Ideas for Fasting

It has been the opinion of the Christian church throughout history that fasting is a Biblical and practical spiritual discipline. A study of Bible characters, great men and women through the centuries of the church, and the history of revivals will lead one to see how God has made this exercise a means of great grace and blessing.

From a biblical perspective, fasting is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. If medically possible, fasting from food should be done regularly by every Christian. Jesus said, “When you fast…,” not “if you fast” (Matthew 6:16-18). Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about a kind of fasting from the marital relationship for a certain limited time and by mutual consent (I Cor. 7:5).

But there is a broader view of fasting that is often overlooked. In the words of Richard Foster, a fast is “the voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.” The following are several normal functions from which we could abstain profitably for a period of time.

Fasting from Talking – I once fasted in this way for six hours in the middle of the day. I informed my family that I would not speak during this time, and that they should be creative and ask me only “yes” or “no” questions, that I could answer with a nod of my head. They enjoyed having a silent father, and I gained a new control over my tongue. Frequently we are so noisy and quick spoken, that we do not hear what God and others are really saying to us. Sometimes we lack inner control, because we fail to control our words.

Fasting from the Media – Many of us fail to recognize our addiction to the media. Radio, newspapers, television, video, and the internet have changed our world forever. Daily our thoughts are preoccupied and shaped by these voices, and most of the information is hardly necessary for life and godliness. How beneficial it can be to turn off these voices and listen for the voice of God and our loved ones. The art of meditation has been lost primarily because we fill most of our silent spaces with the noise of the media.

Fasting from the Company of Others – Jesus regularly practiced this form of fasting, otherwise known as solitude. The Gospels inform us that He withdrew himself from the company of others and sought solitary places where He could be alone with God for prayer and meditation. We need the fellowship of others, or we will become stale; but we need time alone, or we will remain shallow. In The Still Hour, Austin Phelps wrote, “It has been said that no great work in literature or in science was ever wrought by a man who did not love solitude. We may lay it down as an elemental principle of religion, that no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often and long alone with God.”

Fasting from Sleep – All of us need our rest, but sometimes we don’t need as much as we take. Perhaps for a week or two we might want to sleep one hour less and give that time to prayer for God’s blessing in some particular area of our life. We might be pleasantly surprised how God will reward this small act of self denial.

Fasting from Negative Commentary – While it might not be possible or desirable to live our entire life without making negative statements, it may be very helpful to live some time without them. In fact, to do so may help us gain a certain measure of control over ourselves, enabling us to make only the negative statements that bring about positive results. I suggest that you try to go one whole day without uttering one negative comment about anything. This would include the weather, traffic conditions, the attitudes and actions of others, and the food you’re eating. I wish you well. I have yet to have one person, who taking up this challenge, came back to me to say that they had succeeded. Many came back to tell me of failure. Oops, was that negative commentary.

Devotional written on July 7, 2008 by Dan Glick
Dr. Glick is a former professor of mine at Allegheny Wesleyan College.