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Fasting, When We Need Jesus More Than Food
Posted by Strider in Bible & Theology, Church & Missions
In 1982 I read a book by Richard Foster called “Celebration of Discipline’. It has become a classic on biblical disciplines and has been read by millions. One of the chapters that struck me was the one on fasting. I had never fasted before and I could not recall that in my ten years as an active follower of Jesus anyone ever talking about fasting. So, I tried it. I just did a one day fast and since then I have done many one day fasts. Some are more spiritual than others. Some are more painful than others! But for the last several years I have not fasted at all. I would tell myself that it was not really necessary, after all we can’t make God love us more. But over the last few years as I have stumbled into middle-age I have gained weight, began feeling tired all the time, and my spiritual life has felt like my physical one. So, when a friend of mine gave me a new book on fasting by Jentezen Franklin I was immediately challenged to, in Jentezen’s words, ‘dethrone King Stomach’. I prayed about it and meditated on it for a month and then in the middle of January I began a two week fast. I broke it yesterday with the Lord’s Supper in our small house church. I learned two things that I want to share here for your encouragement.
The first thing that I want to share is that it was not that hard. I know, if you told me that you fasted for two weeks and drank only water and fruit juice I would be impressed. Don’t be. It really was a joy. Yes, I was hungry. Yes, the caffeine withdrawal gave me banging headaches the first three days. But fasting really is praying. You never forget what you are doing or why you are doing it. My constant refrain was, ‘Jesus, I need you more than food’. And He was faithful to be present to me and to fellowship with me. There has been a lot of joy these two weeks. I took naps in the afternoon sometimes but I was never really wiped out. I was dizzy sometimes but I was never immobilized as if I was starving to death. Jesus put King Stomach in its place and showed me that he does not have to rule me. I can live without him in control.
My wife asked me why I was fasting and I put it this way. Of course we can not make God love us more. We can not manipulate or force God to do anything. Our righteousness really is as filthy rags. But then, neither can I make my wife love me more. If I never took her out on a date again she would still love me. But we really enjoy dates- when we can get them! I don’t take her out to force her to do anything. I take her out because I already love her and want some dedicated time with her. Fasting is like that with God. But don’t think that God is a cheap date! He likes it when we lavish Him with extravagance and for a Westerner there is no greater extravagance than going without food for someone else. More than half of you still reading this have already come up with two dozen good reasons not to fast. This post is meant to encourage you to do it anyway. Jesus said in the Sermon on the mount that ,’When you pray…. When you give…. When you fast….’ No one would deny that praying and giving are absolute necessities for a healthy relationship with God. How can we who parse every iota of scripture and strain it for the last ounce of truth ignore fasting? I am going to fast day fasts once a week for the rest of the year and next January I am definitely going to do a two week fast again. In fact, I am already looking forward to it.
Secondly Jesus taught me something special throughout the fast. I have been on a long journey. Not physically- although I have traveled far! But my spiritual journey out of fear and into the faithfulness of God has been a long one. When I first arrived in Rohan in 1996 we found a police state that was under real oppression and fear. There were secret police in my English as a Second Language Class. There were secret police and informers in my neighborhood. Several of the guys I thought were friends turned out to be reporting on me regularly, it was brutal and every blow served to heighten fear. I remember feeling the need to cover up that I had been a Pastor in the West. I played up my Music Major credentials. It all makes me sick to think of it now. How close I came to denying my Saviour as Peter had! When we moved to Gondor I determined never to make a decision based on fear. Since we have been here I and my team have proclaimed the Word boldly in dangerous places and in remarkable circumstances. But I have not ‘arrived’ by any means. Do I proclaim in faith? Usually? Sometimes? When fundamentalist Islam has returned to Gondor and the Sulafis are gaining strength am I bold? Sulafi’s by the way are an ugly brand of fundamentalist Islam who make the Pharisees of Jesus day look like weenies. Their fear-laden legalistic sickness is spreading across Gondor like a disease right now. What can I say in the face of that? On the first day of the fast God led me to 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5:
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
Paul said that he destroyed arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. Can I do that? If the same Spirit that did it through Paul resides in me how can I not? We can and we must proclaim the truth in the face of the lies told about God. He is faithful, He is loving, and He did send His only Son to die for us. Jesus was crucified and has risen from the dead! These words spoken in my power mean nothing. But when the spirit of God lives in us these words take on divine power that tears apart the works of the evil one. The last day of the fast this lesson continued with Isaiah 54: 16- 17:
Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; No weapon that s fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.
Ok, Isaiah might could refute every tongue that rises against him in judgment but can I? Again, if we are talking about Strider’s abilities probably not. But if our faith is not in our abilities but in the power of God then who can stand against us? I will proclaim the Gospel boldly and the Lord will vindicate me Himself. This is a powerful promise to me and I hope it is to you also. I hope you understand that I don’t write this to brag about my great discipline. I did not fast to impress you or anyone else. I just really enjoyed my date with Jesus and I encourage you all to go and do the same.
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What an encouragement. This is an area I reluctantly glance at in my daily walk. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow and it goes on. One of my first truths I recall from a fast I did many years ago was how it took the flesh out of the way in my decisions and activities afterward. When we are told to humble ourselves we cannot simply put on a pious face and begin to smile while looking up in the air. There is a method of bringing our flesh under the control of the spirit and I believe, in part, that fasting is our first point of contact. I believe the flesh is better controlled when our spirit is able to “just say no” at various times or scheduled times.
