How to Talk about Fasting with Your Church
Blog Post By Heather Clark
What is fasting?
There is no one answer to this question, much as we may wish there were. Throughout Scripture, we see fasting under a number of circumstances and for different purposes. We see fasting connected to confession and repentance, both corporate and individual, fasting while lamenting a tragedy or mourning the deceased, and fasting combined with intercession and prayers for deliverance. In the New Testament, we often see fasting connected to preparation for and launching of new ministries. A few themes do emerge throughout the Bible that can be helpful. Across a variety of people and situations, fasting is a way to humble oneself before the Lord, to seek the Lord, and to listen to the Lord.
We also receive clear directives about how NOT to fast, in both Old and New Testaments. We learn that fasting should be secret, something between a person and the Lord or a community and the Lord, rather than something we display to appear morally superior. We also see that God is not happy with people who fast in order to try to earn something from Him.
One of the clearest themes about fasting from cover to cover of the Bible is that God is far more concerned with the inner workings of fasting than the outer ones. He is interested in the hearts of those who fast, and how their hearts are expressed through actions. He says so clearly through the Old Testament prophets that he desires fasting marked by love, service, care for others, freedom for the oppressed, and provision of the needs of our neighbors.
An illustrative example here is the story of Daniel, who rejected the food and wine provided by his captors, and instead limited himself to plant-based foods and water. According to Old Testament scholar Dr. Aubrey Buster, Daniel’s fast in this account was not about foregoing rich foods, and it definitely was not intended for weight loss! In fact, after the 10 days, the Hebrew text says Daniel was “fatter” than his peers who had not fasted. Rather than being purely ascetic, Daniel’s fast was actually an identification with the people of Israel, by eating what they would commonly eat, rather than what they ate in the palace. He was identifying with the oppressed, rather than the oppressor, through his food choices in that fast. This is a strong corrective to the popular understanding of Daniel’s fast.
But what about gluttony?
This understanding of fasting as being related to our care for others relates to our understanding of gluttony, as well. Gluttony is not so much about indulgence as it is entitlement. Understood in context, gluttony in Scripture refers to when a person took more than their share of food, without regard for how this would leave others hungry. Food was not as abundant then as it is now, so if someone ate a large amount, someone else was likely deprived. Gluttony, properly understood, is not about being “out of control,” but about consumption at the expense of others.
The focus and function of fasting
So a true fast, the kind God directly asks his people for through prophets like Isaiah and Zechariah seems to serve two primary functions for us, spiritually:
To posture ourselves humbly, focused on the Lord, ready to hear and/or receive from Him.
To open our eyes to our neighbors, and how we can be more aligned with God in our hearts and our actions toward our neighbors.
How the language of fasting has been co-opted
Unfortunately, our culture has co-opted the word “fasting,” with the rise of fasting as a culturally acceptable form of dietary restraint. So many voices from so many sources tell us that fasting will cure whatever ails us and promote weight loss.
While there may be a tiny number of people for whom it is medically advisable to engage in that type of fasting, for the vast majority it is unnecessary at best and seriously harmful at worst. Our bodies naturally fast while we sleep, so any purported medical benefits of “fasting” are already happening every night, making additional fasting completely pointless. And we know that dietary restraint (whether we call it “dieting” or not) is one of the biggest risk factors for disordered eating. Eating disorders are one of the deadliest mental disorders, second only to the opioid epidemic, so this risk is no small thing.
All of this being said, we much bring this knowledge with us whenever we discuss fasting with our communities and congregations. We must expect that the word “fasting” will not be readily understood, that it will carry tons of cultural connotations, and that many people will have misinformation in their minds about fasting.
Why religious fasting can be problematic
Because dietary restraint is a primary risk factor for disordered eating, it stands to reason that fasting is also problematic for those who already struggle with their relationship with food and/or their bodies. Because restraint is a foundational behavioral symptom of almost all eating disorders, the association in the brain between the disorder and the physical experience of restriction is very strong in the brains of people with these disorders. For this reason, fasting food for any reason can trigger an increase in symptoms or even a full relapse, regardless of the reason for the fast. For those with mild disordered eating, chronic dieting, intense body dissatisfaction, gastrointestinal disorders, or any other major risk factor, fasting food, even for spiritual purposes, could trigger a full-blown eating disorder.
We call the mechanism at play here the restriction cycle. It goes something like this…
First, a person has an idea about foods or amounts they “shouldn’t” eat, and they restrict or eliminate accordingly.
In response, the person’s wise and well-designed body sounds the alarm to try to get them to increase their intake. This includes physical sensations in the mouth, esophagus, or stomach, increased frequency and intensity of thoughts about food, specific and strong cravings for energy-dense foods, headaches, and energy conservation - which can feel like fatigue, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, or feeling faint. Sometimes this drive is purely biological, but other times is it compounded by life’s stresses.
