How Shall We Fast?

When the word fast comes to mind, the first thought is of not eating, but there are as many ways to fast as there are people to do it. Here is a rundown of some.

Food—If a fast does mean abstaining from food there are several ways to do it. First, we must note that a person should not fast from food if they are a diabetic or for some other medical reason are on a diet under medical supervision or guidelines. In those cases, they must continue on the diet prescribed by their doctor and may use non-food methods as a means of fasting.

1. A person may fast entirely, from both food and water. This is mentioned in the Bible several times, but it can be very dangerous, and it is not recommended without checking with your doctor first, and not for longer than a day or so.

2. More commonly, one may fast from food, drinking copious amounts of water. Some people may drink juices or other clear liquids. This sort of fast should not be longer than a day or two for a beginner, but many people can fast three days or even longer if they are in good shape. Do not attempt a fast like this without checking with your health care professional.

3. A simpler way to fast, especially for people who haven’t tried it before, or who are pregnant or in weakened condition but not actually ill (sick people shouldn’t fast unless it’s part of their treatment) is to have one small, simple meal, say of fruits, nuts, and grains, for breakfast, and then take nothing else (except water) the rest of the day. This sort of fast can be carried on much longer, if the person is in good health.

4. A Jewish and also Muslim form of fasting is to fast during the daylight hours and eat after sundown. This does not seem as healthy, since the body will be trying to digest food when it should be sleeping, but it may be tried.

5. If someone who is elderly, a child, pregnant, or in weakened condition wishes to fast, they may try choosing a food or category of food to abstain from. The famous “giving up something for Lent” fits in this category. You could abstain from sweets, dairy products, meat or rich foods in general. One generally chooses a food which is a temptation, because one of the reasons for fasting is to gain greater self-control.

One teenager, wishing to fast and pray for a six-week evangelism outreach, combined nearly all the fasts above. First, she took only water for three days. The times she would have been eating, she spent in prayer. For the rest of that week, she ate a bread, fruit, and vegetable diet, with one glass of milk at breakfast. Throughout the remainder of the six-week period, she abstained from all forms of sweets, using the desire to eat the jelly, desserts, and so forth that she saw in the school cafeteria each day as a prompt to pray for the evangelism campaign. This forty days, or so, became a period of special spiritual growth in her life, which she never forgot.

Non-food Fasting—There may be a medical or other reasons why someone cannot fast in the traditional fashion. Or one may simply desire a different kind of blessing. The truth is, a fast can have a lot to do with self-control and there are many ways we could use more self-control in our lives. We can fast from television, a favorite game or recreation, reading fiction, a particular hobby, telling jokes, pointless conversation, sarcasm, criticism, video games, taking naps, the comics page or reading the newspaper. A married couple might choose to fast from sexual activity, but only with the whole-hearted agreement of both partners. This is best done as a two-person fast for the same spiritual goal.

Group Fasting—As we have seen, there were many times in the Bible when a whole community or group, or even the whole nation were called to fast together. Churches have declared days of fasting and prayer, remaining in the building and praying and singing together all Sabbath afternoon, or even all night. If this is done, it is advisable to offer a simple, light soup supper or something similar, for those who cannot fast all day. Church leaders must do their best to see no one is pressured or shamed into joining the fast. It will be of less benefit if some are there just because they think they have to be.

In many nations there is a yearly declared National Day of Prayer that may be used as the occasion for this type of fast. There are many other reasons; an upcoming event, a need for spiritual growth or unity in the congregation, healing, etc. Alternatively, especially in larger churches, one group can decide to fast for a set period of time, praying together (in spirit if not in physical proximity) for some desired goal.

One small church in the State of Washington, which normally has potluck every week, decided to have vegan-style potlucks, without dessert of any kind, for two weeks. Those who chose would also eat this way at home for the same period. In addition each one would choose a secular activity that was a normal part of their day, such as television, sports page, hanging out in a coffee house, etc., and abstain from that as well. Their stated purpose was to pray for their local community. Some did prayer walks through the neighborhood.

There were more visitors following this fast, and some families that attended regularly for at least awhile. Perhaps more importantly, the congregation felt there was definitely spiritual growth within the church family. “It is hard,” one member says, “to see visible progress sometimes.” But they know God is working, and He sees results we may not see until heaven.