Fasting is For Everyone
The spiritual discipline of fasting is not frequently mentioned in
most Christian circles. It seems that many Christians do not have a deep understanding
of what fasting is all about, and while prayer and Bible study are often discussed as important
aspects of the life of the believer, God's people are seldom challenged to
practice fasting. Even for those of us who are familiar with the importance of
fasting, it is good to remind ourselves of the Biblical basics every now and
then, to motivate ourselves to practice this discipline.
Fasting has been an important part of the lives of many
influential Christian leaders. For example, the late Bill Bright, founder of
Campus Crusade for Christ, after being awarded the 1996 Templeton Prize for
Progress in Religion stated that he would use the $1.07 million prize to promote
fasting among Christians. "I feel that fasting with prayer is the most powerful
discipline of the Christian life," he said. Bill Bright knew the power and importance of fasting. (1)
Fasting can be defined as voluntary abstinence from food for a
determined amount of time for the purpose of seeking God and His will in deep
communion. Throughout the Scriptures there are many examples of fasting. In
Matthew 6:17-18, Jesus spoke of it in the Sermon on the Mount: "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so
that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your
Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you." In this passage we find that Jesus didn't put any restrictions on who might practice fasting. The
phrase "WHEN you fast" indicates, and perhaps assumes, that fasting ought to be
included in the life of every believer who desires to deepen his or her walk
with the Lord.
It is generally understood that there are three different types of fasts: (2)
- Absolute fast
- Natural fast
- Partial fast
The absolute fast is a total fast, meaning no food and no water.
An example of an absolute fast is found in Esther 4:16, when Queen Esther, in
an effort to save her people from destruction, gave this order: "Go, gather
together all the Jews who are in Susa,
and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my
maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though
it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." This was a serious situation
requiring serious action, and the outcome was a very favorable one, as Esther and her people were spared.
Jonah 3:7 tells of another absolute fast declared by the king of
Ninevah in response to the prophet's message from the Lord. "Then he (the king)
issued a proclamation in Ninevah: 'By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do
not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or
drink.'" In verses 8 and 9 we see that fasting goes hand in hand with a desire
to leave sin behind: " But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let
everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their
violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce
anger so that we will not perish." A total fast was called in this urgent
situation, including even the animals, in order to express the city's deep
repentance so that God's promised judgment might be averted. The result? God
was pleased. "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil
ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had
threatened." (v. 10)
In our church in Mexico
City, as we have learned little by little about
fasting, we have done something similar with amazing results. When we were in a
critical situation and felt the need to come before the Lord in special unity,
we called a total or absolute fast for three days. Only a select group of
mature believers was involved, with different people fasting each of the three
days. The Lord responded in incredible ways to the need that we had presented before him.
The "natural fast" is the abstention of all food and liquids except water. Matthew 4:1-11 tells of
Jesus' 40-day fast. Verse 2 says, "after fasting for forty days and forty
nights, he was hungry". We can only assume he had been drinking water during that
time.
The "partial fast" includes eliminating certain foods from the diet.
It is a controlled restriction as
opposed to a total abstention from food. Daniel 10:2-3 tells us how Daniel
fasted, which was likely a discipline that he commonly practiced. "I ate no
choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all
until the three weeks were over." After these three weeks of fasting, God
revealed amazing things to Daniel. Another example of a partial fast is found
in Daniel 1:12. "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but
vegetables to eat and water to drink."
Avoiding one or two meals during the day for spiritual reasons can
also be considered a partial fast. Instead of spending time eating or preparing
food, that time is spent in prayer and deep communion with the Lord. In such a
busy society, where so many foods are available for our constant consumption,
this is a good type of fast to begin with as we seek to recover this spiritual discipline.
It helps us to get our priorities in order, as we say "no" to food every now and then, to make time to seek God's face
in a deeper way.
Mexico was preparing for a presidential election in the year 2000. Due
to the instability of the country at that time, there was a high probability
that the elections would result in violence and upheaval. A 40-day fast was
proclaimed by Christian leaders and undertaken by churches of various
denominations throughout the country. As a church, we participated by making sure that someone was
fasting for each of the 40 days. The elections turned out to be the most
peaceful in Mexico's
history, especially considering that 70 years of one-party rule was brought to
an end. The new government took office with a smooth transition. We believe
that the nationwide fast had something to do with this unprecedented outcome.
And on a smaller scale, those of us who participated were blessed with a much
closer walk with God.
Christians seek to know God's heart, what He desires to do among
us and in us personally, or as a church, or even as a nation. As a spiritual
discipline, fasting with prayer can help us focus more intently on God and
increase our sensitivity to His will for us. It is an act of humility, a tool
powerful enough to break the spiritual bondage of entire nations.
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