Great post.
Strider: I swear, if you ever write a book, I’m going to be the first one in line to buy it.
Good word, Bruce.
Thanks Debbie, your kind words mean a lot to me.
Any dissent?
This shouldn’t count as dissent, but I think we should be careful of talking about our personal experiences with fasting. In Matthew 6:18, when Jesus tells us how we should fast, he describes it as being “done in secret.” The same thing goes for giving. I know it can be an encouragement, and your post is certainly encouraging, but I believe Scripture informs us to be at a minimum very hesitant before we openly discuss our personal experiences with what should be “private practices.” It’s kind of like talking about giving to God without mentioning what percent of our income we give personally.
Just my two cents. Again, not meant to be a dissenting opinion.
Brother Strider,
This is an important subject, because it leads us to understand our dependence on Christ and our nourishment by Him. Biblically, times of fasting occurred in times of danger, or spiritual crisis. It is connected with penitence and in Old Testament days was associated many times with revelation and even sickness. So there is a clear aspect of supplication that is attached with prayer and with fasting that pushes their meanings close to one another.
Prayer and fasting are ways to get at spiritual demons in our walk with Christ, and his supply is the only remedy for such malady.
I like what Andrew reminds us of….in that fasting and prayer are things not commanded, although when done…are to be done in private, so that Christ will bring supplication without any temptation of pride or arrogance in His child.
Good word!
Blessings,
Chris
Andrew,
It seems that the act of fasting would be secret when it is being performed so God could reward the person openly. A testimony may be appropriate aftward in order to be more instructive for others. Prayer is performed in the closet (Matt. 6:6), as well. Would prayer fall in this same line of reasoning?
Bruce,
I would say that, yes, prayer falls in that same line of reasoning. We have to be somewhat cautious here though, since some prayer is obviously public and intended to be so (corporate prayer). Though I haven’t seen any express biblical warrant for public/corporate fasting, I don’t think the Bible necessarily prohibits it, such as public/corporate fasting for the 40 Hour Famine, but there is enough biblical warrant to keep these personal practices… personal. I wouldn’t publicly discuss those practices without thinking about it carefully beforehand.
Like I said in my earlier comment, though, Strider’s post was encouraging, and I trust he’s already thought these things through. Besides, “Strider” is a little more anonymous than “Andrew Wencl.”
I hear you Andrew and I thought about the whole secrecy deal before I posted. I think though that we can hide behind the secrecy clause when that was never the intent. Jesus told his disciples about his own fasting- even the details if his temptations. We are not to fast “in order” to be seen by others. This is the motivation behind the “in secret” that Jesus instructs. But we need now more than ever to encourage one another and to live in open community with one another so as to grow up into the fullness of Christ.
I like what Chris had to say about the flesh. We live in an age where the gratification of the flesh is the highest good, how better to demonstrate the folly of this than to do precisely what Jesus did? He fasted and prayed and taught his disciples to do the same. Our discipleship must likewise consist of a life lived out as an example and not merely a series of theoretical lessons taught in a classroom.
Strider,
I am grateful for your humble transparency in telling of failings or successes.
It is appropriate, encouraging, and for me it is timely.
Please continue to provide us with your posts
Andrew,
I would agree with respect to a reckless public broadcast of testimonials. It would lead to too many levels of carnal examples, methodology and pride. Some of my fast I would not share with anyone due to the personal nature of my purpose. There is an inner circle, however, with my wife, my family or my best friend that I would be able to relay something within an intimate nature. If I was to share information openly, it would have to be for something like edification or teaching or supporting the message I received and it would have to be selective information. There are some things that we cannot do without prayer and fasting and a growing Christian, like the Disciples, would need to “see” our example along with instruction like Jesus did in Matthew 17:14-21. Additionally, I think the people we are commanded to preach to and make disciples of are those we also become an example to.
Thanks for bringing this point to light.
Bruce
Strider,
I agree. There are certainly times and places more appropriate for discussing our personal fasting and praying, and indeed Jesus must have let his disciples know some pretty specific details for them to have recorded them in the gospels.
I might make an analogy between fasting and sex. There are certainly times to discuss these practices, and I might find it more comfortable to discuss the former more openly than the latter, but any time we bring in our personal experiences, we ought to be careful (probably for different reasons) about what we reveal and how specific we are.
Thank you for your post as I believe you have been careful, and mentioning the fruit juices gives a bit of a help for those of us who’ve wanted to participate in a longer fast, but weren’t sure how to do so without possibly harming our health.
As a matter of fact, I’m thinking about bringing up a different personal practice of mine in one of my next posts, since I believe every Christian should be engaging in it.
Thanks Andrew, So, will you be writing about fasting or sex? Just curious.
Why am I nervous now?
I’m feeling a little anxious, myself.
Neither. I said “I believe every Christian should be engaging in it,” so it certainly couldn’t have been sex.
Way to go, now me puse rojo.
*you made me blush.
If nothing else, Andrew, you have created a sense of interest about your next post.
Strider,
I very much appreciate you posting this for the reminder of this discipline; it is very timely for me. I rejoice at your growth in faith and relationship through fasting. I haven’t done so in a while, but I believe it is time to do so again. Thank you for the encouragement!
Greg and Charles- Grow in grace, love, and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
Andrew- just having fun with ya’ man. And trying to boost our readership!
Strider: In answer to your question to me, believe it or not, no dissent.
I believe you handled the subject well and am glad you wrote this. I have no problem in the spirit with which you did.