Biblical Fasting
The idea of fasting may be new to some of you, so here is some information to help you as you fast this week. In the Bible, fasting is a spiritual discipline that involves abstaining from food for a set period of time to seek and draw near to God. Although fasting can involve refraining from things like drinks, technology, or hobbies, the intention here is to fast from food.The most common biblical fast lasts for one day and involves refraining from all food for that day (but not from water). If fasting for one day feels like an impossibility, try a partial fast, such as missing one meal or even two. You can even set your goal as fasting from sunup to sun down. The length of the fast and what it looks like is up to you. So, when and how will you fast?
Here are some tips for fasting:
- Use the time that you would have spent eating to pray, to meditate on Scripture, journal, to ask God to reveal any sin in your life, to reveal any broken relationships, to search your heart, or you can just be quiet before the Lord.
- When you have hunger pains be reminded of your greater need for God.
- Drink water throughout the fast
- Don't overexert yourself during the fast
- If you have medical concerns consult your doctor first
- When you are ready to break your fast start with a light meal avoiding greasy or heavy foods.
Here are some Scriptures you can read that mention fasting:
