A Practical Guide to Fasting (Part 1)
(Topical)
I. General Observations
II. What Is Fasting?
A. Definitions
III. Who Fasts?
A. OT Examples
B. NT Examples
C. Contemporary Examples
Introduction
This is our third message on the subject of fasting. We be-gan by looking at an OT perspective on this issue. There we discovered God’s attitude toward fasting and His desired results from participating in this discipline. Last week we looked at a NT perspective. In that passage, Jesus taught His disciples that fasting is a duty to be performed without seeking personal notice and completely directed to God.
Today, I would like to begin to look at the subject of fasting in a more general overview type of approach. Because the Bible is so rich with examples and teachings concerning fasting, it will take us two weeks to get through all of the biblical information. The title of these sermons is: A Practi-cal Guide to Fasting, Parts 1& 2.
These messages will seek to be more exhaustive in scope than the previous two sermons. But as the title suggests, I will attempt to present the material in such a way as to make it extremely simple to grasp and easy to apply to our lives. If there are any questions that are left unanswered by the end of the message next week, I will give you an opportunity to ask them next Sunday night in an open forum.
General Observations
Before we get into the biblical data pertaining to fasting, I’d like to make some general observations concerning our societal attitudes toward fasting. I believe that it is fairly obvious as to why I want to talk about our cultural views. We live in a society that loves to eat; it is one of our greatest passions. Think about it…
…how many times in the past week have you been “too busy” to stop and eat 3 meals a day (and perhaps a snack or two in between meals)?
…how many commercials and billboards have you seen or heard that are related to food or eating?
…how often do we have to have food at gatherings in or-der to make them more pleasurable (or simply as a means of encouraging people to attend)?
…how many of us are hoping to get out of here “on time” so that our Sunday dinner plans won’t be negatively af-fected?
In more ways than we care to honestly admit, we have become a nation that revolves around eating. Some of you may be thinking, “Surely you must be exaggerating, Pastor Ritch? We’re really not all that bad. Can you back up what you’re saying with facts?” Listen to these statistics:
“A 1998 national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 53.8 percent of American adults reported being overweight…The CDC considers anyone up to 30 pounds over the target weight for their body size to be overweight” (David Pitt, AP). Other studies have found that the percentage of overweight people in the US is even higher than the CDC findings.
An article from the website Healthology states, “strong evidence exists that the two main factors that are responsible for the upswing in obese and overweight people in America and other industrialized nations are overconsumption of food and physical inactivity.” Focusing on the eating side of the equation concerning our current health status, that same article goes on to say:
One of the reasons that we eat too much is that portion sizes in both cookbooks and restaurants are several times larger than the recommended standard serving amounts. For example, while the standard serving for meat is 3 ounces (e.g., the size of a deck of cards), restaurant portions typically start at 7 to 8 ounces and climb up to 22 to 38 ounces. A medium-size movie theater popcorn consists of 16 cups (the standard serving is 3 cups) and some soda servings can be as big as 44 ounces (the standard serving is 12 ounces). These “super-sized” portions contribute to our increasing overall caloric intake, and counteract the efforts we may be making to specifically reduce the fat in our diets (Why We Are Overweight: Genes vs. Lifestyle).
I have to admit it, when I go to a fast food restaurant and there’s an offer to upgrade my “value” meal for “only 39¢” more, I usually go for the “bonus” fries and drink. After all, it IS a real deal, isn’t it?
Andrew Murray made this observation, “In nothing is man more closely connected with the world of sense than in his need of food, and his enjoyment of it. It was the fruit, good for food, with which man was tempted and fell in Paradise. It was with bread to be made of stones that Jesus, when hungered, was tempted in the wilderness, and in fasting He triumphed” (With Christ in the School of Prayer).
I contend that we are a nation that is very dependent upon food, but not primarily for survival reasons. We use food as a means of dealing with depression or anxiety. We grab something to eat because we are bored or as a time filler. We go out to eat to celebrate a special occasion or to make an occasion special. We rarely eat due to a physical necessity because we rarely cease from eating long enough to need to eat again.
Becky Tirabassi relates how the truth of her eating habits became a reality as a result of her experience of fasting:
While abstaining from food, I was surprised to find out how important and pleasurable food really was to me. Because I was not eating, I realized how often I wanted to eat (1) simply for emotional comfort, (2) to better enjoy a social gathering, or (3) just to satisfy certain cravings…Without eating for pleasure or comfort, I became very aware of how dependent I had become on food for emotional satisfaction, rather than as nutritional fuel for my body! (Let Prayer Change Your Life, p. 164)
Becky’s experience is not an isolated or exceptional case, it is the norm. We are habitual eaters—living to eat, rather than eating to live. We have allowed our passion for food to determine our lifestyle, and since fasting, generally, involves abstaining from food, we choose not to engage in this discipline because it would infringe upon our pleasure.
