Discerning the Lord's Call to Fasting in Personal Devotion
Discerning a personal call to fasting involves understanding its biblical foundations and theological purposes, which extend beyond mere abstinence from food. Fasting is often presented in Scripture as a means of seeking God with intensified focus, frequently accompanied by prayer and repentance [2, 1]. Daniel, for instance, "set his face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes" [1].
The practice of fasting is not an end in itself but a spiritual discipline intended to humble the soul and draw closer to God [2]. It is described as a way to chasten the soul (Psalm 69:10) and humble oneself (Psalm 35:13) [2]. The prophet Joel urged the people to "turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning," emphasizing that this should involve rending one's heart, not just garments, as a sign of sincere repentance [5]. This highlights that true fasting is an internal disposition that manifests externally, rather than a purely external act [6].
The New Testament cautions against hypocritical fasting, emphasizing that it should be done "unto the Lord" and not for public display [2]. Jesus taught his disciples not to disfigure their faces to appear to others that they are fasting, but to fast in secret, so that their Father, who sees in secret, will reward them [Matthew 6:16-18]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, notes that religious fasting is a duty required of Christ's disciples when God's providence calls for it or when the state of their souls requires it, particularly when the "bridegroom is taken away" (Matthew 9:15) [3]. He places fasting last among duties like almsgiving and prayer, suggesting it serves as a means to prepare for other duties, with prayer being "the life and soul of both" [3].
Historically, fasting has been observed in various contexts:
- Repentance and Humiliation: Fasting is linked to confessing sin and deprecating divine anger [2, 6]. John Calvin noted that fasting is a "sign of humiliation" and can be used publicly when people openly confess sin and encourage each other [6]. He also described it as a way for those "charged at the judgment-seat of God" to "deprecate his severity in a garb of wretchedness" [7].
- Times of Calamity or Danger: Scripture records fasting during public calamities, afflictions of the Church or others, and in the face of approaching danger [2]. Calvin further explains that when pestilence, famine, or war impend, pastors should exhort the Church to fast to "suppliantly deprecate the Lord’s anger" [9].
- Seeking Guidance and Ordination: Fasting was practiced during the ordination of ministers in the early church [2].
- Preparation for Spiritual Feasts: Thomas Aquinas, a Scholastic theologian, connected fasting to the deletion of sin and the raising of the mind to heavenly things, noting its particular suitability before Easter, when sins are remitted by baptism and minds are raised to God [8].
The early Church also distinguished its fasting practices from those of hypocrites. The Didache, an early Christian text, instructs believers not to fast on the same days as hypocrites (the second and fifth days of the week), but instead on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday) [4]. This suggests a desire to differentiate Christian spiritual practices from those perceived as insincere.
Discerning a personal call to fast, therefore, involves an honest assessment of one's spiritual state, a recognition of specific needs for repentance or intensified prayer, and an intention to draw closer to God rather than to gain human recognition. It is a discipline that, when properly understood and practiced, serves to deepen one's devotion and reliance on God [2].
Sources
- Daniel “I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. -- Daniel 9:3”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fasting — Spirit of, explained -- Isa 58:6,7. Not to be made a subject of display -- Mt 6:16-18. Should be to God -- Zec 7:5; Mt 6:18. For the chastening of the soul -- Ps 69:10. For the humbling of the soul -- Ps 35:13. Observed on occasions of Judgments of God. -- Joe 1:14; 2:12. Public calamities. -- 2Sa 1:12. Afflictions of the Church. -- Lu 5:33-35. Afflictions of others. -- Ps 35:13; Da 6:18. Private afflictions. -- 2Sa 12:16. Approaching danger. -- Es 4:16. Ordination of ministers. -- Ac 13:3; 14:23. Accompanied by Prayer. -- Ezr 8:23; Da 9:3. Confession of si”
- Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:16: We are here cautioned against hypocrisy in fasting, as before in almsgiving, and in prayer. I. It is here supposed that religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, when God, in his providence, calls to it, and when the case of their own souls upon any account requires it; when the bridegroom is taken away, then shall they fast, Mat 9:15. Fasting is here put last, because it is not so much a duty for its own sake, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Prayer comes in between almsgiving and fasting, as being the life and soul of both. Chri”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — CHAP. VIII.(21)--CONCERNING FASTING AND PRAYER (THE LORD'S PRAYER).: But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites;(22) 1 for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but do ye fast on the fourth day and the Preparation(Friday).(23) Neither pray as the 2 hypocrites; but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel,(24) thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us to-day our daily (needful) bread,(25) and forgive us our debt as we also for”
- Joel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Joel 2:12: But there is still time to avert the completion of the judgment by sincere repentance and mourning; for God is merciful, and ready to forgive the penitent. Joe 2:12. "Yet even now, is the saying of Jehovah, turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Joe 2:13. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn back to Jehovah your God; for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and great in kindness, and suffers Himself to repent of the evil. Joe 2:14. Who knoweth He turns and repents, and leaves behind Him ble”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other. 16. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public than among privat”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: exhorts them to turn away the divine anger not only by repenting, but by giving public signs of sorrow. For as a criminal, to excite the commiseration of the judge, appears in a supplicating posture, with a long beard, uncombed hair, and coarse clothing, so should those who are charged at the judgment-seat of God deprecate his severity in a garb of wretchedness. But although sackcloth and ashes were perhaps more conformable to the customs of these times, 315 315 French, “Fust la coustume de ce temps-la, et ne nous appartienne aujou”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Fasting, Art. 5: Article: Whether the times for the Church fast are fittingly ascribed? I answer that, As stated above (Articles [1],3), fasting is directed to two things, the deletion of sin, and the raising of the mind to heavenly things. Wherefore fasting ought to be appointed specially for those times, when it behooves man to be cleansed from sin, and the minds of the faithful to be raised to God by devotion: and these things are particularly requisite before the feast of Easter, when sins are loosed by baptis”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: enjoins spouses to render due benevolence to each other, it is clear that he is not referring to daily prayer, but prayers which require more than ordinary attention. 17. On the other hand, when pestilence begins to stalk abroad, or famine or war, or when any other disaster seems to impend over a province and people ( Esther 4:16 ), then also it is the duty of pastors to exhort the Church to fasting, that she may suppliantly deprecate the Lord’s anger. For when he makes danger appear, he declares that he is prepared and in a manner”