Spiritual Disciplines (6)

“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who isin the secret place;and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”  Matthew 16.17, 18

Not if – when
We notice that, in this passage, Jesus did not say, “If you fast…” His words are, “But you, when you fast…” Jesus assumed that His followers would practice the discipline of fasting. He even appears, in another passage, to instruct us to do so. In Matthew 9.15 Jesus plainly said that once He, the Bridegroom, had been taken away, then His “friends” would definitely fast.

Further, Jesus gave explicit instructions concerning how to practice the discipline of fasting, as our text indicates. He said we should not parade the fact that we’re fasting, but, instead, should simply go about our normal daily life so that no one but God would know that we are engaged in this important discipline.

Jesus clearly expects His followers to practice the discipline of fasting, and so we can only conclude that fasting is a useful resource for helping to bring our bodies into submission to our souls, so that we might follow the Lord and abide in Him.

The benefits of fasting
It’s safe to say that since Jesus commends the discipline of fasting, certain benefits must await those who practice this discipline. I can think of four.

First, fasting helps us in teaching denial to the body. We recall that all disciplines represent, in one form or another, an effort to direct our bodily members into behaviors more in line with our Kingdom calling as followers of Christ. This can be a difficult challenge, as old habits and behaviors die hard. Taming our tongue, eyes, and bodily strength for righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit is an ongoing struggle. In the discipline of fasting we stand up to the body head-on, denying its accustomed use in the consuming of regular meals and directing it to different and more clearly spiritual activities, such as prayer, meditation, or serving others.

If we can overcome the strong bodily inclination to eat, we can learn to discipline the members of our body in other ways as well.

Second, and related to this, in the discipline of fasting we strengthen the soul to override bodily cravings. As we are fasting we need to engage our minds in focusing on the purpose of our particular task. We should seek the Lord to help us take delight in that task, to strengthen our hearts to take joy in spiritual matters above material ones. And as we continue practicing the discipline of fasting, making fasting a regular part of our repertoire of spiritual disciplines, we strengthen our conscience and will as these work continuously to prefer default choices which are spiritual and Kingdom-oriented first of all.

Third, fasting allows us to free time for serving others. The Lord spoke through Isaiah to explain that the fasts He is pleased with bring benefit to others (Is. 58.6ff.). The time we might otherwise spend in eating can be invested in reaching out to others to serve, encourage, instruct, lend, or assist. By denying our bodies the time they normally take for eating, we teach them to think of the needs of others first, and to embrace disciplines of service along with those of self-denial.

Finally, fasting can be of great benefit in reinforcing and intensifying prayer, the Word, and meditation. Because fasting is not easy, and your body resists this discipline like few others, we will need to come into our fast armed with the Word, instant in prayer, and focused on our purpose in taking up this important discipline.

“When you fast…”
So here are some practical guidelines to help you make better use of the discipline of fasting.

First, make sure you appear as outwardly normal in your time of fasting as possible. So you might try a one-day fast, beginning after dinner and lasting to dinner the next day. Or you might excuse yourself from your normal mealtime companions to walk alone or find a quite place to meditate on your calling in Christ’s Kingdom and glory. Above all, don’t advertise your fast. I’m not an advocate of fasting pushes that call on folks to sign up and be part of some special effort of fasting for so many hours or days. That just seems totally contrary to what Jesus taught.

Second, have a focus for your fast, either in some work of service, a season of solitude, reviewing or planning your spiritual life, or a time for worship and singing. Don’t just do nothing! As you deny your bodily members their wonted use, guide them in something that will reinforce your soul’s effort to shape and direct all aspects of your life.

Third, take some Scripture with you to meditate and pray whenever the body begins to get “pushy.” Scriptures such as Jeremiah 15.16, Job 23.12, and Psalm 42.1 can remind you that your real food and milk are the Lord and His Word, not the bread and drink for which your stomach and throat implore you.

Finally, reflect on your time of fasting once it’s over. What did you experience? Did you learn anything new about yourself? About the Lord? Have you experienced any strengthening of your soul in any specific ways?

Like all spiritual disciplines, fasting is designed to help our souls gain mastery over our bodies, so that both might be wholly devoted to the Lord for the cause of His Kingdom. Make fasting part of your spiritual regimen, and  you will strengthen all your other disciplines and the components of your soul as well.

Next steps: If you have fasted much before, start with a one meal fast, once a week, each week of a month. From there try a one day fast twice a month. Pay careful attention during your times of fasting to see what you have learned or how you have benefited from the effort. Pray the lessons and benefits back to the Lord with thanksgiving.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Spiritual Disciplines, is part 3 of a 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We have prepared a special worksheet to help you begin getting your disciplines in proper shape for seeking the Kingdom. Write to T. M. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for you free PDF of the “Disciplined Life Worksheet.”

A rightly-disciplined life requires a Kingdom vision, and that vision is centered on Jesus Christ exalted. T. M. has prepared a series of meditations on the glorious vision of Christ, based on Scripture and insights from the Celtic Christian tradition. Order your copy of Be Thou My Vision by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.