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THE POINT OF FASTING

Why Do We Fast?

We fast for four basic reasons:

To offer ourselves to Jesus
To grow in holiness
To amplify our prayers
To stand with the poor

The most central reason of all is to offer ourselves to Jesus.

We are embodied souls, but most of us only ever really feed the body. We neglect our souls. Fasting is a way for us to say ‘no’ to our body, so that our soul’s hunger & desire for Jesus can be awakened.

That is the ultimate reason for fasting: hunger for Jesus, and for his transformation.

The goal of fasting isn’t punishment. It’s re-training our hunger. Fasting draws us near to God and hits the reset button of our soul. It renews us from the inside out. Fasting brings us to a new level of spiritual dependence and renews our perspective, commitment, and resolve. In fasting, we surrender ourselves to God, revealing that a relationship with Him is the highest priority in our lives.

Fasting also provides space to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Jesus invites His followers to fast, so we fast in this life because we believe in the life to come. We fast from what we can see and taste, because we have tasted and seen the goodness of God—and are desperately hungry for more of Him.

Remember, your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

When Should We Fast?

At Life Church Buffalo, we encourage each person to create a rhythm of fasting throughout the year for their own spiritual development. It’s typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more. The timing of your fast is not as important as the strength of your focus on God as you fast.

We also encourage seasons of corporate fasting – fasting and praying together as a church family – for purposes of revival, renewal and to hear from the Lord as a church body. Our corporate seasons of Prayer & Fasting are typically 21 or 40 Days.

How Do I Fast?

Fasting is going without food for a period of time to seek God
In a normal fast you continue to drink water, but there are a few examples in Scripture of a fast from both food and water. Two types of fasting to prayerfully consider are a complete fast or a partial fast:

COMPLETE FAST
In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
PARTIAL FAST
This fast involves abstaining from eating any type of food for a period of time (such as fasting from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or choosing to skip one or more meals).

Abstinence is not Fasting
Abstinence is “giving something up”, like shopping or social media or TV. Although abstinence has a long and rich history in the church, and can be a great way to compliment your fast, abstinence is not fasting.

Abstinence is often referred to as a “SOUL FAST”
While technically not a fast, abstaining from the distractions in your life is a great way to compliment your fast. Abstaining from things that may be a distraction helps to quiet your life and refocus certain areas that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.

A Restricted Diet is not Fasting
If you’ve spent any time in church, you’ve likely heard about the “Daniel fast,” where you essentially eat a vegan diet. But in the Daniel story, the word “fast” is never used. That’s not a fast, it’s a restricted diet, which also has a long and rich history in the church.

How Long Should We Fast?

There’s no set time stated in Scripture. The most common fast is from waking until sundown, but there are examples in Scripture of two-day fasts, three-day fasts, seven-day fasts, twenty-one day fasts, and forty-day fasts. If you have medical conditions, are pregnant, or have health concerns, use wisdom and consult your doctor.