I once heard someone say that February 1st is the new January 1st. Nothing magical happens on January 1st; we do not have to feel rushed about having all of our plans and goals set in stone just because it is a new year. I believe God uses the month of January as an invitation to be reset. We rest and wait in the presence of God for clarity and confirmation concerning His will for us in a new year. One of the best ways to gain focus is by incorporating fasting.
One very popular, biblically-based fast I often observe people participating in is called The Daniel Fast (see Daniel 1:8-16 for background context). With this particular fast, one only eats plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and water while abstaining from eating meat, dairy, sweeteners, alcohol, processed foods, and leavened breads.
As Christ-followers, we practice fasting as a spiritual discipline because Jesus modeled fasting for us. Matthew 4:2 (NKJV) tells us, “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.” If Jesus, the Son of God, demonstrated a commitment to a lifestyle of fasting, then we can be encouraged to do the same today as New Testament believers.
We live in a culture where the expression, “What’s your why?” can be inserted into various contexts. When it comes to fasting, it is imperative that we know our “why,” because motive matters in the eyes of God. Understanding “why” we do “what” we do helps us practice fasting with intention, purity, and authenticity.
There are several reasons one may fast, but it all starts with our why. The first response to the question, “What’s your why?” should always start with, “because God told me to…” Although Jesus fasted 40 days (see the Scripture referenced above in Matthew 4:2), when we go back to the first verse of Matthew 4, it says this: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Even Jesus fasted out of obedience from being prompted by the Spirit of God. Jesus was led by God to fast because fasting was God’s idea.
If the Lord prompted you to complete a 21-day fast in January, that is great. However, if He did not convict you and you are only doing it because it has become a fad, perhaps this is a good time to assess your ‘why’. As a proponent of the spiritual discipline of fasting, I would never discourage someone from going on a fast unless they are simply joining the crowd, jumping on the bandwagon because “everyone is doing it.”
Our why must be personally convicting. Otherwise, we will not maintain the motivation necessary to be sustained throughout the fast. Our acts of fasting should be attached to God’s purposes for us as we respond to His prompting with obedience.
This is why I have abandoned the idea of having all my goals completely and perfectly articulated on paper by January 1st. If God is calling me to go on a fast at some point during the year, then I need to hear His voice speak to me first so I can realign my heart with His plans. Fasting creates an atmosphere where we learn to wait in the presence of God and become sensitive to His will for our lives.
This level of awareness is applied as we first ask God questions like, “When do you want me to fast?” “How long do you want me to fast?” “What type of fast should I undertake?” We cannot be presumptuous that our fast should start at the very beginning of January in the form of a 21-day Daniel fast. It is vitally important that we seek God’s guidance before beginning a fast so we will know how to initiate it. Our “why” will then inform our “when and how” choices related to our fasting experience.
I recently had the pleasure of leading a community of women through a 7-day fast. As a resource, I created a fasting guide and workbook to support their decision to commit to this fast. One of the key elements of the guide and workbook is to supply suggestions and ideas of how we might carry out our why. I was careful to emphasize that our fasting journey, even when done in community, is not meant to be prescriptive because fasting is uniquely personal.
The reasons God prompts us to begin a fast, as well as how to implement the fast, are all highly individualized, as they should be. Fasting requires sacrifice on our part. I remember hearing a preacher say that God is not interested in equal giving, but in equal sacrifice. In other words, what God considers a sacrifice for one person may not necessarily be a sacrifice for another. Therefore, since we are not cookie-cutter Christians, there is no one-size-fits-all universal fasting plan. Jesus has offered us a blueprint, and so did His early disciples. However, we each have a responsibility to inquire of God for ourselves and to follow His leading.
Fasting is not a spiritual discipline reserved only for some Christians who are mature in their faith and have walked with God for a very long time. It is a discipline we should all practice and embrace as much as others, like reading the Bible or praying. Food is a natural need and desire. However, when we deny our belly the satisfaction of eating, it has spiritual ramifications that lead to long-term benefits for us. Those benefits encompass our relationship with God and with others.
If you have sensed God’s nudging or have been praying about how to be consistent in the area of fasting, I hope you will draw inspiration from the five reasons for fasting and five recommendations for fasting I am sharing with you today:
5 Reasons for Fasting
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