I grew up in one of the churches that helped bring fasting back into the limelight of Christian circles in the early 2000s. When my childhood pastor’s book on fasting came out, our entire church embarked on a twenty-one-day fast every January to see God move.
What that meant for me is that I gave up time on my gaming console or eating out to fast with my family. Now, I did not understand the purpose of fasting, so I was not replacing screen time with prayer or Bible reading. I was simply counting down the days until I got my stuff back.
I wasn’t fasting, I was simply counting down the days until I got my stuff back.
Yet, what I did appreciate about the twenty-one-day fast was how it set a consistent rhythm for the year. It seemed life flowed back into our church. That is until day twenty-two came around and life seemed to go back to normal. So, how can fasting be a spiritual discipline that grows us in godliness, not just for a mere moment, but consistently during our walk of faith?
What is Fasting?
Fasting has become a buzzword in certain religious circles because of its popularity in the prosperity gospel movement of the early 21st century with its accompanying message: “Give up something you like and God will bless you.” It also has health meanings, due to the popularity of the intermittent fasting movement. However, fasting is not a “Get God to move” card or just a practice to lose weight.
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,
“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, so 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 6:16–18).
What we are talking about here is fasting as a fundamental discipline to live like Christ and to grow in godliness. It is a time when we can remove distractions and idols to seek God. Fasting is the sacrifice of human food consumption in exchange for the ability to become sensitive to the leanings of the Holy Spirit for spiritual participation and renewal.
Ways to Fast
Every person’s fasting practice is going to look different depending on their life circumstances and gluttonous desires. However, it should be noted that the point of fasting is not what you are giving up, but what you are gaining by cultivating intimacy with God Almighty. Let me note that one can give up other things besides food, but according to Scripture, the primary way to fast is by giving up food. Here are some different types of fasts that one can go on.
Regular Fast
This is the fast most often associated with the forty days in the wilderness that Jesus spent in the desert post-baptism (Matthew 4). During this time, the point is to give up all food and drink, besides water, and instead utilize that time to spend time with God.
The point of fasting is not what you are giving up, but what you are gaining by cultivating intimacy with God Almighty.
Partial Fast
Based on the life of Daniel, the Jewish Exile who was an official in Babylon (Daniel 1), one will give up eating meat and richer foods for only vegetables and water for the length of time they have felt called to abstain.
Absolute Fast
As seen in Esther 4:16, this is a fast where one does not eat nor drink for up to three days, spending time in deep intercession and prayer to the Lord for a specific circumstance. This is a fast that should be done with caution and not without discernment.
Purpose of Fasting
The point of fasting is to seek the Lord, so seek him to know if you should start fasting now or later and for how long. My challenge for the Christian community is for us to discern how we fast and how long we should fast. Are we all to beat on heaven’s door for twenty-one days only to stop right after we have returned to what we gave up? Or, might there be a way to consistently give our time and focus back to the Lord so that he might move in a mighty way, not just in our lives, but also in the lives of those around us, especially those who don’t yet know him?
Zion Brown is the High School Coordinator at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia. He is an M.Div student at Reformed Theological Seminary. He graduated from Berry College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a minor in Religion.
