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A thread for resources on the practice of fasting from a Reformed perspective.
"Fasting is clearly a private and voluntary practice; we should no more prescribe it than we do times of private prayer and Bible reading. Our Lord made clear that all such pious activity should be done in secret.
Still the fact that fasting is a private practice does not mean that the Christian community should say nothing about it. The church urges us to pray steadfastly, to read God's Word regularly, and to give generously. It should urge members to fast also, informing them how it may be done so as to contribute to their spiritual growth.
Lent has been a traditional time of fasting. By fasting during this special season of the church year, we humble ourselves as a remembrance of how Jesus humbled himself while on earth. We remind ourselves to observe the priorities our Lord displayed as he walked the way of obedience to the deadly cross." Fasting: Guidelines for Reformed Christians | Reformed Worship
"Fasting is also used in the Scriptures, along side prayers to seek God’s guidance. In Acts chapter 14, verse 23, Paul and Barnabas, we are told, before they appointed elders, prayed and fasted. Why? Because they recognized that that appointment was of the utmost importance. Who would be the elders of God’s people? Who would be their shepherds? This, they needed the guidance of the Holy Spirit for. And so they prayed and they fasted before those elders were appointed, because they knew how significant it was that God’s guidance be gained. David Brainard, the great missionary, also practiced the pattern of fasting and praying when he needed guidance. In his journal on Monday, April 19, 1742, he recorded this: “I set apart this day for fasting and prayer to God for His grace especially to prepare me for the work of ministry, to give me divine aid and direction in my preparation for that great work. And in His own time to send me into the harvest.” Brainard was preparing to decide whether he should go to the fields of missions. He fasted and he prayed and tells us what he experienced on that day of prayer and fasting: “I felt the power of intercession precious immortal souls, for the advancement of the kingdom of my dear Lord and Savior and the world and with all a most sweet resignation and even consolation and joy in the thoughts of suffering hardships and distresses and even death itself in the promotion of the Gospel. My soul was drawn out very much for the world, for multitude of souls. I think that I have more enlargement for sinners than for the children of God, though I felt as if I could spend my life in cries in prayer for both. I enjoyed great sweetness in communion with my dear Savior. I think that I never in my life felt an entire windiness from this world and so much resigned to God in everything. Prayer and fasting before we seek God for guidance.”" True Religion, Part 4: Fasting | Reformed Theological Seminary
"Calvin defines fasting as follows: “we do not understand it simply as restraint and
abstemiousness in food, but as something else. Throughout its course, the life of the godly
indeed ought to be tempered with frugality and sobriety, so that as far as possible it bears some resemblance to a fast. But, in addition, there is another sort of fasting, temporary in character, when we withdraw something from the normal regimen of living, either for one day or for a definite time, and pledge ourselves to a tighter and more severe restraint in diet than ordinarily. This consists in three things: in time, in quality of foods, and in smallness of quantity” (4.12.18). Basically, for Calvin this means, for certain periods of time, to avoid delicacies and eat more sparingly, “only for need, not also for pleasure.”" https://www.presbyterianmission.org...sting_in_the_bible_and_reformed_tradition.pdf
John Calvin on Fasting:
15. A holy and lawful fast has three ends in view. We use it either to mortify and subdue the flesh, that it may not wanton, or to prepare the better for prayer and holy meditation; or to give evidence of humbling ourselves before God, when we would confess our guilt before him. The first end is not very often regarded in public fasting, because all have not the same bodily constitution, nor the same state of health, and hence it is more applicable to private fasting. The second end is common to both, for this preparation for prayer is requisite for the whole Church, as well as for each individual member. The same thing may be said of the third. For it sometimes happens that God smites a nation with war or pestilence, or some kind of calamity. In this common chastisement it behooves the whole people to plead guilty, and confess their guilt. Should the hand of the Lord strike any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other.
16. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public than among private individuals, although as we have said, it is common to both. In regard, then, to the discipline of which we now treat, whenever supplication is to be made to God on any important occasion, it is befitting to appoint a period for fasting and prayer. Thus when the Christians of Antioch laid hands on Barnabas and Paul, that they might the better recommend their ministry, which was of so great importance, they joined fasting and prayer (Acts 13:3). Thus these two apostles afterwards, when they appointed ministers to churches, were wont to use prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23). In general, the only object which they had in fasting was to render themselves more alert and disencumbered for prayer. We certainly experience that after a full meal the mind does not so rise toward God as to be borne along by an earnest and fervent longing for prayer, and perseverance in prayer. In this sense is to be understood the saying of Luke concerning Anna, that she “served God with fastings and prayers, night and day” (Luke 2:37). For he does not place the worship of God in fasting, but intimates that in this way the holy woman trained herself to assiduity in prayer. Such was the fast of Nehemiah, when with more intense zeal he prayed to God for the deliverance of his people (Neh. 1:4). For this reason Paul says, that married believers do well to abstain for a season (1 Cor. 7:5), that they may have greater freedom for prayer and fasting, when by joining prayer to fasting, by way of help, he reminds us it is of no importance in itself, save in so far as it refers to this end. Again, when in the same place he enjoins spouses to render due benevolence to each other, it is clear that he is not referring to daily prayer, but prayers which require more than ordinary attention.
Jean Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV, xii, 15.
Please add to this thread or feel free to disagree with the material already posted.
