The Forgotten Art of Discipline

“Why are we not more holy? Chiefly because we are enthusiasts, looking for the end without the means.” 

John Wesley.

Spiritual disciplines are often lost or avoided by modern Christians. They are seen as meaningless rituals, and those who do them are often regarded as legalistic. But many of the “rituals” and disciplines of the old days did serve a purpose, and were meant to be meaningful and beneficial. Communion and baptism are two of the few kept and regularly practiced by most churches. But there are others which we should practice, yet because they are “foreign” to us we don’t. One of these I believe that we need to take up regularly and seriously is fasting.

Fasting is something of which I knew next to nothing until the last year or so. I had some vague idea that it involved not eating for some purpose and period of time, but the why and how were completely lost to me. Doing a word search on fasting produces many results, but which are reliable? I found a book which outlines the different kinds of fasts, how to fast, why to fast and the power of fasting in a very simple, straight forward approach and I will draw from that book for this article. That book is God’s Chosen Fast: A Spiritual and Practical Guide to Fasting by Arthur Wallis.

What is fasting?

To start, let me give a simple definition. Simply put, to fast is to not eat for some purpose, mainly to remove hindrances from our communion with God. There are many things in this modern world that can hinder our relationship with God, and possibly should be fasted at times, but in general when the spiritual discipline of fasting is referenced, it means to not eat. When Jesus spoke of fasting, it was “when” not “if.” It was assumed by Him that we would and should.

Matthew 6:16-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Why fast?

The first issue to tackle is why we should fast at all? The Bible talks about fasting throughout the book. Many of the key characters in the Bible (including Jesus) are shown fasting at some point. Many key pillars of the church were also known to fast, including Luther, Calvin, and Wesley. When the Bible was first translated into English, the translators fasted and prayed for days before they began. In the New Testament fasting was seen as way of gaining the Spirit’s power or understanding or insight.

But most importantly, our primary motive for fasting, as with everything, should be for God’s glory. Like prayer, it must be initiated and ordained by God otherwise it is ineffective. We must do it for God, through God, and with God. He is the one who gives us the desire and willingness, the strength and determination, the self discipline and exercise, to undergo something like that. We should go to Him to determine when and how we should fast. It must be God leading us or it will be in vain. Fasting is primarily “a worshipping or ministering to the Lord, a giving of ourselves to God.”

Fasting helps in our personal sanctification, that is, in refining us and making us more like God. Humility of spirit is necessary for every other spiritual virtue, and fasting is not the least. Fasting dampens our pride by disciplining our bodies, forcing us to go without, to feel need and want, to deny our flesh. Know that I am not a proponent of such harsh measures of self deprivation as some have gone to, but if our souls are to be disciplined, if self control is a virtue we are to seek, then we must discipline and control our bodies as well. And the act of disciplining our bodies helps to discipline our souls. It can be used as a method of mourning for sin; ours and others, as people did in the Old Testament when they desired to bring Israel back to God. It is also a step for consecrating oneself to God, as Jesus did at the beginning of His ministry. Paul, Barnabas and the saints fasted before they were sent out on their missionary journeys, and before electing elders in the church, setting them apart for the service they were about to undertake in God’s name. It invoked strong spiritual leadership, and develops growth in godliness.

Another reason for fasting is to be heard by God. Of course God hears our prayers if we do not fast, but fasting adds to our connection to, through dependence on, God. It is associated with seeking God, coming near to Him. It helps to communicate, intensify and verify our resolve to sacrifice all for the kingdom of God. It gives power or urgency to our requests, in a sense bringing pressure in support of what we ask. Of course it should not be seen as a way to force God’s hand, but prayer is wrestling, warfare, striving against the spiritual forces of darkness. It helps overcome the opposition. It shows that we are serious about our request, that we don’t intend to take no for an answer. The Israelites fasted in times of national emergency, Hannah fasted in her deep sorrow and desperation for a child, Daniel fasted for the restoration of Jerusalem. When Jonah brought the warning to Ninevah that they must repent or be destroyed in forty days, the city fasted and prayed for three days to show their humble repentance. And God yielded to them, turning from His intent to destroy them. It can also help in gaining special insight and understanding, as with Daniel and the visions he and others received.

Fasting is not meant to place us in bondage, but to remove us from it. It is a powerful source of liberation from many kinds of sin and oppression, including addiction to pornography, drugs, gambling, etc. The driving force behind sin and addiction is spiritual oppression, so we must battle them will spiritual weapons. We can be saved and forgiven without being freed. I have battled depression most of my life. And it wasn’t until almost ten years after I was saved that I was finally freed from those chains. Fasting will strengthen our efforts to intercede for others, to deliver them, giving us the resolve to persist until their liberation.

How to fast

There are some important things to consider when undertaking a fast:

1. Is the desire to fast from God? And what kind of fast does He want me to do?
2. What are my motives? Are they for God or myself?
3. What is the objective of the fast? Intervention, intercession, sanctification, consecration, liberation, revival, guidance?
4. Are those objectives self-centered or God/others-centered?
5. Am I willing to worship God through the fast no matter what the outcome or obstacles?

Know that this sort of spiritual discipline will meet with strong spiritual opposition. Satan and his forces will do their best to undermine what we undertake. The more powerful our weapons the stronger they will fight. Rather than yielding to that intimidation, we need to meet it, prepared for battle. Remember the objectives; remember why it is to be done in the first place. It is worth undertaking and persevering to the end. Ephesians 6 has a lot to say about spiritual warfare and would be a good chapter to read, study and pray over before entering a fast.

Types of fasts

There are three main types of fasts to consider:

1. The absolute fast involves abstaining from everything for the full period of time, even water. This is an extreme fast and should not be undertaken if there is the presence or concern of serious health issues, nor for very long. In general, this was only undertaken Biblically for three days. Our bodies can go long periods without food, but without water we cannot long survive. Jesus’ fast of forty days is one of two records of such an extensive fast and is assumed to be supernatural. It is an exceptional measure for an exceptional situation. We need to be very sure that it is God’s will we undertake them.
2. The normal fast involves abstaining from food but not water. In general, when the Bible talks about fasting, this is the kind it references.
3. The partial fast, also called the Daniel Fast, involves restricting one’s diet rather than abstaining from something. Daniel ate only fruit, vegetables and water to avoid eating food which was unclean and/or sacrificed to idols which would offend God. Restricting our diet in general from rich, unhealthy foods has many health benefits and would be a wise lifestyle change over all. But there are spiritual benefits to adopting this at times as well. As can be seen with Daniel, he gained special insight and wisdom from God that no one else in the kingdom was privy to. Others have fasted by only eating certain other foods, or omitting certain meals. It is a great stepping stone preparing to undertake a normal or absolute fast, or when circumstances wouldn’t permit a more intense fast. I had a friend who did a juice fast for a few months in preparation for a major evangelism outreach.

The partial fast has the advantage of being easier to handle, though requiring no less discipline, than the other fasts. With the partial, one can take it up and leave it without having to take other precautions and preparations. With a longer normal, or an absolute fast, changes in diet must be made immediately before and after to accustom the body. There are other helpful ideas and notes for fasting which can be read in Mr. Wallis’ book, which I heartily encourage, but this is enough information to start.

So what liberation, refining or answers do you seek? Does prayer seem to be ineffective? What sacrifice have you undergone to show God how seriously you take your faith? Consider fasting to God and see where God takes you.