Fasting thoughts that I thought would be helpful.
• Fast and other forms of the word are used 78 times in Scripture.
• Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Jesus, Anna, the disciples of John the Baptist, Paul, Barnabas, and others all fasted.
• Jesus seemed to think of giving, praying, and fasting as a trio of spiritual disciplines (see Matt. 6:1–18, for example).
four reasons to fast:
(1) to better focus the mind on God;
(2) to share, in some small measure. God’s own grief over sin;
(3) to turn attention away from material needs toward the One who supplies all;
(4) to intensify our praying.
GUIDELINES FOR FASTING
1. Reach a personal conviction on the subject through a careful biblical study.
2. Make sure you are medically able to fast before attempting it.
3. Enter with a positive faith that God will reward those who fast with the right motives.
4. Begin with short fasts and gradually move to larger periods of time.
5. Be prepared for some dizziness, headache, or nausea in the early going.
6. Mix your prayer time with Scripture reading and singing or devotional reading.
7. Keep checking your motives during the fast.
8. Break a prolonged fast gradually with meals that are light and easy to digest.
Clyde B. McDowell, “Anyone for Fasting? Well, Yes,” in Fresh Ideas for Discipleship & Nurture, ed.
