Over this year as a church, we are exploring different spiritual practices together, focusing on each one for about a month. From now until Easter, our focus is the discipline of fasting.
Fasting has been practiced by Jews and Christians throughout the centuries. On the pages of the Old and New Testaments we see numerous examples of people fasting for many different reasons- during times of mourning, when seeking God’s guidance and strength, and in conjunction with times of worship. But what is fasting? Interestingly, though the people of God have practiced the discipline of fasting, we have very little instruction on how to fast on the pages of Scripture.
At its most basic, fasting is choosing to abstain from a typical or normal activity in order to focus more completely on God and the things of God. Fasting gives us an opportunity to examine those things that control us, those appetites that drive us, and lay them down at the feet of Jesus. Fasting from food is often our first thought, and this is the type of fasting we see on the pages of Scripture. However, we can fast from many different things- media, screens, shopping, noise, hurry, news, phones, etc. Pretty much any appetite or desire that controls us or drives us is an area we might consider for fasting.
The season of Lent is upon us. Today, Wednesday, March 5 is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent, the season of reflection, confession, and preparation in the six weeks leading up to Easter. For centuries, followers of Jesus have fasted during this season as a way to remember and reflect on how Jesus gave up everything for us, being obedient to the point of death.
The practice: Take some time to prayerfully consider the things that control you and the appetites that drive you. What comes to mind? Contemplate these things and their impact on you. Is God nudging you to fast from one of these for this season? Write it down and record your thoughts about the beginning of this journey.
The next step is to decide how you want to structure the fast. Are you going to fast from this everyday or are you going to pick a specific fast day or time? If you are going to do a food fast for the first time, see the resources below for more information on how to do this healthily. Write down your plan.
Finally, practice the fast. When you feel the desire for that thing, pray. Turn your heart and mind to Jesus. Read Philippians 2:5-11 and reflect on his sacrifice on our behalf.
As you practice this discipline and dwell in God’s presence this month, be sure to record your experience and thoughts in a journal of some kind. Also, I would love to hear from you and chat more about this. So please feel free to reach out! For more of my thoughts on fasting watch this month’s spiritual practice video.
Resources on Fasting:
•Articles on Fasting from Renovare: Understanding Fasting & Fasting: A Practical Guide
•Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, see chapter 4- “Fasting”
