Pantano Christian Church

Fasting as a Life Group can significantly increase the spiritual sensitivity as well as add necessary accountability to this discipline. Some groups will study scriptures related to fasting. Agree as a group on the “ground rules” of the fast like how long, what is to be avoided and always commit to a non-judgmental attitude toward each other, especially should someone not complete the fast. As a group agree on the purpose and focus of the fast.

Here are some practical suggestions to begin the practice of fasting.

• Have a reason to fast. Here are some common reasons for a fast:
  • Seeking guidance or spiritual protection
  • Wanting to overcome a spiritual problem
  • Facing an important decision or beginning a significant activity
  • Repentance of sin
  • Enhancing earnest prayer
• Start easy with a 24 hour fast at first and then progress to a longer or more difficult fast or start by skipping one meal, then next time skip two meals, etc. Don’t eat a lot of food to “stock up” before a fast. That will actually make the fast harder.
• When fasting from food be sure to drink plenty of water or natural fruit juice.
• In food fasts, learn to ignore the “hunger signals.” You have trained yourself to respond to hunger “pains” but they can and should be ignored. After practice you’ll learn to master your hunger versus your hunger mastering you.
• Consult your physician if you have any concerns or special medical needs before starting a fast. See chapter 4 of Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline for excellent guidance on longer term fasts.
• Develop a schedule to maximize your fast. Be sure you don’t fill your fasting time with “meaningless” activity.

Fasting is an ancient practice. It was practiced in the Old Testament and Jesus began his ministry with fasting. It is not done to gain God’s favor, but to connect with God. We fast from something in order to fast to God.

The most common kind of fasting is to abstain from food and drink (except water). But there are many other kinds of fasts that are also valuable like fasting from TV, radio, reading, personal digital music, computer games, sex, movies, etc. Anything that a person devotes lots of time and energy to can be used as an effective fast.

The purpose of fasting is to abstain from something and taking the time and effort used in preparing and eating meals, watching TV, etc. to devote to being with God. Hence we often say that someone is “fasting and praying” as they go together so well. We also see in the Bible that fasting and worship go together. When we fast we are seeking God and desiring to focus on him and him alone because “mankind does not live by bread alone” (Mt. 4:4). We are denying our physical bodies something to focus on the spiritual aspects of our life with God.

Fasting reminds us that it is not food that sustains us or TV that fills our soul. It is only God that truly satisfies. Fasting reveals who or what our real “gods” are and who or what we really worship.

The fast can be from one meal or one TV show to a longer period of a week or more.