I don’t like to fast. I just do not like to deprive myself. Also, I’m lazy. I get distracted, and it makes me cranky! Is fasting really that important to my spiritual well-being? 

The New Testament includes no mandate to fast on certain days or with any kind of frequency (phew!). BUT Jesus clearly assumes that his followers DO fast (Matthew 6:16-18). 

What is fasting? 

It is depriving yourself (usually from food, but there are other options too) with the intent of humbling yourself for a spiritual purpose. It is a way of acknowledging your need for God and your weakness and frailty without Him.  

But wait! I can just see you getting ready to click onto something else… Deprivation? Frailty? Fasting is definitely not for me. And yet please consider this: 

Instead of seeing fasting as depriving yourself of something you enjoy, consider it as a way of giving up something in order to make room for God. And don’t we all want more of God in our lives? 

God links our physical hunger with our spiritual hunger. Our cravings are meant to point us to God, but so often we rush to fill our desires with worldly things (John 6:27). These things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves (food, friends, entertainment), but if we stop once our material needs and wants are fulfilled, we can miss the spiritual significance and be in danger of missing out on God. Fasting reminds us that, ultimately, only God can fill us up. He is enough. Sometimes I don’t realize how much I have been depending on other things until I fast. 

Fasting may not be my go-to spiritual discipline, but I’ve never regretted fasting. One time I fasted from my phone in the mornings to make room for God. Unexpectedly, He revealed my people-pleasing strongholds to me. Not only did He reveal them, but He gave me the tools and hope to regain freedom. 

Another time I fasted from food (meaning I skipped breakfast) to spend more time in prayer over a difficult relationship and God brought about a miraculous breakthrough. Esther’s fast was my inspiration (Esther 4). I have fasted for guidance, strength, and for more of God in my life - and I’ve never been disappointed. Other examples of fasting’s spiritual purposes include, but are not limited to the following: 

• For God’s equipping to do a task (Acts 13:3, Acts 14:22-23) 

• Guidance (Judges 20:26-27) 

• Expressing grief (1 Sam. 31:13, 2 Sam. 1:11-12) 

• Protection/deliverance (2 Chron. 20:3-4) 

• Expressing repentance (Jonah 3:5-8) 

• Intercession for others and God’s purposes to be accomplished (Neh. 1:3-4) 

• Expressing love and worship to God (Luke 2:37) 

• Spiritual breakthrough (Isa. 58:6-8) 

When I do fast, it is not necessarily enjoyable. And I wouldn’t say I am good at it. I mentioned earlier that I usually become cranky, distracted, and even defeated. But as I push through, it helps to keep my eye on the goal. I am not fasting to gain God’s approval or to make myself a better or a more godly person, because that would be a fail! I am doing it because God can use it to give me more of what I need and more of Himself. 

I want to encourage you to try fasting. If you already practice this discipline, I would love to hear about how you do it and how it has helped you grow in your spiritual life. Feel free to share your experience in the comments! If you haven’t practiced fasting before, here are some ideas to get you started. 

How to start fasting: 

1. Start small; don’t make it for all day. Maybe start with fasting one meal. Or putting aside your phone until after you’ve been up for an hour. 

2. Plan what you will do instead. How will you choose to focus on God instead of eating or watching Netflix, or something else? The motive behind fasting is not for better mental or physical health. Even though these are good reasons, the whole idea behind the spiritual discipline of fasting is to create space for more time with God and His Word, and more attentiveness to what He wants to do in your life. It would be helpful to develop a plan and a purpose for the time you fast. Maybe it involves setting your phone every hour to read a verse or pray.  

3. Consider how it will affect others. Does it interrupt or inconvenience others? Maybe a holiday meal is not a good time to fast! 

4. Try different kinds of fasting. Fasting from food is not always an option for some. Social media, any type of entertainment, shopping, etc. are all great options! 

*Editor's note: For the month of June, we are focusing on the spiritual disciplines! Usually we think of these as part of our school year routine, but let's find flexible ways to connect with God more deeply this summer, even if we need to be extra creative about it!