Lent: A Season of Fasting
2022 Lent
Lent is the observed 40 calendar days leading up to Easter Sunday: During the Lent season, our hope is to corporately prepare ourselves for Easter and the secured hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus. Our chief prayer and hope is that through the season of Lent, we would know God more deeply (Ephesians 1:17). One of the ways that we’ll seek to do this together is by practicing the spiritual discipline of fasting together.
What is Fasting?
Richard Foster writes, “Fasting can bring breakthroughs in the spiritual realm that will never happen in any other way. It is a means of God’s grace and blessing that should not be neglected any longer.”
Throughout Scripture, fasting specifically refers to abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. For the disciple of Jesus, fasting isn’t about dieting benefits or fighting for good social causes via hunger strike. In fasting, we intentionally deny the comfort often found in the good things God gives us in order to find our ultimate comfort in God himself.
More than any other spiritual discipline, fasting reveals what actually controls us. We may cover up what’s actually going on inside of us with food or other good things, but in fasting these things surface. It reveals our desperate need for God’s daily provision in our lives, both physically and spiritually. In it, we’re reminded that food doesn’t sustain us; God alone sustains us. Fasting is of great benefit to those who have the desire to have their hearts conformed to the likeness of Jesus.
Fasting isn’t about getting things from God, but about getting more of Him. It’s also not about getting the attention of others. Jesus reminds us that if we’re primarily fasting in order to look spiritually impressive, that alone will be our reward (Matt. 6:16-18). The hope is that through engaging spiritual disciplines, we’d increasingly have our entire beings - including our motivations - transformed.
What should I fast from?
As we just observed, fasting is a spiritual discipline. As with beginning any discipline, there’s wisdom in “walking before running,” particularly when we begin to talk about intentionally giving up eating meals. We should be able to objectively observe a progression as we pick up and engage disciplines. If you’ve never fasted before, don’t plan on beginning by fasting for three whole days a week. Plan a reasonable schedule of discipline based on your current practices. Involve community as you begin to make decisions around how to begin fasting.
During the Lent season we will be participating together as a church in a weekly dinner-to-dinner food fast on Mondays. This means we will fast from after dinner on Sunday evening and break the fast with dinner on Monday evening (so you’ll miss 2 meals). Ideally we will break the fast together with friends from our Huddle or Village or others in our community.
Again, the scriptures primarily deal with fasting in relation to food or drink. However, there is a clear Biblical precedent to temporarily abstain from other habits or good things, in order to practice self-control and ensure that we’re not being held captive to our desires. The Apostle Paul writes, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinth. 6:12). As disciples of Jesus, we have the privilege and freedom in the season of Lent to both fast and take breaks from good things to get more of God. The goal is that we would increasingly love the giver over the gifts.
Some additional ideas for consideration throughout Lent: Giving up particular types of food that you enjoy. Giving up coffee, tea, or caffeine altogether. Giving up social media engagement. Giving up video games, Netflix, movies, podcasts, music, or other forms of entertainment. Giving up purchasing clothes or other recreational items.
Again, while the goal of fasting isn’t to look spiritually impressive to your community, take your decision-making process to your huddle or village leader to help figure out what may be best for you.
Practically, what does this look like?
As you fast, outwardly you will be performing the regular duties of your day, but inwardly you will be in prayer and adoration, song and worship; listening for God’s voice and paying special attention to what he is saying. If family, work, or school obligations permit, devote the time you normally have set aside for the thing that you’re giving up for prayer and journaling.
When fasting, continue to drink healthy amounts of water. You will probably feel some hunger pangs or discomfort before the time is up. That is not real hunger; your stomach has been trained through years of conditioning to give signals of hunger at certain hours. In many ways our stomach is like a spoiled child and a spoiled child doesn’t need indulgence, but discipline. Continue to drink water, maybe chew some gum, and your stomach will be satisfied. In time, the feeling of hunger will pass. Allow those hunger pangs to remind you to connect with the Father, not just push through the pain.
If you have certain health conditions, such as diabetes, or if you are pregnant, you should not fast, or consult a doctor about how you can participate in a healthy way. If you have struggled with an eating disorder make sure others in your community know and share with them how you are processing that struggle as you fast. When it comes time to break your fast, don’t overdo it with heavy, greasy, processed foods. Eat a well balanced meal including some fruits and vegetables. Also eggs tend to be a better protein following a fast than lots of dense meat.
If you’re intentionally abstaining from something in addition to fasting, take special care to not simply cease doing a particular activity or habit. When you feel the temptation to return to that thing, allow that thought to turn your mind and your heart towards Jesus, who is our satisfaction. Consider keeping something of a thought catalog with you, either in your journal or on your phone. When a thought about that thing arises, write down the temptation that comes with it, along with scripture to remind you of the refuge you have in Christ himself.
As we fast together through Lent may the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:4 ring true in our hearts, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” May we draw close to our God, who has come close to us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. May we be transformed as we temporarily give up great gifts in our lives, so that we might increase our appetite for God.
Here are 3 questions to discuss with your community as you break your fast together on Monday evenings.
- How were you reminded of God’s goodness and love during your fast?
- What did you hear God say during your time of fasting?
- Where are you “hungry” to see God work in your life, in our church, or in your city?
