So, I did a search and, surprise, there was NOTHING on this topic in these forums! I thought, for sure, there would be.
Anyhow, I was wondering if someone can point out a few verses that explain this a little better to me.
Case study: I'm currently on a fast, as we speak. It's miserable, but I think that's the point. It's in addition to a request I've made.
HOWEVER, when I was in college (I honestly want that interested in being Christian at the time..) a lady I hung out with had pointed out how fasting was no longer a useful option due to...something that I didnt care about.
At any rate, I believe that it is still useful as it shows dedication and sacrifice. And it's probably healthy in some way or another.
Would anyone care to offer some insight or verses for me?
In a religious fast, a Christian will sacrifice his natural desire for food in order to spend time seeking God regarding a specific issue. The intention is that all the time that would be spent acquiring, preparing and consuming food will, instead, be spent in the presence of God through prayer, worship or meditation on the Word.
Also, the heightened sense of awareness obtained through hunger serves as a reminder of the purpose of the fast. The goal is to replace the feeding of the needs of physical hunger with the feeding of one�s spiritual hunger by the means of intimacy with God.
Jesus fasted from all food and drink, except water (Luke 4:2). The Bible also describes some extreme times that people fasted from everything, including water. See Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, Ezra 10:6, Esther 4:16 and Acts 9:9. This type of fast is usually reserved for extreme circumstances.
There are also �partial fasts� that restrict only certain foods or meals. A person may choose to fast through breakfast to allow extra time for prayer and worship. While biblical fasts do refer to abstaining from food, I have heard, many times, of people �fasting� from the television. I am sure that if there had been televisions in Bible days, Jesus would have called everyone to �fast� from them!
Please note, however, that a fast, whether partial or absolute, is quite different than giving up something for �Lent.� The motive in a fast cannot be that God will find favor with you because you gave up your favorite candy bar. The motive must be the realization that the world has crowded in around you and you need some clarity and some deep intimacy with God. It all comes down to the intent of your heart.
