Fast and Curious

Fasting has been practiced for thousands of years, which means we certainly didn’t invent it. In fact, modern culture may just be rediscovering something people of faith have understood for centuries: sometimes less can actually make room for more.

We usually think of fasting as simply going without food. And while that’s certainly part of it, biblical fasting has never been just about an empty stomach. It’s about creating space. It’s intentionally stepping away from something our body wants so we can become more attentive to what our spirit needs.

And that makes me curious.

What happens when we intentionally interrupt our normal routine?

Physically, fasting gives us an opportunity to become more aware of our hunger, habits, and relationship with food. Research continues to explore potential benefits associated with different forms of fasting, including changes in metabolic health and cellular processes such as autophagy.

But I think something even more interesting can happen.

When the stomach gets quieter, sometimes the soul gets louder.

Fasting has a way of exposing our appetites. You may start a fast thinking about what you’re giving up, only to discover God showing you what you’ve been holding onto.

Comfort.

Convenience.

Control.

Routine.

Maybe even distraction.

That’s one reason fasting and prayer belong together.

Without prayer, fasting can easily become another diet or exercise in willpower. But when we intentionally connect fasting with prayer, those moments of hunger become reminders.

Instead of simply thinking, I’m hungry, we can allow that feeling to prompt another thought:

I’m hungry for God.

Jesus practiced fasting. Throughout Scripture, people fasted when seeking God, needing direction, facing difficult circumstances, repenting, grieving, and preparing for what God was about to do.

Fasting didn’t manipulate God into responding.

It prepared them to hear Him.

There’s an important difference.

Maybe that’s one of the greatest gifts fasting can give us today. We live surrounded by noise. Notifications. Schedules. Entertainment. Food available almost everywhere and almost anytime. Our culture constantly tells us to satisfy every appetite immediately.

Fasting says something different.

I don’t have to obey every appetite I feel.

That lesson reaches far beyond food.

There is freedom in discovering that your cravings don’t have to control you. There is strength in learning to say no to something good for a season so you can say yes to something greater.

And there is something powerful about taking the moments when you would normally eat and turning them into moments with God.

Pray.

Read Scripture.

Listen.

Reflect.

Ask God what He wants to show you.

You may begin fasting because you’re curious about what it can do for your body and discover God is much more interested in what He wants to do in your heart.

If fasting is new to you, you don’t have to begin with something extreme. Start wisely. Start prayerfully. Consider your health and any medications or medical conditions, and talk with your healthcare professional before attempting longer fasts or significant changes to your eating routine.

Then make the spiritual purpose clear.

What am I seeking God about?

That question changes everything.

Because the goal isn’t simply to see how long you can go without eating.

The goal is to become more aware of the One who sustains you.

Maybe fasting really is a reset button. Not just for our eating habits, but for our priorities. It reminds us that we are more than our appetites and that sometimes stepping away from what normally fills us creates room for God to fill us in a deeper way.

So stay curious.

Listen to your body.

Pay attention to your soul.

And when hunger gets your attention, let it turn your attention toward God.

You might discover that the greatest benefit of fasting isn’t found in what you give up.

It’s found in Who you draw closer to.

Stay Fast and Curious.