Practical Helps for Spiritual Fasting by Bill Click

By Bill Click
For those who fast periodically - especially for spiritual reasons - I wanted to offer you some helps and experience I've picked up along the way. Much of this also applies to fasting for physical reasons. I am not a medical professional, but I have never had to take a regular prescription medication in my life and have been to the doctor so little in my adult life that I will simply pay the penalty not to be enrolled in heath insurance under the ACA. The Lord Jesus has paid the price for me: spirit, soul and body (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).
 
 
 
 
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For those who fast periodically - especially for spiritual reasons - I wanted to offer you some helps and experience I've picked up along the way. Much of this also applies to fasting for physical reasons. I am not a medical professional, but I have never had to take a regular prescription medication in my life and have been to the doctor so little in my adult life that I will simply pay the penalty not to be enrolled in heath insurance under the ACA. The Lord Jesus has paid the price for me: spirit, soul and body (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).
 
Know that you are being led by the Lord, or, know that you have true faith to fast for a certain length of time or in certain aspects.
 
"Without faith, it is impossible to please Him" & "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God."
 
You need to be victorious if you are going to be a Christian, because the war is already decided as long as you run with what God has decided is best for you. You can get condemned if you go past what God is saying or try to do it without God. But you will have the grace to follow and fulfill whatever you are led of God to do.
 
I define a fast as abstaining from solid food for a specific period of time; for me, a 'partial fast' is abstaining from specific foods for specified period of time. All this is a matter of God's leading and faith releasing His grace working together.
 
The Longer your fasting period, the more you must be intentional about caring for yourself in a healthy way.
 
Guard against the following:
  • System shutdown: I have fasted from time to time for over 33 years, but I do not remember ever fasting on just water for more than 84 hours, and I have never fasted both all liquids and solids.
  • Protein deficiency will contribute to loss of muscle mass which, as you age, or depending on your work or lifestyle is not easily replaced. (Which instead guarded against by supplemented by milk, Ensure, Boost, Glucerna, etc).
  • Electrolyte imbalance will cause your nervous system to go weird on you and various issues can arise. (To prevent, use G-brands, Propel, certain flavored waters, etc).
  • Dehydration will cause you to attract the very maladies that (as a byproduct of fasting) you long to repel. Water is the most important ingredient you will ever take into your body. You don't have to drown in it, but you need to drink more than you want to (some of us much more) everyday of your life. (And of course, use either good quality bottle or professionally filtered water).
  • Vitamin C is necessary for various reasons and fruit juices, juicing, etc, can be used by most people. There are ways to fast even if you have diabetic tendencies or even diagnoses, if you are willing to be led & use faith to honor God's call).
Fasting may cause you some social discomfort. It may even cause you to have to allow others to know & deal with it as well.
 
Of course, you will need to go "you know where" to do "you know what" more often in public and private settings, and this is just part of it. But there are other things that can happen that you may need to navigate.
 
Hyper-fast(ing) There is a certain sense of Euphoria that can come as you fast, especially when your body is first feeling truly free from the accumulated toxins. There are other reasons you may really accelerate also (like too much caffeine &/or sugar) when fasting. You can all-too-easily find yourself moving at a pace that is (at the time) very exhilarating for you, but a bit distracting (or perhaps even irritating) to others.
 
To guard against that, make sure you spend much time in the Spirit (God's peace does not drive us to the level of 'Human maximal efficiency' or what the adrenalin-oriented errantly call 'multi-tasking'). In addition, have regular small portions of the products mentioned above, get sufficient rest and REM sleep, and when awake: be self-aware.
 
"But I'm expected to eat," that is a problem. As more than a 30 year "full-time minister" it is a bit easier for me to make a joke to the extent of "my food is to do the work of the one who sent me" or "I have food to eat that you know not of." Still, it can be an awkward period of time, especially for relationships with people you live (or work closely) with.
 
Nancy has always been very supportive, even straining out cream soup for me many, many times over the years, but (especially when it goes on a month or even longer) it gets a bit old for those around you. Therefore, you don't need to (actually can't) keep it a NSA-level secret, but you do need to let some people know what you are going to be doing, alter your schedules if necessary and pray for them . . . after all, you're fasting, that should come easier than usual!
 
Bill Click