Episode #276 Starting Small: A Beginner’s Guide to Fasting – Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Hey friend, it's Jen. When I first heard about fasting, it sounded really intimidating. Go without food for how long and what exactly? And maybe you've had similar questions. We're in the series looking at spiritual disciplines and how they can be delights. And today's episode is just a little bit different than our norm because I'm going into some specifics about how to start fasting. If this is a new discipline for you, don't worry, it's still short. We're still ending with a question to ask God, but we're going a little bit more practical, tangible here.

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster reminds us that "in Scripture the normal means of fasting involves abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water." However, he also acknowledges that there are different levels and approaches to fasting. And the important thing to remember here is that we're doing it for spiritual purposes. It's not about weight loss or detox or following a trend, but our goal is spiritual renewal. We are disciplining our bodies, not to be mean to ourselves, but to focus our attention on God and deepen our dependence on him.

And so if you're new to fasting, here are some practical suggestions for getting started. And I'm referring back to a lot of what is written in Celebration of Discipline, along with some of my own experiences here.

So first you wanna start with a clear spiritual purpose. Ask yourself, why am I fasting? Ask the Lord that too. God, why am I fasting? What do you want me to do in this fast? How do you invite me to seek you through this process? This clarity will help sustain you when you start getting hungry.

Then you wanna start small. My encouragement is maybe consider starting with a single meal. And again, fasting from food is not something that's possible for everyone. Maybe it's a social media fast or a TV fast, or fasting from a certain type of food. Choose something simple that you can follow through with. And if it is food, skip lunch one day and use that time for prayer instead. Or you could try a 24 hour fast.

I have done fasts of a variety of different lengths and I have not always done them in healthy ways. I can be legalistic. It's something that God is continuing to transform out of me. And I had one fast many years ago where I literally, guys, no joke, blended up food so I could drink it. And it was such a legalistic, staying true to the letter of the law approach to my fast, not to the spirit of growing my dependence on God. And forewarning, blended up lasagna does not taste the same!

Pick something you can stay with. Prepare properly. You gotta make sure that you're well hydrated. Know what you're saying yes and no to. Maybe you're doing a fast and you're doing liquids, but that can include smoothies. Maybe not. What you want to avoid is having ambiguity, and so then as you start fasting, then you're tempted to cheat because you didn't really set up clear parameters for yourself.

And then use hunger as a prompt for prayer. Let that remind you to turn your attention to God, to ask him for help, to seek him to worship him. You may even have specific prayer points that you're focusing on each time you get hungry.

And then my last tip for you is break your fast wisely, especially if it's a little bit of a longer fast. There's that temptation to break the fast and immediately go for a cheeseburger and fries or whatever it is that you've been craving this whole time. Introduce foods slowly, wisely. Start with smaller, simple meals.

Now, I know that fasting itself is controversial in different church environments, and so if this feels like something that is concerning to you, lean into the question. Don't avoid it as something that you've never done or learned about before. Seek God to give you clarity on it. Ask him questions, go back to the Bible to seek to understand. God welcomes our questions. One of the best ways to have a clear conviction on something is because you've wrestled through it with the Lord, not because you've avoided it. So if fasting is new, talk with God about it. Seek him out. See what the Bible says about it, and how he convicts your heart on what he is inviting you to do in the season.

In Luke 5:33-35, Jesus was asked why His disciples didn't fast like the Pharisees did. He responded, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."

Now my understanding of this, my conviction, is that Jesus anticipated, he expected that his followers would fast after his death, resurrection and ascension. But notice that he frames it not as a burden, but as a response to his absence, a longing for a deeper connection with him because the bridegroom is not here on earth physically with us right now. This reminds us that fasting, again, it's not about rigid rules. It's not about impressing God or others or even ourselves with our spiritual discipline, but it's about creating space for a deeper communion with the one that we love.

There have been times in my life when fasting felt mechanical or I needed to stop due to physical challenges, and that's okay. It's a practice of grace not of perfection. Ask God questions, seek out ways to do this that are responsible and healthy and are aligned with your convictions. The hunger that we experience when we're fasting reminds us of the deeper hunger that our spirits have for God, and he satisfies that longing. As we close out today's episode, here's a question you can take to God on this topic:

God, what do you want me to explore when it comes to fasting? And how might you use this to draw me closer to you?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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