What has been your experience with fasting?

[bryan]

Everyone's different.  I've met several people that start to faint and get weak if they miss a single meal.    For me, I fasted for 30 days and later did several fasts for a week.  Each time, I was hungry at first and then from day three onward wasn't hungry at all.  These fasts were for health and focus reasons, not spiritual.  

 

[listener24]

On 12/26/2017 at 2:40 PM, K. A. W. said:

Hey Worthy folks,

I'm going to be doing a blog series on fasting, and I was interested to see what experiences you have had in this area.

 

Physical fasting has been helpful when I increased reading the Gospel meanwhile.

Also, temporary fasting from social media, distractions, movies, etc. has often been even more helpful! 

Edited December 30, 2017 by listener24

[TheMatrixHasU71]

On 12/26/2017 at 3:40 PM, K. A. W. said:

Hey Worthy folks,

I'm going to be doing a blog series on fasting, and I was interested to see what experiences you have had in this area.

 

Hard for me as I have a dreadful sweet tooth (and therefore find it hard to fight the cravings- Christmas is hard lol ) and tend to get rather nauseous when I am hungry. Though I do still do it occasionally. 

[TheMatrixHasU71]

17 hours ago, bryan said:

Everyone's different.  I've met several people that start to faint and get weak if they miss a single meal.    For me, I fasted for 30 days and later did several fasts for a week.  Each time, I was hungry at first and then from day three onward wasn't hungry at all.  These fasts were for health and focus reasons, not spiritual.  

 

Be careful about fasting in that manner. God doesnt want people to fast to the point of possibly damaging their health

[JesusIsLord92]

I’ve read it is a requirement as a Christian work and without it, it is sin. Read this a few times. I personally have tried it...but I tend to suffer low blood pressure and heart palpitations and feel faint and don’t feel safe. I can’t last a day. 

[bryan]

6 hours ago, JesusIsLord92 said:

I’ve read it is a requirement as a Christian work and without it, it is sin. Read this a few times. I personally have tried it...but I tend to suffer low blood pressure and heart palpitations and feel faint and don’t feel safe. I can’t last a day. 

Required?  I've not seen that before.  Can you show us the scripture about that?

[Wayne222]

Fasting is meant to afflict oneself and to humble self. Its to show you depend on God and not food . Christ said man should not live by bread alone but by every word of God. He said it after fasting 40 days. I find i draw closer to God when fasting. Fasting by itself without focus on God does not help too much.  But in turning towards God when fasting it shows your humble your body and seeking God instead of self. 

[K. A. W.]

On 12/26/2017 at 7:20 PM, john1 said:

I rather help someone than fast, I used to fast, but didn't help people much, now I think I got it better.

Isaiah chapter 58 verse 6

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

I think we are called to do both, fast and help people.  Spiritual fasting is abstaining from something and using that new time or "space" to grow closer to God. People all throughout the Bible fasted as a way to draw closer to God.

[K. A. W.]

On 12/29/2017 at 5:42 AM, Neighbor said:

There is no spiritual benefit from fasting.

There is spiritual benefit from praying, and reading the word of God, and thinking on it which becomes food of another sort, a spiritual food that can replace common food for the belly for a time of greater concentration.

But just lacking food intake by itself? That is just starving, doesn't do much, except eventually shut the body down.

Spiritual fasting means abstaining from something in order to use that space to grow closer to God. Food is one way to do that, but there are others. I would challenge you to read more about spiritual fasting and to seek the benefits of more unfettered time with God.

[K. A. W.]

On 12/29/2017 at 9:34 AM, Jayne said:

Merely abstaining from food is not a fast.  And all abstaining from food does for one is to make one weak, irritable, and hungry.

A fast is a time of seeking God and his strength and his sovereignty.  The time of normal meal-eating is replaced with prayer, more Bible reading than usual, and a drawing near to God.  Great things happen - spiritually and otherwise - when fasting takes place for those reasons and in that manner.

When Queen Esther had to violate the law, defy her husband, and put her life literally in jeopardy to save the Jewish nation, she fasted for three days and through her cousin, Mordecai, asked the nation to fast for three days.  After those three days, God moved the heart of the king and moved circumstances to protect his people.  I'd call that a great spiritual benefit.

Jesus fasted for 40 days [I don't suggest that anyone do that!] because he understand that he, in the flesh, was about to be at spiritual warfare with the devil. Jesus prevailed.

In Matthew, when the disciples could not banish a particularly strong demon from someone, Jesus said, "This kind can only be done with prayer and fasting."

One doesn't have to fast the entire day.  A partial day fast can be done for those on medications or with illnesses that require them to eat.

The point is that the time of denial of food must be replaced with intense prayer, Bible study, worship, and a private, private time with God seeking his face.

Otherwise - it's just "not eating".  And that only makes us focus on food all the more.

Well said!