The Importance of Fasting in the Middle

By: Victoria Zangaro

Fasting is one of those actions that you can never really explain the feeling of. You just know that it changes the way you look at things and gives you a greater yearning for God. 

In the seasons of life when we're  in the middle of the situation, fasting is a very important habit to develop. Why? Because it enables us to shift our perspective from the struggle to the Lord and allows us to gain spiritual insight and truth from Him that we may not otherwise see. Above all, it draws us closer to Him and allows us to experience His presence on a deeper level. 

Of course, it's essential for the Christian to  dedicate time with God every day, but fasting is an act of faith that pushes our relationship so much more. 

In it, we surrender what we're going through, and we take more time to be in His presence. I assure you that the time you invest into your relationship with God will never be boring or wasteful; it will be fruitful and more satisfying than you may ever even realize. 

In His presence is where we should always want to be. It's a beautiful time where you see God’s hand in everything in your life, and the only thing you can say is "Thank You, Lord!" Yes, you may still be in the middle of an obstacle, but God is with you, He is for you, He has taken you out of hardships before, and He will do it again. 

Fasting is not supposed to be easy. If the entirety of our "fast" was just abstaining from eating something you hate like broccoli or kale,  there would not be much of a challenge there. Unless you're a broccoli or kale fanatic, this is something you would easily and gladly live without. However, if we fast from using social media,  watching Netflix or Disney+, or maybe not eating bread or meat or coffee or sweets for a period of time, it becomes more difficult. Now, the key to a fast isn't just not eating, or not going on social, or not binging on shows. The key is to take the time you would have spent on the thing you're now fasting from and use it to be with the Lord. Don't just cut out sweets . . . that's a diet. Cut out sweets and spend the time you would have been eating that dessert, to pray and spend time in the Word, to journal, to sit in silence and ask the Lord to speak to you.

And look, when you do decide to fast, consider keeping it private! No one needs to know that you are fasting. Truthfully, it's no one’s business, except you and God. With that being said, if you're under 18, parents should always know how you are fasting and what your plan is, so they can help make sure you're staying healthy as you seek the Lord. It's also okay to maybe share it with a close Christian friend or mentor who can pray for you during your fast. But fasting should not be about posting it all over social media and making yourself look like the most holy person on the planet. Instead, it's an intimate time with God where He will show you great things.