What is fasting?

There are many different ways to fast and even more reasons to why a person might fast. But when considered simply, it is essentially the same. When you fast, you abstain from something for a period of time, whether food or drink or something else, like watching TV.

Yes! Fasting is a part of Christianity, but the reasons and ways of fasting differ. Some people fast because they want to ask something from God. Others seek God’s will for their lives and fast to find out what it is. Still others would like to work on their relationship with God and fast to have more focus on this. There are many more reasons.

The most well-known and oldest form of fasting is not eating at all for a period of time. But today, fasting is practiced in many different ways. For example, you can stop snacking, eating meat, drinking alcohol, watching Netflix or off social media for a period of time. In every way that fasting is practiced within Christianity, one thing keeps coming back. That is that the focus of fasting is on God. You stop doing something you used to do every day so you are constantly reminded to turn your heart toward God during this period.

These are two things that, according to the Bible, go hand in hand. When you fast, you focus on God and the way we can talk to God is through prayer. Praying is something most Christians do on a daily basis, but when you fast, you take intentional time and focus on communication with God. Prayer means speaking and listening to God too. Taking time to be quiet with him. He's not a genie in a bottle we go to with all of our wishes and plans. He is our loving Father, who wants us to BE with him. This is what makes prayer powerful. Reading the Bible also encourages you to pray. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it even says: “Pray without ceasing.”

Fasting is not a transaction with God where we abstain from things we love so he gives us something we want. If we approach it this way we may be disappointed with the outcome, or lack there of. It is not a time where we come to God with our good actions or devotion and expect that as a reward he will give us what we ask for the answer to a question. At the heart of fasting we need to make sure we are doing it because we want God more than anything else. In abstaining from things like food, for a time we are indicating that we want God more than these things. Not only that but also that he is our sustainer. The giver and sustainer of all Life.

The impact of fasting can be very different. There are stories of people who have experienced very special things while fasting. Many people find that it gives their faith life an enormous boost and they feel closer to God. But there are also people who see little or no results. It doesn’t have to be, it can also just be a time of dedication without any specific outcome.

Fasting occurs regularly in the Bible. A well-known story is that of Esther. She fasted to ask something of God, together with all the people of Israel. She is in a very difficult situation and therefore she has to ask her husband, the king, something. At that time and in that culture, that was just not possible. If she went to the king without an invitation and he was in a bad mood, she might just be killed. Esther then asked all the people to fast with her for three days so that it would go well. And luckily it went well! Want to read the whole story? You can do that here.

Do you prefer watching instead of reading? Watch the Sandy Tale about Esther!

Jesus also fasted. He fasted for forty days before he started his mission. One of the things Jesus came to do was to free people from the Evil One who is called the devil or Satan in the Bible. Fasting helps Jesus to clarify His own focus and over come temptation. Satan tries to draw Jesus away from his goal by promising him various nice things, as long as Jesus no longer trusts in God, but in himself. Anything to stop Jesus. Seeing through his plan, Jesus fends off any attack, eventually sending the devil away. You can read the whole story here. One of the temptations Satan comes with is for Jesus to turn rocks into bread. Jesus could have done this. But instead he quotes the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 8:3 b "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (ESV)

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