Our preoccupation with and overindulgence in eating has also manufactured within us a corporate fear of not eating. Because the majority of Americans have never experienced true hunger, we have manufactured this “urban legend” about what will happen to us if we fail to consume food at our “fixed times” throughout the day. We have an unfounded fear that we will starve or harm our bodies if we don’t keep an unbroken, steady flow of food entering our mouths. We misinterpret the sensation of a lack of bloatedness as a sign that we had better eat something soon or face the possibility of emaciation within the hour.
Consequently, our identification with and addiction to food, as I have demonstrated, has resulted in an aversion to the entire notion of fasting. Anything that suggests an alteration to our accustomed and preferred mode of living is rejected or at least frowned upon and/or avoided. It is viewed as being too rigorous, too severe, and too “not for me.” This is even true of those who say that they believe in the inherent benefits of fasting.
Dr. K. Neill Foster, former Executive VP/Publisher of CPI, makes these remarks concerning many Christians’ attitude toward fasting:
Some say, “I believe in fasting, but I don’t feel led.” It is true that we should be led as God’s children. But why is it that so few Christians are led to fast when it is so obviously a vital part of Christianity? Usually we fail to fast because the whole concept of fasting has remained uninviting and uninspiring. Fasting has not been presented as a wholly delightful discipline. But that is what it is! (Prayer Voices, p. 99)
I would like to move on now to describe this “wholly delightful discipline.” The outline for the remainder of this message and the conclusion next week will follow the age-old practice of “good reporting” and attempt to answer all the questions surrounding this matter of fasting.
What Is Fasting?
Let’s begin by asking, “What?” What is fasting? One dictionary defines the word fast as “to abstain from food; esp., to eat sparingly or abstain from certain foods, as in observance of a religious duty” (F&W). This is the typical outlook of the average person, whether a Christian or not, concerning the essence of fasting: it’s about food, specifically not eating food. And for many, both Christians and pre-Christians (many people throughout the world participate in fasting for religious and non-religious reasons), this is the sum total of their fasting experience—it’s just about not eating.
And there are some legitimate reasons for holding such a perspective, even from a biblical standpoint. When we consider the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words associated with the act of fasting, we discover that in their most fundamental understanding, they do not extend beyond the thought of abstaining from eating. The Hebrew word translated as fast literally means “to cover the mouth” or “to abstain from food.” The Greek word translated as fast means “to not eat.” A study of these particular words in their original languages is not going to shed much more light on the true significance of fasting.
In order to gain a clearer understanding of the true importance of fasting, we must look at the larger context in which the word is found. What are the attitudes and actions associated with biblical fasting that attribute to its significance? That is the reason I began this series of messages by focusing on two passages of scripture that dealt with the heart of fasting. And the key component that we noticed in both of those passages was that fasting is focused on seeking after God—pursuing Him and His will for a particular matter.
Let’s consider a few other definitions and see how they bring out this fuller conception of fasting. The Holman Bible Dictionary states, “Fasting is the laying aside of food for a period of time when the believer is seeking to know God in a deeper experience” (QV). Another definition is, “Very simply, fasting means being so consumed with a matter that it becomes more important than food. Therefore, the believer sets food aside in order to concentrate on seeking God about the matter” (POSB-WS).
As we examine fasting in greater detail, I want to open up our minds to the idea that fasting can be true fasting and have nothing to do with abstaining from food. I know that this may be a stretch for some of us, but I believe that it is the case. Fasting generally is about abstaining from food, but not necessarily. Listen to this alternate definition: “Fasting is a disciplined abstinence from all that gratifies or satisfies the flesh in order to give one’s self totally to seeking the Lord in the Spirit. This is the ultimate. Anything less is partial” (Prayer Voices, p. 99). We’ll give more consideration to this broader definition of fasting and its practical implications next week.
I’m going to end this section by giving you my definition of fasting. I have tried to take all of the various distinctives of this discipline and form them into one concise definition: True fasting means to lay aside any pleasurable and/or vital activity for a period of time in order to intensely pursue God and know His mind with the intent of obeying His revealed will.
Let’s consider the individual parts of this definition in greater detail:
1. To lay aside any pleasurable and/or vital activity—fasting is not limited to the abstinence of food. Practically any meaningful activity can be considered as an appropriate candidate to be fasted.
2. For a period of time—it is not to be approached as an open-ended pursuit; there should be an established beginning and ending in mind with an openness to shorten or lengthen the fast as directed by God.
