Disclaimer: I am
not sharing my personal journey to lift me up, but to encourage you to that
this practice of fasting can be an incredible journey that marks you for the
rest of your life.
Back in September of 2006, I felt like the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about going on a spiritual fast. In case you may be wondering, spiritual fasting is about temporarily abstaining from something that I consume regularly (food, media, coffee, music, internet, books, hobbies, etc.) in order to use that time and focus to move closer to the Lord. God was very specific about some of my fast—The dates were to be January 2-February 10 (40 days total), water only for the first 20 days (after that, I began to add in juices, decaf tea and coffee, and soups for the last few days), no caffeine, and no reading books except for the Bible during the 40 days.
This was one of the most physically challenging and spiritually rewarding things that I have ever done in my life. God’s Word was alive to me in a fresh way as it was my source of nourishment during these 40 days. By the grace of the Lord, I was able to read Scripture about 60-90 minutes a day (time that would have normally been allotted for eating), and was able to read the Bible cover to cover within the fast. Through focusing on the Word and no other reading material ( I am a bit of a reading junkie—I normally read 2 books a week, several magazines a month, and at least two newspapers almost daily), my view of God’s glory as portrayed through both the Old and New Testaments was greatly enlarged.
Fasting helped change my view of what is really necessary to live. I was able to go several days without food. It may sound funny, but after a couple of days, I really didn’t miss eating that much. God was re-directing my physical hunger by truly feeding my soul. As I spent this time in communion with Him, I think I more clearly understood what Jesus was saying in John 4:32—“I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Several days into the fast, I found myself waking up with songs of praise in my heart and a desire to read the Word and pray immediately.
Fasting helped me re-prioritize some things in my life. Caffeine was something that I gave up on this fast. I see no need to seek out caffeine anymore. I am sure I will have some at some point again, but I don’t see the need to pursue it like I once did. As much as I love to read, I want to make sure I am getting the most from my Bible reading first, and then make room for other books. My prayer life is forever changed after this journey. I spend much more time listening to God rather than telling Him the list of the things in “my will” over and over again.
Fasting re-opened my eyes to the fact that the deepest longing I have in this life is to be connected in a significant way to the heart of God. Fasting did not fix all of my problems. It didn’t answer all of my questions about God, life, and personal destiny, but it did help to realign my spiritual vision, heart and soul.
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