Advertisement
How to Fast as a Christian
“But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.” — Matthew 6:17 (ESV)
Fasting can seem strange in a culture built around comfort and convenience. Yet Jesus spoke about fasting as a normal spiritual practice: “when you fast,” not merely “if.”
What Is Christian Fasting?
Biblical fasting usually involves voluntarily going without food for a period of time in order to seek God with greater focus. The hunger becomes a reminder to pray and depend on Him.
Fasting is not a hunger strike designed to force God to answer. It does not earn spiritual points, and it should not become a performance for other people.
Jesus specifically warned against fasting to appear spiritual.
Instead, fasting can accompany prayer, repentance, seeking guidance, or a season of especially focused dependence on God.
If you choose to fast, decide beforehand what you are fasting from and how long. Use the time normally devoted to eating to pray and read Scripture. Begin modestly rather than treating endurance as the goal.
Some people should not fast from food because of age, pregnancy, medical conditions, medications, or eating-disorder concerns. In those situations, seek appropriate medical guidance and consider another meaningful form of temporary abstinence that creates space for prayer.
The point is not how empty your stomach becomes. The point is how intentionally your heart turns toward God.
A Prayer for Today
Lord, teach me to seek You above comfort. If I fast, keep my motives humble and my attention fixed on You. Use every hunger and distraction as a reminder that I need You more than anything this world can provide. Amen.
Advertisement