The VitalChurch Diagnostic Report made the following recommendation as part of how PCC can pursue becoming a more Christ-centered church: Enter into a season of prayer and fasting that culminates in a Sacred Assembly. I will address the subject of a ‘sacred assembly’ in future posts and sermons, so I’m not going to address it here. Instead, I’d like to focus on the subject of fasting. We are already praying in various regular gatherings at PCC (although we certainly desire to pray more). How can we include fasting as part of our prayer?
PCC Elder Alexis Cardona has done some excellent study and writing on the subject of fasting, and I’d simply like to provide some key points from his previous notes on this subject. Here they are:
- Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is taught in the Bible (see Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus expected His followers to fast, and He said that God rewards fasting.
- Fasting, according to the Bible, means to voluntarily reduce or eliminate your intake of something good and desirable – often food – for a specific time and purpose.
- We see models of how and why to fast throughout the Bible, including:
- Acts 13:2-3 (seeking God’s guidance on decisions)
- Joel 1:14 and 2:12 (to cry out to God, in petition, mourning or repentance)
- Isaiah 58:6-8 (to be reminded that God desires mercy, justice, kindness over rituals, symbols and sacrifices)
- Exodus 34:28, Neh. 1:4 (to prepare for a blessing and/or a great undertaking)
- Daniel 9:1-3 (to seek guidance, courage, strength)
- Luke 4:2 (to help resist temptation)
- Fasting is not “earning” an answer to prayer. God cannot be blackmailed by human effort. God wants to answer our prayers and He answers out of grace. Fasting simply prepares us for God’s answer.
- Fast from food only if your health allows it. If you are able to do only a partial fast – do it in faith and God will honor your intentions.
Alexis quotes from Dr. Guy Richard (President of Reformed Theological Seminary): “In all these things, we need to remember that fasting is never a way of manipulating God into answering our prayers or showing us mercy. It is not a hunger strike to ensure that God will meet our list of demands. It is a way of expressing our love for Him and our gratitude for all that He has done for us. It is a way of communing with Him and of keeping our hearts fixed upon Him. The world is continually seeking to pull our desires away from the Lord. It continually beckons us to find our pleasure in food or drink or other worldly delights. Fasting reminds us that the Lord is our chief pleasure, and it trains us to keep it that way. It helps us remember that “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” can only be found in His presence and at His right hand (Ps. 16:11). For this reason, fasting plays an important role in the battle for our desires, which lies at the heart of what Christianity is all about. We neglect it to our peril.”
Here are a couple excellent resources for additional information and guidance on fasting:
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