Fasting
Open Your Bible
Isaiah 58:3-7, Luke 4:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14-17, John 4:31-38, John 6:48-51, Revelation 19:6-10
BY Tameshia Williams
“Don’t fill up on bread,” I warn myself when dining out. Then my waiter brings a basket of freshly baked rolls, glistening with melted butter, and I forget my earlier caution. A blended aroma of honey, vanilla, and yeast drifts under my nose, as I raise the bread to my mouth. One bite into the warm, pillowy dough and my eyes nearly roll back. As my taste buds savor the last bite, I discover that I am full.
God has given us food to both enjoy and sustain our bodies. But at times He calls us away from our daily sustenance so we can more fully engage with Him. This is especially challenging for me, a self-proclaimed foodie who relishes restaurant menus like they’re “hot off the press” bestsellers. However, I answer God’s call, metaphorically turning my plate over because I desire continued spiritual growth.
For the last three years, my church community has fasted once a month for twenty-four-hour intervals. Fasting is not a punishment inflicted on our bodies or a measure of our piety. Instead, God invites us as believers to give up something that is good for something even greater. We step away from the rhythms of our routines to pay more attention to His Word, deepening our relationship with Him.
The Gospels record Jesus’s forty-day stay in the wilderness, where He spent time alone with God and prepared for ministry through prayer and fasting. When Satan challenged Him to satisfy His hunger supernaturally, Jesus refused. Instead, He demonstrated His dependence on God with these words: “Man must not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:4).
When I fast, I agree with Jesus and recognize God as the ultimate source of both my physical and spiritual needs. Like our Savior did, I communicate my desire for the fulfillment of God’s will by positioning myself to be in fellowship with Him, without distractions (Luke 4:1). And when I do, He fills my heart and satisfies my soul in ways that physical food and earthly activities cannot (John 6:51).
It may seem counterintuitive, but when we regularly abstain from certain habits to pursue God, He refreshes us and refuels our passion for serving Him. We also grow more aware of the Spirit’s presence and more readily approach God in humility, relying on His strength to overcome sin in our lives.
What are the things that compete for our undivided attention above God? Is it social media or television? How about our smartphones or the time we invest in our relationships? Perhaps food is the culprit. Whatever the distraction, Jesus calls us to focus less on things that bring temporary fulfillment and more on Him, the true Bread of Life (John 6:48–50). He has many good things in store for us—things far more satisfying than any activity and better than the most delicious bread.
100 thoughts on "Fasting"
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Lent has always been a 40 day fast for the Catholic Church. A turning away (fasting) from those things that we turn to for comfort, self gratification, rewards, etc. instead of turning to Him who satisfies, the Comforter, Counselor. In fasting from food, we turn our hunger pains into wanting more of the Bread of Life….focusing on spending time in the Word instead of in our pantry. I long to hunger for God, to crave spending time withHim in His word.
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I want to share a testimony of a breakthrough during a fast I experienced. My parents live overseas and during the past months my dad had a bad diagnosis about his spine, that causes pain and prevents him from walking, the most is with a cane limping a few steps. The doctors said they can’t do much. It’s the condition, etc. My parents are elders and caring for one another would be difficult if my dad cannot walk, due to severe back pain that shoots down pain to his legs. At the same time, one of my young cousins in his 20s, had crazy symptoms of kidney failure and something more, and more diagnosis that needs blood infusion (very complicated and fear jerking in my opinion). These are the reports my mom texted me through our daily Viber conversations. Both my dad and my cousin are non-believers, mind you.
I was hurt and very troubled upon hearing this, and then I reached out to the Lord and decided to fast. I prayed the verse in Isaiah 58, committed to a two-day fast (it taught me discipline as I still prepared meals for kids and hubby daily for work and school). I poured my heart out, asking God to break the chains of sickness off my dad and my cousin, and for their souls to be saved. A month later, my dad could walk pain free, he in fact traveled to visit families hours away on a wedding occasion, joyful. MIRACLE (though my dad counted himself lucky and this is by good luck). He went on his life. My cousin 6 months later, the doctors finalized their discovery, it is a small thyroid issue that messed things up for him but curable, and he was dismissed to go home to rest, and now fully recovered.Is it a coincidence if you ask me? No. I was in awe. Who am I that God counts my tears as something worthy? But you know what, He does care! Our tears and hurts matter to God. It is by the MERCY of God that they both walk out of those dark phases, the bands of wickedness loosened, oppression gone, fear and worries of many family members turned into joy and relief, because there was a God who cares for us when we cry out.
Fasting means mourning to the Lord, as Jesus compares fasting to mourning (Matthew 9:15 KJV). And blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. I encourage you to come to Lord will all your pains and hurts, and even the hurts you carry for other people, give the Lord their hurts as they don’t know God even to cry out, please cry out for them through your prayers !!! Bring their yoke and oppressions to God so he could liberate them from it. Mourn/fast in His presence, and God with all his mercy and abundant goodness will comfort you and deliver you out of all your troubles. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34-17 KJV). He keeps His promise. Praise God.
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Wendy Speake has written 2 books to guide one on a fast. “The 40 Day Sugar Fast” where physical detox meets spiritual transformation , and “The 40 Day Social MediaFast” exchanging online distractions for real life devotions. I highly recommend them both. There is an annual online Sugar Fast going on now, and signups for a guided Social Media fast are open now as well.
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Isaiah 58 really expresses to me that I’m not fasting only for myself. I should be fasting for the sake of others and doing the work that God has laid before us in service to others.
Am I fasting for the sake of losing the bonds of wickedness? Am I fasting to undo the straps of the yoke to let the oppressed go free? Am I fasting to break every yoke? Am I not to share my bread with the hungry? And bring the homeless poor into my home? When I see the naked to cover him?  am I fasting to hide myself from my own flesh?
And the reward the reward is just wonderful! Then shall your light break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard!
Praise be to God! -
Thank you for the clarification on fasting. It is always special to learn how to have closer fellowship with our Lord and be more focused on His sustainment.
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As I read through the comments, I see various ideas of what we should fast from. Although fasting from t.v., news, social media, sweets, etc. is not a bad thing – whenever fasting is mentioned in scripture, it is always fasting from food. Food is what sustains our bodies, not the previously mentioned things – we are substituting our physical food for that which is sustaining our spiritual bodies. It is “setting aside” our physical food, so that we can fully partake of our spiritual food – focused, intentional, time with God in prayer. Obviously if you have a health issue where it would be unhealthy for you to abstain from food, then you mustn’t, but otherwise – fast from eating. Also, I don’t think you have to be absent from your table, especially if you have small children, you can sit at meals – just don’t eat, but throughout the day – when children are napping or at school or having their own “quiet time” alone in their rooms, then slip away to pray. Pray before they are up, pray when they are put to bed. God knows our heart and what we are trying to accomplish – to know Him more intimately, and He will honor that.
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Lord thank you for your bread lord in jesus name amen!
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I’m in the same boat as you. I’d like to hear/know more about fasting in our stage of life.
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