I remember the first time I fasted. My church youth group
was raising funds to take part in the 30-Hour Famine to help hungry children. I
was 13 and had rarely (if ever) missed a meal in my life, so I was rather
fearful, scared that the long hours would drag on endlessly.
But as with most spiritual disciplines, that fast taught me
something about God and about myself. Some friends and I were engaged in a
Bible study during the fast and we were studying Acts 13 when the Apostle Paul
and Barnabas were sent out on one of their missionary journeys.
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on
them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3).
The leader then asked, “What do you think the purpose of
fasting was for these disciples of Jesus?”
It was then that I realized something: fasting prepares us
for hardship.
It is more of a gift than a lack of something, because,
through denying ourselves a basic need, we are inclining our hearts to seek God
and to recognize the need that we have had for Him all along, but which we so
easily drown out through the busyness of life and taking for granted access to
food and other necessities.
Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline, as seen in the
passage in Acts. In an article for Relevant Magazine titled “Does Fasting Even
Matter Anymore?” author Levi Carter also gives the biblical examples of Moses
and Jesus himself.
“Jesus and Moses began their earthly ministries by spending
40 days alone in the wilderness with God,” writes Carter.
Fasting can seem like a lost practice today--perhaps
something not relevant to our Christian faith in the modern world, but as long
as we are tempted to fill our lives with other things that tend to crowd Christ
out, there will be a need for such spiritual disciplines as fasting.
Fasting is perhaps particularly relevant at this time of the
year when we are in the season of Lent--a time that begins with Ash Wednesday,
a reminder of our mortality and our need for the Savior, whose death and
Resurrection we celebrate at Easter.
During these 40 days of Lent, many people give something up:
sweets, social media, caffeine, or food. What we are saying through fasting
from these things is that we know only Jesus is enough for our cravings--for
food, for friendship, for fulfillment.
Carter provides two particular purposes of fasting.
First, fasting is for returning--returning to the initial
joy and dependence we had when we first knew Christ.
“When I think back to my early days with Christ, I think of
the raw and honest prayers I prayed. I think of how I dug deep into the
Scripture, not to pass some religious test, but because I desperately needed
the sort of truth that could set me free. I can’t escape the feeling that the
wilderness of first love was his favorite season with me, nor can I escape my
own ache to return,” writes Carter.
Secondly, fasting is for pruning. God desires to make us
holy so that we may walk in relationship with Him.
“Jesus taught that it was the pure in heart who would see
him. God is making me holy, not just for a purpose, but for proximity. God
doesn’t hate sin because he’s vindictive, God hates sin because it’s the only
thing that stands in the way of him and his kids,” says Carter.
“When we take away a basic need like food, a union with
Christ is forged,” he continues “We are saying, I need You more than my most
basic human needs. This posture of humility creates a lean in our hearts. Where
we no longer lean into our own understanding or ingenuity to produce, but
rather lean unto His heart.”
During this season of Lent, of wilderness, of fasting and
prayer, may the Lord be preparing you to be ready for the miracle of Easter.
Written by Veronica Neffinger
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