Fasting: A Journey to Spiritual Nourishment and Freedom

 

Summary

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that invites us to experience a deeper connection with God by abstaining from food or other comforts. It is not about weight loss or trying to manipulate God into answering our prayers. Instead, fasting is a practice that reveals our dependence on physical pleasures and challenges us to find sustenance in God alone. By fasting, we learn to recognize how much we rely on food to medicate our discomforts and how our bodies often dictate our actions. This discipline teaches us that we can survive, and even thrive, without immediately gratifying our appetites.

Throughout history, fasting has been practiced in various forms, from the long periods of abstinence by saints like Anthony to the partial fasts of Daniel and his friends. Jesus himself fasted, demonstrating that our true nourishment comes from doing the will of God and living by His word. Fasting is a way to express our longing for God, reminding us of the deeper spiritual hunger that resides within our souls.

Fasting also offers practical benefits. It helps us develop self-control, making it easier to resist other temptations, such as sexual impulses. It can also heighten our awareness of the needs of others, prompting us to use the time and resources we would have spent on food to serve those who are hungry. Additionally, fasting can extend beyond food to other areas of life, such as social media or even the snooze button, teaching us to rely on God for fulfillment rather than immediate gratification.

Ultimately, fasting is about freedom—freedom from the tyranny of our appetites and the discovery that we are sustained by more than just physical nourishment. It is an invitation to find our home in the fellowship of our Heavenly Father, learning to live by every word that proceeds from His mouth.

Key Takeaways:

- Fasting is not about weight loss or manipulating God; it is a spiritual discipline that reveals our dependence on physical pleasures and challenges us to find sustenance in God alone. [04:04]

- By fasting, we learn to recognize how much we rely on food to medicate our discomforts and how our bodies often dictate our actions. This discipline teaches us that we can survive, and even thrive, without immediately gratifying our appetites. [02:04]

- Fasting is a way to express our longing for God, reminding us of the deeper spiritual hunger that resides within our souls. It is an invitation to find our home in the fellowship of our Heavenly Father. [05:51]

- Fasting offers practical benefits, such as developing self-control and heightening our awareness of the needs of others. It can extend beyond food to other areas of life, teaching us to rely on God for fulfillment. [09:16]

- Ultimately, fasting is about freedom—freedom from the tyranny of our appetites and the discovery that we are sustained by more than just physical nourishment. It is an invitation to live by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. [10:51]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:26] - The Secret of the Easy Yoke
- [00:41] - Introduction to Fasting
- [01:08] - Definition and Purpose of Fasting
- [01:49] - Fasting and Self-Discovery
- [02:17] - Historical Examples of Fasting
- [02:43] - Jesus' Fasting and Dependence on God
- [03:20] - Spiritual Nourishment Beyond Food
- [04:04] - Misconceptions About Fasting
- [05:24] - Fasting as Longing for God
- [06:17] - Fasting as Feasting
- [07:12] - Freedom from Appetites
- [08:15] - Practical Benefits of Fasting
- [09:29] - Fasting Beyond Food
- [10:36] - The Heroic Minute and Conclusion

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Fasting as a Spiritual Discipline

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 4:4 - "Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
2. Matthew 9:15 - "Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.'"

Observation Questions:
1. What does Jesus mean when he says, "Man shall not live on bread alone"? How does this relate to the practice of fasting? [03:20]
2. How does the sermon describe the historical examples of fasting, such as those of Saint Anthony and Daniel? [02:17]
3. According to the sermon, what are some misconceptions about fasting? [04:04]
4. What practical benefits of fasting are mentioned in the sermon? [08:15]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does fasting help believers express their longing for God, as mentioned in Matthew 9:15? [05:51]
2. In what ways does fasting reveal our dependence on physical pleasures, and how does it challenge us to find sustenance in God alone? [02:04]
3. How might fasting from non-food items, like social media or the snooze button, teach us to rely on God for fulfillment? [09:46]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between fasting and self-control, particularly in resisting other temptations? [07:45]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationship with food or other comforts. How might fasting help you recognize areas where you rely on these for comfort rather than God? [02:04]
2. Consider a time when you felt a deep longing for God. How might fasting serve as a way to express and deepen that longing? [05:51]
3. Identify one area of your life where you seek immediate gratification. How can you practice fasting in that area to cultivate patience and reliance on God? [09:46]
4. How can you use the time and resources saved from fasting to serve others, particularly those who are hungry or in need? [09:29]
5. Think about a specific temptation you struggle with. How might regular fasting help you develop greater self-control in that area? [07:45]
6. If you were to fast from social media, what changes do you anticipate in your daily routine and spiritual life? How can this practice draw you closer to God? [09:46]
7. What steps can you take to ensure that your fasting is focused on spiritual growth rather than physical benefits like weight loss? [04:04]

