THE DESIRE TO CONNECT

 MARCH 13, 2023

Psalm 35:13

 “I humbled myself with fasting”

Fasting

You are not alone if merely hearing the word “fast” makes you squirm with discomfort. Historically, the concept of fasting has been associated with
deprivation, long-suffering, sorrow, and sin. If this is your understanding of fasting, you are not entirely wrong, but that is only part of the story.

If we only see fasting for the discomfort it brings, then we miss the more important and delicious fruit honed by fasting, such as dependency on God, ordering of priorities, the relief found in repentance, and the discovery of Holy Spirit empowered self-control.

Fasting is a cornerstone spiritual discipline practiced throughout the Old and New Testaments. As we see in Matthew 4:1–2, Jesus Himself was familiar with fasting: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry” (NIV).

In the Bible, people fasted for a variety of reasons, but ultimately it was an act of submission and realignment with God. David captures fasting beautifully in Psalm 35:13: “I humbled myself with fasting” (NIV). Biblically, fasting was a personal invitation for God to intervene in the lives of His children. And it’s a beautiful way to deepen our Lenten journey.

Fasting is a personal desire to connect with God in a deeper way. (Matthew 6:16–19).

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16–19).

Here are a few steps to follow when beginning a fast.

Fast with intentionality: Ask yourself these questions: “Why am I fasting? What do I hope to gain?”

Determine boundaries: What are you eliminating? How long will you fast?

Replacement: What spiritual practices will you engage with instead?

Be kind to yourself: Fasting is about humility, not perfection. God does His best work in us when we come to the end of ourselves.