SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Week Four: Christian Fasting I. Review and Introduction Last week, we discussed the spiritual discipline of personal prayer. Christian prayer is our conversations with the Lord that flow out of our personal relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ. There are several different types of prayer modeled for us in the Scriptures: prayers of praise or adoration; prayers of repentance; prayers of personal petition; prayers of thanksgiving; prayers of intercession for others. Part of what it means to practice prayer as a spiritual discipline is to learn different ways to pray and make intentional plans for more effective praying. This week, we will discuss the spiritual discipline of fasting. Like meditation, many Christian probably do not fast because it is so easy to confuse Christian fasting with other forms of fasting (health, New Age spirituality, etc.). Others, perhaps, simply do not want to fast because they do not want to miss any meals! However, as we will see, fasting is an expected practice among believers. While there might be any number of non-spiritual reasons one might choose to fast, Christian fasting like all spiritual disciplines is ultimately unto our growth in godliness. As John Piper argues, fasting is ultimately the hunger of a homesickness for God and his coming kingdom. 1 The hunger that accompanies fasting should act as a physical reminder that we are to hunger for the Lord and long to see his will done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). II. Understanding the Discipline According to Whitney, Christian fasting is a believer s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. It is for believers in Christ, for the Discipline must be rooted in a relationship with Christ and practiced with the desire to become more like Christ. 2 The Bible provides examples of several different approaches to fasting, some of which are limited to individuals and some of which are corporate. The Bible also offers several different reasons for fasting; not every fast is unto the same immediate end, though all fasting is unto the same ultimate end (growth in godliness). Also, there are other forms of voluntary abstinence in the Bible that can be similar to fasting in principle, though, unlike fasting, they are not necessarily expected of believers. Compared to many other spiritual disciplines, fasting is a countercultural practice. Christians in America and other affluent nations are sometimes especially tempted to love God s material blessings more than we love God himself. As Don Whitney argues, Christians in a gluttonous, denial-less, self-indulgent society may struggle to accept and begin the practice of fasting. Few Disciplines go so radically against the flesh and the mainstream culture as this one. 3 As Piper adds, The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. 4 Fasting is a physical reminder that we are pilgrims on the two journeys. Contrary to the spirit of the age, our best life is not now, but is still to come in the new heavens and new earth when we are finally and fully conformed to the image of Christ (see 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:2). There will be Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Page 1
no more fasting when the Bride of Christ joins the Groom-Savior-King at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6 9). III. The Discipline in the Scriptures The Goal of all Spiritual Disciplines Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. (1 Tim. 4:7b-10) Israel was Required to Fast on the Day of Atonement Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. (Lev. 23:27) Jesus Expected His Disciples to Fast And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matt. 6:16-18) Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matt. 9:14-15) Fasting is a Form of Personal Worship that Demonstrates Our Devotion to God She [Anna] did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. (Luke 2:37b) Fasting Demonstrates Repentance and/or Spiritual Humility Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. (Ezra 10:6) As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (Neh. 1:4) Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. (Neh. 9:1) But I, when they were sick I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. (Psalm 35:13) When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. (Psalm 69:10) Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. (Dan. 9:3) Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Page 2
Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. (Joel 1:14) Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning (Joel 2:12) Fasting is a Complement to Intercessory or Petitionary Prayer David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. (2 Sam. 12:16-17) So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. (Ezra 8:23) Fasting is a Means of Seeking Spiritual Strength for Trying Circumstances Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish. (Esth. 4:16) Fasting is a Means to Seek God s Blessings upon Spiritual Leaders While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3) And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:23) Fasting is a Means to Help Us Resist Temptation and Mortify Sin Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matt. 4:1-2) For forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. (Luke 4:2) God Will Not Bless Fasting that Is Divorced from Faith Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it? Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isa. 58:3-7) There is a Place for an Intentional Partial Fast In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. (Dan. 10:2-3) Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Page 3
Other Types of Voluntary Abstinence for Spiritual Purposes are Permissible, but Not Expected Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. (Rom. 14:3) Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Cor. 7:5) IV. Practicing the Discipline Fasting is not such much a clear command as it is an expectation although, since Christ is the one who expects it, fasting is virtually commanded. Though no clear frequency of fasting is evident in the Bible, every believer who is physically able ought to fast periodically. God will almost certainly not call any of us to practice a supernatural fast of forty days and nights! However, most believers can at least occasionally participate in a short non-supernatural fast by abstaining from food (and perhaps drink) for a short season. For those believers who are physically incapable of fasting because of a medical condition, a partial fast might be more appropriate. Consider giving up a food or drink that you really like for a season and allow your longing for that good gift to remind you that Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17). This is similar to the idea behind Lent, a 40- day partial fast in anticipation of Easter (Baptists tend to be ambivalent about Lent). As we have seen in the Scriptures, there are many different reasons you might fast. It is important to have a clear biblical reason for your fast, lest you find yourself simply skipping meals. As Whitney argues, Without a clear biblical purpose, fasting becomes and end in itself. 5 For example, since fasting often accompanies prayer and repentance, it might be helpful to think about appropriate times to fix your attention in a focused way upon these priorities. Possible times include the week leading up to celebrating the Lord s Supper, the days or weeks prior to Easter, or shortly the beginning of a new year or your birthday. Or, consider fasting prior to making a major decision and prayerfully ask the Lord for wisdom. Here is the main thing to remember: the reason for your fasting should help determine the when and perhaps even the how of your fasting. If you have never fasted and want to begin, start by skipping a single meal and spending the time you would have been eating in prayer and/or Scripture meditation. Or, consider skipping breakfast and lunch, but eating dinner. Many find it helpful to fast for 24 hours, skipping dinner on day one and breakfast and lunch on day two, but then eating dinner on the second day. Unless you are certain the Lord is leading you to undertake an absolute fast (abstaining from food and drink), be sure to drink plenty of water during your fast. It s often a good idea to avoid other liquids except perhaps diluted fruit juice if you find yourself wholly without energy if you drink nothing but water. Do not undertake a fast of more than about three days unless you are clear the Lord is leading you to do so and you consult with your doctor beforehand. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Page 4
As a final word, while fasting is generally expected of believers, do not fast solely because you feel guilty for not fasting. Do not feel like you have to fast a certain way or for certain lengths of time or during certain times of the year. Do not feel like you are obligated to emulate the fasting practices of another. While fasting is expected, there is great biblical latitude in terms of how this discipline is practiced. Do not create laws where there is freedom! Do not rush into a guilt-driven fast it will do you no spiritual good anyway. If you are not in the habit of fasting, ask the Lord to give you a reason, desire, and plan for your first fast. Remember what Jesus said to Satan during his wilderness temptation: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Whenever you fast and however you fast, remember this promise and allow God to use fasting to grow you in godliness and increase your longing for the kingdom. V. Recommended Resources Books John Piper, A Hunger For God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer (Multnomah, 1997). Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 2 nd ed. (NavPress, 2014). Chapter 9. Websites http://www.desiringgod.org/all-resources/by-topic/fasting (John Piper s material on fasting) Harvey Albert Smit, Fasting: Guidelines for Reformed Christians, Reformed Worship (December 1987): http://www.reformedworship.org/article/december-1987/fastingguidelines-reformed-christians Notes: 1 John Piper, A Hunger For God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer (Multnomah, 1997), p. 14. 2 Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 2 nd ed. (NavPress, 2014), p. 192. Emphasis in original. 3 Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 192. 4 Piper, A Hunger for God, p. 14. 5 Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 199. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Page 5