Yours in the Lord,
jm
"Fasting is clearly a private and voluntary practice; we should no more prescribe it than we do times of private prayer and Bible reading. Our Lord made clear that all such pious activity should be done in secret.
Still the fact that fasting is a private practice does not mean that the Christian community should say nothing about it. The church urges us to pray steadfastly, to read God's Word regularly, and to give generously. It should urge members to fast also, informing them how it may be done so as to contribute to their spiritual growth.
Lent has been a traditional time of fasting. By fasting during this special season of the church year, we humble ourselves as a remembrance of how Jesus humbled himself while on earth. We remind ourselves to observe the priorities our Lord displayed as he walked the way of obedience to the deadly cross." Fasting: Guidelines for Reformed Christians | Reformed Worship
"Fasting is also used in the Scriptures, along side prayers to seek God’s guidance. In Acts chapter 14, verse 23, Paul and Barnabas, we are told, before they appointed elders, prayed and fasted. Why? Because they recognized that that appointment was of the utmost importance. Who would be the elders of God’s people? Who would be their shepherds? This, they needed the guidance of the Holy Spirit for. And so they prayed and they fasted before those elders were appointed, because they knew how significant it was that God’s guidance be gained. David Brainard, the great missionary, also practiced the pattern of fasting and praying when he needed guidance. In his journal on Monday, April 19, 1742, he recorded this: “I set apart this day for fasting and prayer to God for His grace especially to prepare me for the work of ministry, to give me divine aid and direction in my preparation for that great work. And in His own time to send me into the harvest.” Brainard was preparing to decide whether he should go to the fields of missions. He fasted and he prayed and tells us what he experienced on that day of prayer and fasting: “I felt the power of intercession precious immortal souls, for the advancement of the kingdom of my dear Lord and Savior and the world and with all a most sweet resignation and even consolation and joy in the thoughts of suffering hardships and distresses and even death itself in the promotion of the Gospel. My soul was drawn out very much for the world, for multitude of souls. I think that I have more enlargement for sinners than for the children of God, though I felt as if I could spend my life in cries in prayer for both. I enjoyed great sweetness in communion with my dear Savior. I think that I never in my life felt an entire windiness from this world and so much resigned to God in everything. Prayer and fasting before we seek God for guidance.”" True Religion, Part 4: Fasting | Reformed Theological Seminary
"Calvin defines fasting as follows: “we do not understand it simply as restraint and
abstemiousness in food, but as something else. Throughout its course, the life of the godly
indeed ought to be tempered with frugality and sobriety, so that as far as possible it bears some resemblance to a fast. But, in addition, there is another sort of fasting, temporary in character, when we withdraw something from the normal regimen of living, either for one day or for a definite time, and pledge ourselves to a tighter and more severe restraint in diet than ordinarily. This consists in three things: in time, in quality of foods, and in smallness of quantity” (4.12.18). Basically, for Calvin this means, for certain periods of time, to avoid delicacies and eat more sparingly, “only for need, not also for pleasure.”" https://www.presbyterianmission.org...sting_in_the_bible_and_reformed_tradition.pdf
John Calvin on Fasting:
15. A holy and lawful fast has three ends in view. We use it either to mortify and subdue the flesh, that it may not wanton, or to prepare the better for prayer and holy meditation; or to give evidence of humbling ourselves before God, when we would confess our guilt before him. The first end is not very often regarded in public fasting, because all have not the same bodily constitution, nor the same state of health, and hence it is more applicable to private fasting. The second end is common to both, for this preparation for prayer is requisite for the whole Church, as well as for each individual member. The same thing may be said of the third. For it sometimes happens that God smites a nation with war or pestilence, or some kind of calamity. In this common chastisement it behooves the whole people to plead guilty, and confess their guilt. Should the hand of the Lord strike any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other.
16. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public than among private individuals, although as we have said, it is common to both. In regard, then, to the discipline of which we now treat, whenever supplication is to be made to God on any important occasion, it is befitting to appoint a period for fasting and prayer. Thus when the Christians of Antioch laid hands on Barnabas and Paul, that they might the better recommend their ministry, which was of so great importance, they joined fasting and prayer (Acts 13:3). Thus these two apostles afterwards, when they appointed ministers to churches, were wont to use prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23). In general, the only object which they had in fasting was to render themselves more alert and disencumbered for prayer. We certainly experience that after a full meal the mind does not so rise toward God as to be borne along by an earnest and fervent longing for prayer, and perseverance in prayer. In this sense is to be understood the saying of Luke concerning Anna, that she “served God with fastings and prayers, night and day” (Luke 2:37). For he does not place the worship of God in fasting, but intimates that in this way the holy woman trained herself to assiduity in prayer. Such was the fast of Nehemiah, when with more intense zeal he prayed to God for the deliverance of his people (Neh. 1:4). For this reason Paul says, that married believers do well to abstain for a season (1 Cor. 7:5), that they may have greater freedom for prayer and fasting, when by joining prayer to fasting, by way of help, he reminds us it is of no importance in itself, save in so far as it refers to this end. Again, when in the same place he enjoins spouses to render due benevolence to each other, it is clear that he is not referring to daily prayer, but prayers which require more than ordinary attention.
Jean Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV, xii, 15.
Please add to this thread or feel free to disagree with the material already posted.
Yours in the Lord,
jm
