Fasting • Devotion 2: The What and Why of Fasting
Pastor John Carter
There are two important questions to ask when it comes to fasting. What exactly is fasting? For what purpose do we engage in it? As we mentioned yesterday, there may be many different characteristics of fasting that we have added over the years like a personal sacrifice, abstaining from something like technology, and not eating. We also see the use of fasting for health purposes like cleansing, losing weight, and personal accomplishments. As I try to do my best to walk through the biblical definition of what fasting is and why we do it, please keep in mind that this is only a short devotion. It may require some research beyond this.
Fasting, in its conventional understanding, is to abstain from certain foods, for a religious purpose. As we look at some examples of fasting in the Bible, we start to see what God desires from us through fasting.
Fasting is an expression of mourning.
- “Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.” Judges 20:26
- “And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.” 1 Samuel 31:13
Fasting is an expression of repentance.
- “So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.” 1 Samuel 7:6
- “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.” Leviticus 16:29-30
Fasting is an expression of seeking God.
- “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.” 2 Samuel 12:16-17
- “Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.’ He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’” 2 Samuel 12:21-23
Fasting is an expression of seeking God’s protection.
- “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.” Ezra 8:21
- “So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” Ezra 8:23
Fasting is an expression of loving your neighbor.
- “Is not this the fast that I [God] choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh [family or seed]?” Isaiah 58:6-7
Fasting is an expression of prayer.
- “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.” Isaiah 58:1-2
- “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4
So, back to the questions, what is fasting and why do we do it? I would contend that fasting is the humbling of oneself before God by enduring an affliction or abstaining from food for the purpose of seeking Him so that one can repent, inquire, mourn (seek comfort), petition, and request God to hear them regarding particular issue.
When we fast to please and worship God, there is a promise that Isaiah wrote for us. The promise of God is to hear us when we call, mourn, and cry. He will comfort us with His words, “Here I am.” He will guide, heal, and protect us. If you are familiar with military terms, God literally says He “has your six.” In this devotion, it is very hard to walk through every element of fasting. I hope I was able to give you at least a basic foundation for what fasting is and why it is so important for us. We know Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-2) and the early church fathers fasted (Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:21-23). So, it is important that we walk in accordance with the Word of God when we fast. Having a good solid understanding and purpose for it is crucial for us today. There are many alternative reasons to fast in today’s age (which are not bad); but if we approach biblical fasting with some of these understandings, we may not fully grasp the major importance of fasting for our walk with Christ.
Isaiah 58:8-14 says, “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. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”