Discipline of Fasting

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Introduction – Prayer – Meditation – Fasting – Singing – Fellowship – Giving

Introduction

1. For this series we have defined spiritual disciplines as:

a. Spiritual exercises that bring one closer to God, to become more godly in character and behavior

b. Spiritual activities such as prayer, meditation, fasting, singing, giving, etc.

2. Previous studies examined the disciplines of

a. Prayer – especially the value of secret, simple, and steadfast prayer

b. Meditation – contemplating on God, His works, His words, and things worthy of virtue

3. A discipline closely tied to prayer in the Scriptures is that of fasting

a. Practiced by men of God – Ezra 8:21; Nehemiah 1:4; Daniel 9:3; Matthew 4:2

b. Observed by the early church – Acts 13:1-3; 14:23; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27

4. But some questions may come to mind

a. What exactly is fasting?

b. Why would Christians fast?

c. When would Christians fast?

d. How should Christians fast?

Body

I. FASTING IN THE BIBLE

A. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. Only one fast was commanded in the Law of Moses – Leviticus 16:29

a. The phrase “afflict your soul” refers to fasting – cf. Psalm 69:10

b. Note also Acts 27:9 (where the Fast refers to the Day of Atonement)

2. But the Israelites (and others) fasted on many other occasions

a. In war, or at the threat of it – Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6

b. When loved ones were sick – 2 Samuel 12:16-23; Psalm 35:11-13

c. When loved ones died – 1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:12; 2 Samuel 1:12

d. When they sought God’s forgiveness – Jon 3:4-10; Daniel 9:3-5;

e. When faced with impending danger – Ezra 8:21; Nehemiah 1:4; Esther 4:3,16

f. To commemorate certain calamities – cf. Zecariah 7:3; 8:19

3. The purpose of fasting

a. Some fasting was a natural reaction to grief over the loss of a loved one

b. More often, fasting was done purposely to afflict the soul – Leviticus 23:27-29

c. The purpose was to “humble” or “chasten” the soul – Psalm 35:13; 69:10

d. By humbling themselves, they hoped to incur God’s favor – Ezra 8:21-23

e. Because they sought God’s favor, fasting usually was accompanied with prayer

4. The nature of fasting

a. Fasting generally involved abstaining from food but not water

b. Sometimes the fast was partial – a restriction of diet, not total abstention – Daniel 10:2-3

c. On rare occasions there was the absolute fast – Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9

d. The absolute fasts of Moses and Elijah must have been miraculous – Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8

5. The length of fasting

a. A fast was often for one day, from sunrise to sunset, and after sundown food would be taken – Judges 20:26; 2 Samuel 1:12; 3:35

b. A fast might be for one night (hence the term, “breakfast”) – Daniel 6:18

c. The fast of Esther continued for three days, day and night, which seems to have been a special case – Esther 4:16

d. At Saul’s burial, the fast by Jabesh-Gilead was seven days – 1 Samuel 31:13e. David fasted seven days when his child was ill – 2 Samuel 12:16-18

f. The longest fasts were the forty day fasts by Moses, Elijah, and Jesus – Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kin 19:8; Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2

6. Warnings regarding fasting

a. Fasting can easily turn into an external show and ceremonial ritualism

b. When it did, God and His prophets spoke out against it – Isaiah 58:1-9

— Though subject to abuse, fasting played an important role in the life of Israel

