When You Fast

There is another part of Jesus’ assumptions that closely relates to prayer…He said, “And when you fast…”. He tells us to make sure we treat fasting like prayer…do it in secret.  One point that I think needs to be said…there is a huge difference between fasting to be seen and being seen fasting.  Think through that!

I think it was Richard Foster who said fasting is the giving up of an otherwise normal activity for a supernatural cause.  Christianity really isn’t about what we give up…it is all about what we gain, but there are times we must give up certain things to be able to have greater focus in our prayer and fasting helps that.

So, fasting is abstaining for food or anything else with a spiritual goal in mind…it is never an attempt to manipulate God, but it helps you pursue God.  I read a while back that when legalism meets fasting the result is always self-righteousness on parade, but when desperation meets fasting the result is always transformation.

 I’d share some ideas from the best chapter on fasting I’ve ever read in Foster’s Celebration of the Disciplines:


The reality is simple, we need to fast if we find Jesus has become the secondary Person in our lives.  When that happens we are guilty of idolatry and we must fast from the thing or person that is drawing us away.  

If you are interested in fasting, I’d love to talk to you about it, but here is the simple truth to what we must do…if I am fasting from food, I take the times I normally eat and I spend that in prayer.  Giving up an otherwise normal activity for a supernatural purpose.