Fasting: Praying With Your Whole Self

Each Monday through Lent, we’re fasting together.

For some of you, that may feel natural. For others, it feels intimidating. And for quite a few, there are just a bunch of questions and misconceptions swirling around your heads.

Is fasting just about getting more time to pray?

Is it about twisting God’s arm into acting?

Does it even “do” anything, is there any point to it?

So I’d love to give you an introduction to fasting! Because its powerful, biblical and I think its important to our Churches season of growth!

Fasting isn’t a strange new experiment for super-keen Christians. It runs right through the story of God’s people. In the Old Testament, Israel fasted in moments of repentance, grief, national crisis, thanksgiving and desperate prayer. By the time of Jesus, fasting was a normal rhythm of Jewish life. And when Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, he doesn’t say “if you fast” but “when you fast.” He assumes his followers will practise it. After His resurrection, the early church fasted when appointing leaders and seeking guidance from the Spirit. For two thousand years, across cultures and traditions, Christians have fasted as a way of responding to God. This is not a fringe practice. It is part of the deep, historic ways of the people of God.

Here are 3 of the most important things that I have discovered about fasting.

1. Fasting Is Whole-Body Prayer

One of the most helpful ways I’ve ever heard fasting described is this: it’s a way of praying with your whole body.

We are not floating spirits. We are whole people with hearts, minds and bodies. Often praying is a heart/mind thing but when we fast, we bring our physical selves into our praying. Even when we aren’t speaking words, our bodies are speaking. We pray with our whole-selves in a way that we can only do when fasting.

So when you skip a meal or two on Monday, your hunger itself becomes prayer. Even when you’re in a meeting. Even when you’re driving. Even when your mind drifts. Your body is quietly saying, “Lord, I’m here. I need you.”

It’s prayer that continues even when your words stop.

2. Fasting Is a Declaration of Desire

Another cool thing about fasting.

When you fast, you are making a statement. A deep, spiritual one directly to God.

You are saying, “God I am hungry for your stuff more than I am hungry for my own needs and comfort”.  “I want your presence more than my next meal.”

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Fasting is a way of physically leaning into that hunger.

Again, your hunger becomes a prayer your body is praying.

On Monday, when your stomach tightens and you feel that familiar pull toward food, you have a choice. You can eat the food your body wants. Or you can turn it into a declaration to God…

“Lord, I want you more.”

You are submitting one appetite to a deeper appetite. Not because food is bad. Not because your body is the enemy. But because you are re-ordering your priorities towards God.

That is powerful. In our Church we often say prayer is powerful, well, prayer & fasting is powerful.

3. Fasting Trains Your Desires

There’s also something about fasting that forms you.

We live in a culture that celebrates giving into your physical desires. If we want it, we have it. If we feel it, we follow it. Desire it we do it.

Fasting does something in us that pushes back against that.

When you choose to say no to your very base needs and desires “food”, you are practising self-control. Training self-control. Growing self-control. You are reminding your desires, (your "flesh", the bible calls it) that, it is not in charge. You are learning to say no to a legitimate desire and you grow in saying no to illegitimate ones.

This is NOT about punishing yourself. But it is effective in training yourself.

If you are struggling to overcome a particular habit of sin. Fasting is a powerful practice to help you.

Paul talks about bringing his body under control. Not because the body is evil, but because it needs to be led, taken charge of rather than it leading and taking charge of us.

You are building spiritual muscle.

An important word of grace

If you are not medically able to fast from food, please hear this clearly: you are not second class. Choose something meaningful to lay down. The goal is not devotion to Jesus. The goal is surrender. Fasting is powerful but its not the only way we can practice it.

So this Lent, each Monday, we are stepping into an ancient practice.

We are praying with our whole selves.

We are declaring our hunger for God.

We are training our desires.

And when Monday hunger rises, let the hunger pray!

Let it preach to you. Let it train you.

“Man does not live by bread alone.”