A brief teaching on fasting

When the disciples sought to cast out demons - and couldn't - Jesus told them "this kind only comes out through prayer and fasting" (Mark 9). Presumably they started doing that. All the gospels make much of Jesus' fasting for 40 days in the Wilderness. Luke seems to connect Jesus' wilderness fasting and temptation experience with him beginning to move "in the power of the Spirit" (compare Luke 4:1 to 4:14). After Pentecost we see the disciples in Antioch fasting and praying before they send out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3). Not much else is said about fasting in the New Testament so we should be careful about making it a "non-negotiable" in our faith. But church history - especially right now in the global south - continues to testify to the mysterious power fasting has to release the power of God to break chains and change lives. We therefore advocate fasting as one of the weapons of righteousness that has divine power the demolish all strongholds and every knowledge that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4-5).

What is fasting?

1) Fasting is a tool to be used, not a master to serve. Fasting is a temporary action you take to join in the prayer of Jesus for his Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.

2) Prayer and fasting seems to fit under the aspect of the Christian life that Jesus describes as taking up our cross. Fasting and intercession are our choices to lay down our lives for the sake of those we love (both God and those we are praying for).

3) Fasting in no way says that pleasure for our body is bad or food is bad. It is in fact because we know these things are good that we choose to fast as an act of self-sacrifice. The delight of the feast is as important as the trial of the fast. If we start to enjoy fasting too much we should probably stop fasting; the danger of loving "harsh rules" and thinking that we become superior Christians through lots of fasting is something Paul warns the church about in Colossians (2:20-23). He says that kind of faith actually has no power at all.

4) In fasting we become increasingly alert to the fact that our own desires can at times be our greatest enemy. We will need to use self-control to hold to the discipline of fasting, even when our body is crying out otherwise. As the Spirit helps us grow in self-control in fasting, that fruit of the Spirit will grows all across our lives and release great spiritual power for many things.

5) Don't necessarily assume fasting means not eating. You can fast from a specific type of food (eg Daniel fast) or from a specific activity. However, the biblical model of fasting is one that is hard and uncomfortable. You are not likely to feel good while fasting and should beware of the desire of your flesh that makes you want to avoid the hardship that it is.

How we recommend we fast

1) Be sensible. God has given us brains and there is no virtue in switching them off. Consider your medical issues and other experiences and choose a form of fasting that feels like a small and appropriate stretch for you right now.

2) Make an agreement with yourself that your efforts to fast will not end up with either pride or guilt. To end a fast before you wanted to is not a sin. To complete a fast is not a spiritual badge of honour. Choose to care most about what God does out of your fasting; in the following weeks do you notice new power or intimacy; do you see God doing things in the people we have been praying for? If yes, then be filled with gratitude to him. If no, then seek to continue "go again" in prayer and fasting at some point in the future.

3) Set aside in advance a period of time you want to fast. Choose an easy length of time to start with and then try to grow incrementally in how long you fast for

4) When fasting you will probably feel low and "unspiritual" so don't expect to have wonderful prayer times with Jesus. But do choose to set aside time anyway to express your desires to Jesus, to pray for a specific thing, or to speak in tongues.

5) A great way to fast is to do it together with others. The act of agreeing with others in prayer seems to be the default understanding of intercession that we see in the bible. So if a few of you agree to fast together about the same thing that can be very powerful.

6) Finally, when you fast be conscious of Jesus' warning that the fasting is done "in secret" to your Father in heaven. This doesn't mean close friends or family, or fellow fasters shouldn't know what you are doing. Instead it means that you make your fasting very consciously about you positioning yourself more intentionally in the grace and leadership of Jesus, in the love and provision of the Father and in the counsel and guidance of the Spirit. If you do that, even if you hate the fasting while you are doing it, you will love the results that come from it.