3. In order to intensely pursue God—the focus of the fast must be upon seeking God; He is the only worthy object of a fast. The normal means of this pursuit of God will be through prayer and Bible reading.
4. And know His mind—it is a time for seeking a fresh revelation from God with regard to the matter which initiated the fast.
5. With the intent of obeying His revealed will—this speaks to the fact that there is full expectation that God is going to reveal Himself and His will. It also suggests that the one fasting will adjust himself/herself to come into alignment with what God says; a willingness to change in order to
It is with this working understanding of true fasting that we proceed with our investigation.
Who Fasts?
The next question I’d like to address is, “Who?” Who fasts? Is it really that big of a deal that we are even giving so much consideration to it in the first place? Let’s take a look at some OT examples, some NT examples, and others through Church history right up to the present.
OT Examples
• Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 18)—he fasted during his time on Mount Sinai while awaiting the reception of the Ten Commandments.
• All Israel (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; Jeremiah 36:9)—fasted on various occasions.
• Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:34)—fasted because he was grieved at his father’s mistreatment of David.
• Saul (1 Samuel 28:20)—fasted because he was seeking direction.
• Warriors from Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:12)—fasted at the death of Saul.
• David and his men (2 Samuel 1:12)—fasted at the death of Saul.
• David (2 Samuel 3:35; 12:16)—fasted at the death of Abner and when seeking mercy from the Lord concerning his sick child.
• Elijah (1 Kings 19:8)—fasted while traveling to Mount Horeb to meet with God.
• Elders of Jezreel (1 Kings 21:12)—these were evil men who followed the decree of Jezebel to fast as part of a conspiracy to kill an innocent man.
• Ahab (1 Kings 21:27)—fasted as an act of humility and contrition before the Lord.
• Exiles who returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21-23; Nehe-miah 9:1-2)—fasted to seek God’s protection as they made there way back to their homeland. Later they fasted as they confessed their sins to God.
• Ezra (Ezra 10:6)—fasted as he mourned over the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles.
• Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4)—fasted when we heard the news about the condition of Jerusalem.
• Jews in captivity (Esther 4:3)—fasted on behalf of Queen Esther as she prepared to approach the king.
• Darius (Daniel 6:18)—fasted when Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den.
• Daniel (Daniel 9:3; 10:3)—fasted for revelation and understanding.
• People of Nineveh (Jonah 3:7-10)—fasted in repentance at the preaching of Jonah.
NT Examples
• Anna (Luke 2:37)—fasted as an act of worship.
• Jesus (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2)—fasted in preparation for His public ministry.
• Disciples of John (Matthew 9:14; Mark 2:18)—fasted as a regular habit.
• Pharisees (Matthew 9:14; Mark 2:18; Luke 18:12)—fasted primarily as a means of demonstrating their “righteousness” to others.
• Paul (Acts 9:9; 13:1-3; 14:23; 27:21, 33; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27)—fasted on a number occasions; it was a regular part of his lifestyle.
• Prophets and teachers at Antioch in Syria (Acts 13:1-3)—fasted and worshiped the Lord.
• Barnabas (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23)—fasted when faced with the task of appointing church leadership.
• Crew on the stormy sea with Paul (Acts 27:21, 33)—fasted more out of fear than anything else; perhaps a carryover from pagan religious rituals.
Church History Examples
Let’s consider some examples of individuals who have fasted throughout Church history. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, gives this brief account of people who were known for fasting:
Down through the years, godly people who have done mighty things for God have testified to the necessity of prayer with fasting. John Wesley, who shook the world for God during the Great Awakening that gave rise to the Methodist Church toward the end of the eighteenth century, is representative of such great spiritual leaders.
He so strongly believed in the power of fasting and prayer that he urged early Methodists to fast every Wednesday and Friday. In fact, he refused to ordain anyone in Methodism unless they agreed to do it.
Other great Christian leaders who made prayer with fasting a part of their lives were Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Matthew Henry, Charles Finney, Andrew Murray, and many more (How to Fast Forty Days).
Contemporary Examples
Because there is such a taboo on talking about one’s personal experience of fasting, there are not a lot of documented resources displaying the names of Christians who are in the practice of fasting. I am acquainted with a number of who do fast as a normal part of their Christian experience, but their names would be meaningless to most of you. However, I can list a few examples of well-known Christians living today that practice the discipline of fasting. This list would include: Richard J. Foster (author of Cele-bration of Discipline), Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), and Becky Tirabassi (author and noted speaker on prayer). I am quite certain that there are many others, but these are examples that I can verify.
Conclusion
This is a good place to stop this morning. I will conclude this message next week at which time I will address the questions of where, why, when and how. I encourage you to continue to pray and search the scriptures concerning your participation in fasting.
