Question About Fasting

[Traze77]

Is fasting from electronics or hobbies instead of food acceptable? For example, I watch a lot of YouTube and would like to fast from that instead of food. I keep hearing different things as some say this is okay and others say it has to be food.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

Is fasting from electronics or hobbies instead of food acceptable? For example, I watch a lot of YouTube and would like to fast from that instead of food. I keep hearing different things as some say this is okay and others say it has to be food.

It all depends on whose definition you are looking for, or whether you are willing to draw up your own.

Biblical fasting is always for food (multiple days) or food + liquids (max 1 day is doable). You are free to define a luxery or digital fast yourself, and if done for faith dedication reasons this is beneficial as well. It's just different from the Biblical fasting.

Your Church/denomination may have its own definitions or recommendations.

 

[Hoping2]

Is fasting from electronics or hobbies instead of food acceptable?

Acceptable to whom ?
Fasts are between you and God.
And are nobody else's business.
It is a way of bringing your body into submission to your mind.
A sort of "Who's the boss !" thing.

For example, I watch a lot of YouTube and would like to fast from that instead of food. I keep hearing different things as some say this is okay and others say it has to be food.

That sounds like a good idea !
What ever you do, to illustrate to your body that the "mind" has the final authority over your actins, is beneficial.

Do you use biblegateway.com ?
Type in "fasting" and look at the results of the fasts of others.
My own fasts ( though from food ), have had some amazing results !

 

[timf]

The only benefit I hound for fasting with prayer is that it is like a timer that when you feel hungry, it is a reminder that you were going to pray about something."Fasting" from something like electronics can be a good way to attempt to gain more control over your life.

 

[timewerx]

Is fasting from electronics or hobbies instead of food acceptable? For example, I watch a lot of YouTube and would like to fast from that instead of food. I keep hearing different things as some say this is okay and others say it has to be food.

Preventing bad habits from forming is far better than fasting and then returning to excesses.

Fast from anything but food is OK. It's not going to harm you in any way.

But fasting from food still gives the best results if you're looking for spiritual results. Most people don't realize or won't acknowledge that they're addicted to food. But this addiction will sabotage your spiritual growth and is worse than being addicted to video games for example.

I used to be both addicted to video games and food. Addiction to food did way more damage than addiction to video games. I'm not saying that addiction to video games is ok, that's also bad. But if you have both addiction for example and you can only do one fasting, I'd recommend you do a food fast instead of electronics fast.