Fasting For God

I recently started fasting to get closer to God. I'm on my second day and have a goal of 10 days total. It will not be easy, especially with how much I love food and tasting things. Fasting is a spiritual things and not really something you should do for dieting alone. You should not fast to lose weight. When fasting, one concentrates on prayer and the word of God.

You also have to know that one does not fast in order to gain merit with God or to get rid of sin. The blood of Jesus has already cleansed us from our sin. Fasting will bring to the surface every sin in your own life so that you can repent. Jesus stayed away from food before beginning His ministry. He followed the guide of the Holy Spirit. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” Matthew 3:16-17, 4:1-4:4.

Why does the body of Christ, meaning the church, have such difficulty with the idea of fasting? Lack of control over the flesh opened the door to the temptation of sin in the Garden of Eden but Jesus took control of the flesh and sanctified Himself to break the power of temptation. Satan tempted Him during the fast and repeatedly tried to get Jesus to focus on the desire for food, not on the Father’s task and purposes. Sanctification is an essential key to open the door to God’s blessing. I’m fasting to get His blessing and power in order for my writing to really reach people, more than just what I’ve been able to do alone. There is still a lot of work I must do but I am willing to do it because it’s the will and purpose of God to continue writing for Him and about Him. I am also fasting to help break the addiction to nicotine and smoking my vape. It really has had a hold of me and I over do it so I’m asking God to break this chain with fasting, prayer and getting into His word.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 Fasting means to abstain from food for a certain period of time, which usually leads to leaving the hustle and bustle of normal activity behind for a little while. Working out is something I’ve kept doing for the first couple of days and may do so tomorrow, but after that, it can get dangerous to the point of me passing out and losing too many electrolytes when sweating. Most of my time is going to be spent with God and learning His ways. The sacrifice of fasting, the search for God, and the study of His word requires other things to take a backseat. 10 days is not that long of a time and I may not see it that way for the next 8, but I will do my best to not give in to food. Another thing that I’m taking during this time is chicken broth and beef broth, to keep my sodium intake up so that I can replenish my electrolytes. I’m taking between 1 to 2 cups a day.

Do not fast so that others will notice you. Fasting is not something to show how spiritual you are, but is meant to focus on the needs of others. It says “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, sot that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16, 17. I was on the fence about whether or not I should wait until my fast was over before writing this, but it has been on my heart to teach people the proper ways to fast and why fasting is important. I am also not telling everyone I know that I’m fasting, but more on a need to know basis with the people I live with when they offer me food. I will write another article about it at the end of my fast. I encourage everyone to do it at least once a year. Talk to God about how long you should fast and pray about it. You will get an answer. There are a lot of people around the world who do 21 days. I’m not sure if I will go that long but I will see how I feel at the end of the 10 days.

God expects each one of us to fast, not just some of us. In Matthew 6, He names 3 things that Christians need to do: When you pray, when you give, and when you fast. Not if, but when. It’s important to honor God and show your dedication to Him by doing these 3 things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33. You can always find a reason not to fast so you have to decide that you are going to do it and everything else will take care of itself. I know it’s a lot to ask but God is a worthy God to do this sacrifice for. These are the kind of things that get you closer to Him and allows God to bless you more than you could ever ask for. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Epeshians 3:20