Fasting, when combined with the practice of prayer, is a powerful tool God uses to increase our desire for Him and focus our prayers for greater efficiency.
Is a basic definition of fasting?
“preservation of food over a period of time to create a more disciplined and sincere attitude of prayer. “
How does it work? The easiest way to explain this is to say that the moments when we inevitably feel dissatisfied desires must instead encourage us to pray; we translate our natural hunger for food, necessary for life, into prayer; our physical desires become God’s spiritual hunger, for the life we have in him, and for him to do what only he can do.
Consider these two simple tips if you are new to fasting
A fast doesn’t always have a particular time limit or specific rules that you must follow in order to know what to give up.
You can fast for a day or a month. You can only fast with water or juice. You can fast a meal once a week or a full day each month. You can refrain from certain foods as desserts and when you feel like having a cookie, your desire can be channeled into the urgency of prayer. There are no rules. Do what gives you the greatest urgency and hunger to pray.
2. Be aware of any health problems that may make fasting unreasonable.
For example, if you have diabetes or any other physical condition that requires a strict diet, take special care not to put yourself in a compromised position due to fasting. I also distrust the idea of fasting for people with eating disorders who make eating a challenge and a concern in their daily lives. The purpose of fasting is to combine it with a more intense and concentrated time of prayer that brings greater communion with God, greater power of the Spirit, and greater seriousness in the soul.
There’s a time to celebrate. And there’s a time to fast. Make sure you both promote greater awareness of constant prayer.