What does it really mean to fast?

There are a lot of opinions out there on what a true spiritual fast is. Going without a certain food or fasting through a meal, in and of itself, isn’t going to bring you closer to God or make you more spiritual. The important part is what’s going on in your mind and heart. During a fast you should be taking time to seek out God’s will.

The goal is to bring your focus to the Lord and grow spiritually.

Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness, yet He didn’t go without nourishment. He relied on the Word of God to sustain Him. He met with God intimately and used fasting and prayer as a tool to do this.

Jesus used this approach throughout His entire ministry—not just in the wilderness. His disciples once urged Him to eat and His reply was,

 
“I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
(John 4:32-34 NIV)
 

To do God’s will is the real food we should eat. To give up eating the bread of pursuing our own will is the real fast.

When we take the time to fast, are we humbly submitting to God’s will or are we praying for what we want instead? A true fast is surrendering what is unnecessary, but not going without what you need. Jesus did not give up God’s Word, but He refused to eat of the bread of selfishness, power, and glory.

Before you begin a fast, I encourage you to examine the condition of your heart. Isaiah 58:3 says the following:

“‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’”

The implication here is that they fasted for personal reasons and then became frustrated that their goals were not attained. What we can take away from this is that we need to dig deep into understanding our motivations for the fast and to be clear about what and why we’re fasting. 

So let’s remember to be intentional about pursuing the heart of God so we can experience the results of a true spiritual fast.

-Jen