Fasting

[Ioustinos]

What are your opinions on the benefits of fasting?

What are some of the lengths of times that you would suggest fasting? Has anyone fasted for 40 days?

 

[sklippstein]

I've never fasted for 40 days, but i have fasted for 2 whole days. Nothing but water.

 

[dignitized]

Jesaiah:

Fasting basically serves 2 purposes. First, preparation for a work of ministry, second an act of self denial to make one more God Conscious. I

personally know of only 2 people who have fasted the total abstinence fast for 40 days. God asked that fast of these people as a preparation for ministry.

One does not have to keep a total abstinence fast to fast. The Daniel fast for example in which what you eat is strictly controlled.

Typically the Lenten fast is one in which you give up some aspect of your diet as an act of self denial. The most common example being the no meat on Fridays which is typically observed by catholics and orthodox alike.

Presently, I keep a weekly fast as part of my religious life. On Wednesdays we fast from solids from midnight til we eat a communal meal together usually around 6 PM. It’s an act of obedience and self sacrifice designed to make us aware of how strong our flesh really is and to make us conscious of the Lord and his sacrifices.

We also keep seasonal fasts every Lent and Advent. This is a preparation fast - in which our meals are strictly limited almost like going on a diet! AGAIN, the purpose being to make us more aware of God and of our own weaknesses.

Fasting on your own is easy. Fasting when some one esle tells you to fast or as part of a group - is harder. Satan works that much harder against you. He begins to tell you that so and so is not keeping their fast so why should you? OR - (I face this EVERY LENT!!) people just start offering you sweets out of no where! People who would not normally give you a glass of water if you were on fire, will offer you something you are not supposed to have during the lenten fast when you remove all sweets from your diet!

 

[Bruno]

Fasting does not necessarily mean abstinence from all food (God created our bodies so they need nutrients to function properly), but instead from anything that provides worldly pleasure (things not needed, but desired). Good examples would be sustaining from drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes/marijuana, eating anything with sugar, eating meats, watching TV, playing videogames, or sustaining from sexual activities for a period of time.

 

[dignitized]

agreed bruno - fasting can be from any thing which pampers or nurtures the flesh and fleshly desires.

 

[Blade]

And sometimes you should keep it to yourself and God.

 

[SUNSTONE]

For me, fasting is a gr.eat practice to deny what you feel like doing. Its a strength builder, to help get your flesh in line.

 

[MetalBlade]

I have tried fasting, but alas, I could not do it! It is hard, especially when you eat a lot to begin with. You know us teenagers eat everything heh. But yeah, I am not for sure if this is correct, but aren't you aloud to have bread and water when fasting??? Might make it easier!

 

[SUNSTONE]

Start off doing simple fasts, then build yourself up. Jesus didn't start off doing a 40 day fast, I believe he built Himself up for it.

 

[dignitized]

Metalblade: you do not have to go on a total abstinance fast. Perhaps all you need to do is do a fast of a specific food or type of foods. SWEETS for example - or Junk food - or meat . . . . once when I was in my teens I fasted from all meat for the length of Lent. It was not easy - but it was rewarding. It made me painfully aware of how much my flesh controls my actions and how much I need to improve in my religious walk.

Another fast you can do would be from TV or - this one can be a killer for some - the internet - or - from non-christian music . . . . look for anything in your life that might be ( but doesn't have to be) a distraction from God and give it up for a while. Try it and see. The devil will use everything he can against you to get you to break your "Fast" like putting an especially interesting episode of a show you really like on, or your favorite group will release a new album . . . . the question is - will you let him distract you, or will you stick to what you commited.

 

[onecrazycowgirl]

I think fasting's great, because it truly gives me the focus and concentration to totally shut out the world, and have it be just me and God. Fasting shouldn't be about depriving ourselves of food, but about hungering only for God. A way it was once described to me is like when I get really involved in something I enjoy, like sewing, that I don't care about the time passing, or missing meals, because I've got my heart set on sewing.

I do 2-day fasts occasionally, but I've never tried something like a 40-day fast. Keep in mind though that fasts don't have to be food, just worldly things that get in the way of our relationship with God, or are a distraction. I've been told that "Our greatest obstacles to growing closer to God can be His very gifts" and I find that so true. I think a 40-fast with something like television or the internet would be really cool to do. I've always wanted to go on a horseback fast in the mountains - it would be impossible for me to think of anything but God in a setting like that.

 

[aus_koala]

 

[aus_koala]

Br.Max ,
I like your replies on this thread.
One fast I undertook which may suit others is what I understood people know as the 'Daniel' fast as it is based on the writing in the book of Daniel. Daniel was seeking God on a subject and undertook a 21 day fast of all prime items.
After discussion with a couple of people I then started on a 21 day fast that excluded meat, grains, sweets, dairy, etc. It basically left me with a choice of all fruits, vegetables and water. No bread, no nuts, no raw sugar, no tea, no coffee, no alcohol and the like. It was amazing to find out how dependent I had become on all this stuff.
It was hard to change my shopping habits to match this 21 day requirement and it was really strange just eating fruits and stuff all the time. I found I had to eat a lot more as the food was not as filling however after a few days I felt physically great but even more important that I felt fantasic spiritually. I spent the 3 weeks in prayer and seeking God on some issues. I learnt a lot and was delivered of one of the issues I was dealing with at the time.

One really interesting thing I learnt after that from a secular book was that they claim any habit can be broken through 3 weeks of abstaining from the habit. I now use this 3 week abstinence to break and change my habits. I have used it many times

 

[aus_koala]

onecrazycowgirl,
"I think a 40-fast with something like television or the internet would be really cool to do."
In about 40 days time come back and post what it was like