Then, the next time food is available, the person feels “crazy” around the food. They eat compulsively, more than they usually would, usually the types of foods they don’t typically include in their regular meals and snacks.
Afterward, the person feels visceral shame, regret, and sometimes physical pain from fullness. To compensate, they redouble their efforts to avoid eating in ways they believe they “shouldn’t,” and round and round the cycle goes.
For anyone with a history of this cycle, fasting can mimic and invoke the restriction part of the cycle.
How to talk about fasting in a more helpful way
When we talk about fasting, here are seven ways we can be mindful and intentional.
Be careful to define fasting thoroughly.
Emphasize the inner experience of fasting.
Never discuss fasting in connection with managing health conditions or losing weight.
Steer clear of specifics when sharing about our own fasting experiences, such as the number of meals, hours, or days fasted, or specific foods omitted.
Specifically address disordered eating, including a clear recommendation *not* to fast from food.
Encourage your community that full belonging and participation in any corporate fasting does not require a food-based fast.
Provide multiple suggestions of other ways to fast, besides food.
Ways to fast besides food
Anything we sacrifice that will point us to the two spiritual functions of fasting can be powerful and effective! A helpful question here is: what is getting in the way of the things we’re seeking through the spiritual discipline of fasting? What gets in the way of a humble posture before the Lord? What prevents us from seeking Him in a more focused way? What needs to quiet down in order for us to hear from him? What factors keep our lives revolving around our own interests? What blocks our vision from the needs and oppression of our neighbors?
Some common answers to these questions are: screen time, social media, staying up late at night and being under-rested, alcohol or other substances, overly-packed schedules, constant background noise, isolation and disconnection from our neighbors, spending money frivolously on ourselves, neglecting to carve out time for other spiritual disciplines, and excessive time and attention directed toward our appearance (clothes, hair, makeup, mirrors, dieting). We can engage in so many creative fasts and effectively reorient our souls toward God and the things he cares about. Maybe even consider a corporate fast in which the whole community participates in a non-food fast.
The bottom line is this: Fasting is so much more about the focus than it is about the food.
If you want to learn more about how disordered eating and body image issues impact church members and how faith leaders can help their congregations heal from eating disorders, check out our next In Whose Image Workshop on May 17th! See all of Rock Recovery’s eating disorder therapy services and virtual faith-based support groups here.
References
Judges 20:26-27 fasting, weeping, sitting before the Lord, and offerings. Then they inquired of the Lord.
1 Sam 7:5-6 prayer, fasting, and confession
1 Sam 31:13; 2 Sam 1:12; 1 Chron 10:12 mourning the deceased w/fasting
2 Sam 12:16; Neh 9:1; Dan 9:3-4 confession, intercession, and fasting
1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 8; Ps 35:13 fasting to humble oneself before God
2 Chron 20:1-4; Ezra 8:21; Esther 4:16; corporate fasting to seek the Lord and his protection/victory
Esther 4:3, 9:31; Joel 1:14 lamenting with fasting
Ps 69:10, 109:24; Dan 6:18 (the king “spent the night fasting”… but don’t we usually fast overnight? So it isn’t really about the food, but the focus); Joel 2:15 fasting for deliverance
Jer 36:9-10 fasting while listening to the word of the prophet/the word of the Lord
Dan 9:3-4 fasting to seek the Lord
Joel 2:12-13: Jonah3:5 fasting for repentance (and, therefore, deliverance?)
Zech 7:3 fasting to plead for the Lord’s favor
Zech 8:19 times of fasting to become times of joy and festivals
Matt 4:1 Jesus fasted 40 days
Matt 6:16-18 fast in secret
Matt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:32-35 Jesus and disciples known to not fast often, which Jesus attributes to lack of mourning because they are together
Matt 17:21; Mk 9:29 prayer and fasting to cast out a demon
Lk 2:36-38 Anna was in the temple, serving God, praying, and fasting
Lk 18:12 A proud Pharisee thinks he’s superior because he fasts regularly
Acts 13:1-3 Fasting, “ministering to the Lord,” and praying, in preparation for ministry
Acts 14:23 Fasting, prayer, and commitment to the Lord in establishing a new church plant
Key passages:
Isaiah 58:3-11 “Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t noticed!” “Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers. You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today, hoping to make your voice heard on high. Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord? Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted on, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring whose waters never run dry.
Zechariah 7:5b “…When you fasted and lamented…did you really fast for Me? When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves? Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets…?” The word of the Lord came to Zechariah: “The Lord of Hosts says this: Make fair decisions. Show faithful love and compassion to one another. Do not oppress t ewido or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor, and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another…Just as He had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen,” says the Lord of Hosts.