By Bill Gaultiere © 2009, 2011
Fasting is one of the most transforming spiritual practices that I have used. It helps me to be with Jesus and become like him; it helps me to be more patient and generous.
You can fast to help you pray about special needs or upcoming ministry or as part of your soul training with Jesus. Many people find it especially helpful to fast during Lent to appreciate and identify with the cross of Christ.
Self-Denial
Many ministry leaders and others I have worked with over the years have found fasting very helpful to cultivate greater intimacy with Christ. And I have shown them how to use fasting to help them overcome struggles with lust, anger, selfish ambition, alcoholism, and other problems.
The point of a spiritual fast is to learn how to deny yourself food or something else that you want for a period of time, perhaps a day or longer, in order to learn how to draw nourishment from the living Word of God. While feeling physically hungry remind yourself of how spiritually hungry you are for God and his word. Let your hunger pangs become as church bells calling you to pray!
Be Careful!
It may take practice fasting from food for you to get past headaches, tiredness, grumpiness, or irritability. Don’t get discouraged. Usually it takes time to practice fasting before you feel that you’re benefiting spiritually from it.
Ease into learning to fast. You may want to start by just skipping just one meal. Or you can try a partial fast where you restrict yourself certain foods or eat significantly less than normal. You probably want to drink plenty of water. You may want to drink juice. Partial fasts are still helpful because the point of your spiritual fast is to deny yourself something (and ideally to feel hungry) to help you pray with intensity.
If for health reasons you cannot fast from food there are other ways you can fast: you can deny yourself the use of your phone, computer, and media. You can go into a time of silence and solitude. You could take a Sabbath rest in which you do no work. You could fast from spending money, complaining, judging others, or self-promotion.
Discover Jesus’ Secret
We feel sorry for Jesus fasting 40 days in the wilderness and being tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread. Poor Jesus, we think, he was so hungry and weak and then Satan is making him desire fresh bread.
This is not thinking rightly. “People shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God’s mouth” (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3), Jesus replied to Satan. Those weren’t just pretty words — Jesus is speaking of the reality that he is experiencing. The truth is that in the wilderness Jesus was feeding on the manna from heaven.
Jesus shows us that fasting is feasting. With practice we can too can learn this by experience.
Fast and Pray Together
Jesus taught us to follow his example and use fasting and prayer together (Matthew 6:5-18, Mark 9:24-32). This is because fasting (and other disciplines of abstinence or self-denial) make a space for us to engage with God and others.
Fasting helps us to concentrate in prayer and meditate deeply on Scripture, to love God, be loved by him, and share his love with those around us. In fact, the traditional practices that evangelical Christians use for their growth — Bible study, worship, fellowship, service — need to be combined with self-denial to be most effective.
An obvious example that you have surely experienced is that reading the Bible (a discipline of engagement) in an extended time of quiet (a discipline of abstinence) is much more impactful then if you’re distracted by noise. Fasting works the same way. If you meditate on Scripture while eating a meal that’s great, but if you do it while you’re fasting you’ll have a sense of urgency about drawing your nourishment from the heavenly manna.
Some Benefits of Fasting
Learning to fast will help you greatly in your personal spiritual formation. You can learn to rely on the Word of God for your strength instead of food. With practice training your body by fasting you can learn how to remain sweet and strong even when you don’t get what you want.
If you learn to be happy in God and have the strength you need even when you’re not getting the food your body wants it will improve your life dramatically! You can apply that lesson to other things in your life like:
- Keeping your peace in stress
- Responding with kindness when you’re mistreated
- Being generous to people who don’t deserve it
- Resisting lust
- Not being impulsive in relationships or business deals
- Rejoicing for others to succeed more than you do
Remember the Poor and Needy
Let’s not forget that when we fast we do so to benefit the hungry and the oppressed (Isaiah 58:5-9). We’re taking on a little of their suffering, reminding ourselves to pray for their needs for daily bread — and also for heavenly manna.
Fasting and praying with Jesus will cause us to share his burdens of love for others, especially those near us in our daily lives. We’ll become better listeners, less likely to interrupt. We’ll be more compassionate, kind, and generous.
A Prayer to Use with Fasting
My “Fasting is Feasting” Prayer is based on a medley of Scriptures. I have found it very helpful to meditate on it when I fast.
Fasting is Feasting
By the mercy of Christ
I shall not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God.[i]
~
The Word of God
Is alive and active;
The Lord is right now speaking
His life into my soul.[ii]
~
The Spirit of God
That raised Christ from the dead
Lives and prays in my body
And reminds me of Jesus’ words.[iii]
~
So as I fast from food I feast with joy
On the manna from heaven,
The bread of angels,
The Bread of Life, who is Jesus.[iv]
~
My food is to be one with Jesus:
To do the will of the Father,
To finish his works of love,
To share my food with the hungry.[v]
~
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Spirit.
Amen.
~
If you choose to fast from the media or something else instead of food then in the fourth paragraph of the prayer say, “As I fast from ______ I feast with joy…”
More Soul Shepherding
Read about Bill’s experience with fasting.
Read more about the spiritual discipline of Fasting.
[i] Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4
[ii] Hebrews 4:7, 12
[iii] Romans 8:11, John 14:26
[iv] Matthew 6:16-18, Psalm 78:24-25, John 6:35, 48
[v] John 17:21, 4:34, Isaiah 58:5-7
Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org
