Fasting: More than Skipping Meals

Fasting is one of those Christian disciplines that…tbh as the kids say…a lot of people avoid. It’s the slap-your-face kind of sacrifice. The kind that you immediately feel and feel specifically, and that’s why…I dare say…most of us don’t do it unless we feel like we have to do it. Like when the Church calls for a fast.

Every January, the IPHC calls for a 21 day fast to start the year right. It’s not that I don’t like it, but my birthday is on January 16 and I get a lot of free food throughout my birth month. If food was a love language, that’ll be probably mine. Just don’t tell my future husband. As far as he knows, my love language is diamonds 😉

But fasting, although defined as abstaining from food, is not about skipping meals. When I first learned about fasting, I also learned about prayer. They go hand in hand. When you fast, you pray, like replacing meal time with prayer time. But more than the act itself, it’s about your heart.

If I’m going to be brutally honest, I have to admit that I didn’t like the idea of fasting because my heart was hurt. There was a time when fasting was part of my spiritual life and I had no problems with it. Looking back, I can see where my attitude shifted. I was hurt and I knew that if I fasted, I was going to have to face God. I didn’t want to address my pain. I wanted to hide and lick my wounds.

Fasting is about your heart.

You’ll find many sources say that fasting and prayer puts you in a position of breakthrough. Just look at Esther. She called for a fast and prayer before facing the king and certain death (that didn’t happen). Look through the Bible and you’ll find people fasting and praying for a breakthrough from God (like Ezra 8:23). I think the breakthrough comes because when you fast and pray and face God, He breaks you.

Fasting and praying forces you to face God and His all-illuminating light. We can’t hide from Him and He’ll address the hidden depths of our hearts. And when we’re open and vulnerable to Him like that, He’ll break us. Break our pride, our chains, our yokes. And when all that junk and gunk is removed from our hearts, He has more room to move. There’s more room for His breakthrough in our lives.

This year, the 21 day fast was changed into a 7 day fast. Whether it’s 21 days, 7 days, 3 days, or 1 meal, when you fast and pray, first make it about your heart. Make it about opening yourself to God, meeting Him in the honesty of His presence, and allowing yourself to be broken.

You know, now that I think about it, when I was hurt, why did I hide and lick my wounds instead of running to my Father who is Comfort, Peace, and Breakthrough? It’s a little twisted to turn away from the One who could make everything alright when everything fell apart. And I’m not the only one who gets shortsighted like this.

So let’s make this year different. Let’s open our hearts to God, not just in the good times and not just to cry on His shoulders. Let’s be vulnerable to God. Let’s even – dare I suggest – fast and pray. Then let’s get ready for the breakthrough.