemic poverty, slavery, hunger, homelessness, racism, debt, etc.
This fast becomes a practice that trains our hearts in compassion and unites us with our brothers and sisters worldwide. When we as a community are moved with compassion and work to alleviate the injustices within our city, we reflect God’s heart and character to the world. This kind of fast is straightforward and has been a practice of Jesus’ followers for thousands of years within the Christian tradition. Caesarius of Arles, in the 6th century, says, “Let us fast in such a way that we lavish our lunches upon the poor, so that we may not store up in our purses what we intended to eat, but rather in the stomachs of the poor.” With this fast, the invitation is not only to give up a meal but to use the money you would typically spend on feeding yourselves to feed those around you.
(Source: Practicing The Way)
How Do We Fast?
If you are ready to begin and want to see great success from your fast, check out this article written by Bill Bright, “How To Begin Your Fast.”
Remember to start small if this is your first time or you’re intimidated. Maybe you’ve had a bad relationship with food, and you’re slightly intimidated by that. Check out this podcast from our friends at Practicing The Way: “How Do You Fast If You’ve Had an Unhealthy Relationship With Food?”
No matter where your past has taken you, your future is bright. You’re invited to join us for 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting this season.