Fasting

What is fasting? Basically it is the abstaining from food and sometimes drink for a period of time. Its purpose is to help you focus upon the Lord and strengthen your spiritual muscles. Bill Bright, former President of Campus Crusade, stated that fasting:¹

• Is a Biblical way to truly humble oneself in the sight of God (Ezra 8:21).
  • Ezra 8:21 ²¹There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.²
• Brings revelation by the Holy Spirit of a person's true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance and change.
• Is a crucial means for personal revival because it brings the inner workings of the Holy Spirit into play in a most unusual, powerful way.
• Helps us better understand the Word of God by making it more meaningful, vital and practical.
• Transforms prayer into a richer and more personal experience.
• Can result in dynamic personal revival--being controlled and led by the Spirit and regaining a strong sense of spiritual determination.
• Can restore the loss of one's first love for our Lord.

Is fasting safe? For most people it is perfectly safe. For some it is not safe, particularly those with certain types of chronic medical conditions. If in doubt consult a doctor.

How do you fast?

Generally a one day solid food fast is a good place to start. Begin by skipping your supper meal and then the following breakfast and lunch. Break your fast with the following supper. Drink plenty of fluids. Some drink fruit juice during their fast, others just water. The point is not how sever you make your fast but rather the giving up of normal meals for a spiritual purpose. During your fast spend the extra time you would have eating in prayer and Bible reading. For more information on fasting I would recommend Bill Bright's book: The Coming Revival: America's Call to Fast, Pray, and "Seek God's Face," (Orlando, FL: New Life Publications, 1995).

Fasting is a private matter and should largely be between you and the Lord.

Matthew 6:16-18 ¹⁶When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so 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.³

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¹ Bill Bright, The Coming Revival: America's Call to Fast, Pray, and "Seek God's Face," (Orlando, FL: New Life Publications, 1995), 93-94.

² Ezra 8:21, NIV.