Fasting & Praying GuideSample

Let’s start with a definition. What is fasting?

To begin, we should say something about what fasting is not. First, fasting is not the same as simply abstaining. It has become fashionable lately tospeak of “fasting” when we set aside things in our life like social media, video games, or entertainment. While these practices are good and important for Christians to do on a regular basis, they are not the same thing as fasting. Second, fasting is not a diet. It is not an attempt to lose weight or get the body back into shape.

So, what is fasting? Fasting is voluntarily abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is voluntary because it is a choice. It is something we do after the example of our Lord.

The Bible does not prescribe a specific length of time for fasting. The most common examples are for one day (Lev. 23:32; Judg. 20:26; 2 Sam. 1:12), but other examples include three days (Esther 4:16), seven days (1 Sam. 31:13), twenty-one days (Dan. 10:3), or even forty days (Exod. 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Matt. 4:2). Some fasts are corporate fasts, where several people participate in the fast together, but many fasts are performed only by individuals.

REFLECTION

As we read through the entirety of God’s Word, there are so many reasons and examples for fasting: as a rhythm and discipline—weekly, festivals, yearly; as a habit—‘as was His custom’; in mourning, in celebration, in transition, and in preparation. Fasting is practiced for counsel, revelation, inspiration, healing, and preparation for a specific task or new season. It can also be for the needs of loved ones, salvation, the church, or the persecuted.

What’s clear is that fasting is a consistent pattern and discipline throughout the Scriptures.

What is your primary reason for fasting in this particular season?