Posted: 6/18/2010 12:44:31 PM EDT
| I've recently read some articles about fasting (from a Christian standpoint as well as simply a spiritual standpoint) and was intrigued about the various benefits claimed both physically and spiritually to result from the practice. I don't recall a thread specifically on this (and lack the good search ability), and was wondering what personal experiences some here may have with this. |
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Well, I don't have a lot of experience with fasting as a spiritual discipline but I am getting interested in it myself. I know that if you fast and pray specifically for something, the pangs in your gut will remind you constantly to be in prayer and bring a urgency to prayer that might not be there otherwise.
I have done it for medical procedures also and I can say that at the very least, withholding food and drink from your body gives you a great appreciation for the great bounty that we in America have been blessed with. It is easy to forget that for a large portion of the world's population hunger is a normal occurrence, even to the point of sickness. Here, even the poor can go and fill their belly at a soup kitchen of a food pantry. We are truly blessed beyond measure. |
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It certainly does take discipline... Mind over matter, so to speak...
Fasting and prayer should go together, and I personally see no point in going to "extremes." With my church, I fast for 24 hours once a month. There have been times (a few) that my family has called, and we have all fasted and prayed for a family member in need... On those special occasions, I may fast more than one 24 hour period during the month, but I never go longer than 24 hours. I have felt blessed both physically and spiritually from fasting... Is it required for salvation? Or should nursing Moms, or little children, or ill folks do it? Nope. But I feel that it makes me humble, and I believe that I am blessed... Jesus Himself fasted during His mortal ministry... |
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There was one time in my younger days that I fasted, no food, but drank plenty of water and after about three to four days I didn't really feel that hungry anymore exept at bedtime and around the middle of the day.
The reason that I fasted seems kind of spiritually inmature to me now, but i'm sure that God honored and blessed my earnest attempt to become closer to Him, and as I remember there was some pretty nice things that were happening concerning me during my week long endeavor and after. I will caution though, if one has a medical condition, check it out with a medical professional before attempting to fast for more than just a short period of time, say just skipping one or maybe two meals at the most and stay thourghly hydrated even drinking sports drinks or fruit juices if you decide to do it at first. Just like anything else work smart into your situation and your chances of success go much further than going at it without a plan to either graduate down, or even up the scale of intake, whether it be solid food, liquid food like soup, or some kind of healthy beverage and enough of it. Although I don't fast on a regular basis, I do feel like it is an important way to become closer to the Lord by putting one's flesh aside while he or she performs a fast, and the blessing that one will recieve by sacrificing anything in a sincere and humble way to the One in which we can never repay for the ultimate Sacrifice that He made for us. Remember also to not come off your fast to harshly be eating heavy or starchy food and too much of it could cause your body to do some pretty adverse things because your intestinal tract will usually shrink down quite a bit over even a short period as well as possibly some marked changes in a persons cardiac rythum, blood sugar, and even nerve function and brain patterns which can alter what you think and see as well as not being able to stay as well cordinated while performing some kind of task like working at your job. So be careful and do the thing right. It is definitely in my opinion worth checking into for this reason if none other. Jesus Christ, as you know did it on a regular basis and i'm sure for good reason and benifit also. Thanks, SAE |
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Thanks for the replies. I have fasted as a side effect of difficulties in my life, you know, not really decide not to eat, but just lose my appetite and don't eat or eat sparingly. While I wouldn't have counted that myself, one of the books I read gave scriptural references to people in the same situations.....as far as the fasting goes. The author of the book made the point that if their not eating was irrelevant, it would not have been mentioned. He also mentioned that in these instances God interceded on their behalf and basically resolved their problems. The time I remember best was during my divorce, It was a very difficult time and I simply stopped eating for a couple days and then ate very little for about 7-8 days after that. I remember getting a real peace about the situation and although the divorce proceeded I had many things happen that gave me the feeling I was being steered and occasionally pushed to do or not do certain things which, after the fact, turned out to be very good decisions. I found myself praying for a mutually beneficial outcome for everyone involved and essentially everybody won. I seemed to pray for this compulsively even though it wasn't in my nature to be a good guy back then.
The basic premise of many of the books is that denying the flesh strengthens the spirit, this was a common theme across all genres, from Christian to other religions and even native/tribal practices. It appears to have been practiced by about everyone down through time so their must be some mechanism at work that does not necessarily belong to any one group. If people didn't benefit from it they wouldn't do it because, as some of you noted, "it ain easy." From a Christian perspective, the authors I read suggested that based on the wording of some scripture it should be a basic part of a Christan's life ,one quoted all of Matt 6 and then presented the snippets, "When you fast, When you pray and, When you give..." He made note that it does not say, IF, but instead, WHEN, implying that these are practices that are expected to be carried out. As several mentioned Jesus fasted for 40 days, if it wasn't important, it wouldn't have been mentioned. |