B. FASTING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1. In the life of Jesus

a. He fasted forty days in the wilderness – Matthew 4:1-2; Luke 4:1-2

b. He taught concerning fasting in His sermon on the mount – Matthew 6:16-18

c. He implied His disciples would fast after His death – Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33

d. He spoke of the combined power of fasting and prayer – Matthew 17:14-21

2. In the life of the early church

a. Members of the church at Antioch served the Lord with fasting-Ac 13:1-2

b. Elders were appointed in the churches of Galatia with fasting-Acts 14:21f

3. In the life of Paul

a. He fasted prior to his baptism – Acts 9:9

b. He fasted as part of his ministry – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 11:23-28

c. He described how fasting might be appropriate for others – 1 Corinthians 7:5

4. In the lives of others

a. Anna – Luke 2:36-37

b. Cornelius – Acts 10:30-31

— Through both precept and example, the New Testament has much to say about fasting. Both Jews and Gentiles, Christians and non-Christians, practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting in Bible times. Should Christians fast today? I believe there is a place for fasting today

II. WHY WOULD CHRISTIANS FAST?

A. PEOPLE FAST TODAY FOR VARIOUS REASONS

1. Some purposefully, for health reasons

2. Some without thinking, in times of grief and sorrow

3. Others, in an effort to gain some kind of self-control

— But these are not reasons Christian should fast in their service to God – Colossians 2:20-23

B. CHRISTIANS SHOULD FAST TO SEEK GOD’S HELP

1. This is consistent with the majority of fasting in the OT

a. In times of war or at the threat of it (Israel)

b. When loved ones were sick (David)

c. When seeking God’s forgiveness (Ahab, Daniel)

d. When seeking God’s protection (Ezra)

2. This is consistent with the examples of fasting in the NT

a. When dealing with temptations (Jesus)

b. When serving the Lord (Antioch)

c. When beginning a work for the Lord (Antioch)

d. When selecting and appointing elders (Galatia)

— There is certainly apostolic example for Christians to fast today

III. WHEN WOULD CHRISTIANS FAST?

A. WHENEVER CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE GOD’S HELP

1. These may be occasions on an individual level

a. When faced with difficult temptations

b. When faced with the serious illness of a loved one

2. These occasions might be on a congregational level

a. As when appointing elders

b. As when sending out missionaries

— Not as some ceremonious ritual, but when appropriate for the occasion

B. WHENEVER CIRCUMSTANCES CALL FOR MUCH PRAYER

1. Is not God more likely to answer our prayers if we are persistent? – Luke 18:1-8

2. Is not God more likely to respond if we fast in the proper manner? – Matthew 6:17-18

— This may be why fasting is frequently joined with prayer in the Scriptures. Whenever there are matters requiring much prayer, fasting along with prayer is appropriate.

IV. HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS FAST?

A. SOME BIBLICAL WARNINGS

1. Not to be seen of men – Matthew 6:16-18

2. Not as some regular ritual – cf. Matthew 9:14-17

3. Not without true repentance – cf. Isaiah 58:3-9

— To be effective, fasting must take such warnings seriously

B. SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

1. Don’t fast just because it sounds like a neat thing to do

a. Take the subject seriously

b. Fast only when the occasion is a serious one

c. One in which you deeply desire God’s help

2. If you have never fasted before

a. Start slow, fasting only for brief periods of time

b. End slow, gradually breaking your fast with fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts

3. Fast when you have time to spend in prayerful meditation

a. Remember the purpose for fasting

1) To humble oneself in God’s sight

2) To seek favorable answer for some important plea

b. Thus fast when you have time

1) To pray

2) To meditate

c. Remember fasting can be:

1) Partial abstention from food, not necessarily complete

2) Just for one day or night, not necessarily for days and nights

— Fasting is not an end, but a means to an end; a way to humble oneself before God

Conclusion

1. Views about fasting have often been extreme

a. “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it.” – John Wesley

b. Some consider fasting unnecessary, therefore to be ignored; others think fasting is to be bound as a matter of faith (like baptism)

c. For the Christian, fasting is left primarily to individual discretion

2. When properly understood, fasting can be a valuable spiritual discipline

a. A way to humble oneself before God

b. When joined with prayer, a way to solicit God’s help

c. As we seek to exercise ourselves unto godliness (2 Timothy 4:7), consider the practice of fasting as an appropriate complement to prayer and meditation