What is fasting?

Abstaining from food for spiritual purposes, generally water is not part of a fast. Sometimes there is a partial fast, where only some items are eliminated from the diet (Dan 10:3). And occasionally, there is a total fast from food and water for three days, as Esther and Paul participated in. Most fasts are personal, but some are corporate, such as during the day of atonement.

Examples of fasting through the Bible range from the Old Testament to the New. Moses, David and Elijah fasted, as did Esther and Daniel. Ezekiel was given a limited diet in God’s instructions to him which have now been turned into a bread brand. New Testament people such as Paul and Anna fasted, as did Jesus Christ. Some were corporate, some were regularly scheduled, most were no more than three days (just what the body’s limit is!).

There is not a command given regarding fasting, however Jesus described it as a common or expected practice among his followers (Matt. 6:16, 9:15). It was included as part of traditional feasts as handed to Moses as the day that we call Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and the sins of the people were dealt with through sacrifice. The term sacrifice in Hebrew is most closely translated “draw near”, so the practice was part of the rituals to draw near to God. Today’s fasting is similarly practiced with the aim to draw near to God.

Purpose

The primary purpose of fasting is place God at the center of our lives: our thoughts and actions. God is the one who sustains us during these times, as we feast on his word rather than traditional food. Only once he is at the center, do we turn to secondary spiritual goals. These may be to reveal God’s will, to humble ourselves to him and the work of the Spirit, to exercise discipline of the spiritual over the bodily, to increase effectiveness of prayer, and so on.

It is not to gain political power or attract attention. In fact, we are encouraged to wash our faces and make it a private thing between God and ourselves, not others. The first time that Jesus mentions fasting is in the context of purpose of our actions, and he emphasizes that the reward gained while calling attention to ourselves is received in full already.

Modern Fasting

Modern practices of fasting call upon this purpose of drawing near to God and keeping him as the center of our lives. People fast from that which may or does draw them away. This has led to the practice of fasting from television, social media, sweets, or anything that we may turn to instead of turning toward God in our time of need.

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