Devotional

Day 1: Discovering True Sustenance in God
Fasting is not about weight loss or manipulating God; it is a spiritual discipline that reveals our dependence on physical pleasures and challenges us to find sustenance in God alone. Fasting invites us to step away from the comforts we often rely on and to seek a deeper connection with God. It is a practice that helps us understand that our true nourishment comes from God, not from the temporary pleasures of this world. By abstaining from food or other comforts, we are reminded of our spiritual hunger and our need for God’s presence in our lives. This discipline encourages us to trust in God’s provision and to find our satisfaction in Him alone. [04:04]

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV): "And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Reflection: What is one comfort or pleasure you rely on daily that you can set aside this week to seek a deeper connection with God?


Day 2: Recognizing Our Reliance on Physical Comforts
By fasting, we learn to recognize how much we rely on food to medicate our discomforts and how our bodies often dictate our actions. This discipline teaches us that we can survive, and even thrive, without immediately gratifying our appetites. Fasting exposes the ways in which we use food and other comforts to avoid facing our deeper spiritual needs. It challenges us to confront our reliance on these comforts and to seek fulfillment in God instead. Through fasting, we gain a clearer understanding of our spiritual hunger and our need for God’s presence in our lives. [02:04]

Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV): "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

Reflection: Identify a specific way you use food or another comfort to avoid discomfort. How can you turn to God instead in those moments?


Day 3: Longing for God’s Presence
Fasting is a way to express our longing for God, reminding us of the deeper spiritual hunger that resides within our souls. It is an invitation to find our home in the fellowship of our Heavenly Father. Through fasting, we acknowledge our need for God’s presence and our desire to draw closer to Him. This practice helps us to focus on our spiritual journey and to seek God’s guidance and wisdom in our lives. By setting aside time for fasting, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God’s love and grace. [05:51]

Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV): "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

Reflection: What is one way you can express your longing for God this week, beyond fasting?


Day 4: Developing Self-Control and Awareness
Fasting offers practical benefits, such as developing self-control and heightening our awareness of the needs of others. It can extend beyond food to other areas of life, teaching us to rely on God for fulfillment. By practicing self-control through fasting, we become more aware of our impulses and learn to resist temptations. This discipline also helps us to recognize the needs of those around us and to respond with compassion and generosity. Fasting encourages us to use our time and resources to serve others and to seek God’s guidance in all areas of our lives. [09:16]

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (ESV): "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle with self-control? How can fasting help you develop greater discipline in this area?


Day 5: Embracing Freedom from Appetites
Ultimately, fasting is about freedom—freedom from the tyranny of our appetites and the discovery that we are sustained by more than just physical nourishment. It is an invitation to live by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. Fasting helps us to break free from the hold that our desires and appetites have on us, allowing us to experience the true freedom that comes from relying on God. This practice teaches us to trust in God’s provision and to find our satisfaction in His presence. By embracing the discipline of fasting, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God’s love and grace. [10:51]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV): "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Reflection: What is one appetite or desire that holds you captive? How can you seek freedom from it through fasting and reliance on God?

Quotes

you can be at home in The Fellowship of your heavenly father as we learned the secret of the easy yoke how to effortlessly do everything Jesus would do if he were in our place by arranging our lives around the activities that Jesus engaged in to be constantly at home with and receiving power from his Heavenly Father [00:00:15]

in fasting we abstain in some significant way from food and possibly from drink as well this discipline teaches us a lot about ourselves very quickly it will certainly prove humiliating to us as it reveals to us how much our peace depends upon the pleasures of eating it may also bring to mind how we are using food pleasure to assuage the discomforts caused in our bodies by faithless and unwise living and attitudes lack of self-worth meaningless work purposeless existence or lack of rest or exercise [00:01:11]

fasting Dallas writes confirms our utter dependence on God by finding in him a source of sustenance Beyond food through it we learned by experience that God's word to us is a life substance that it is not food but alone Jesus said after that period of fasting when Satan said to him turn the stones into bread man human beings shall not live by bread alone but by every word somehow the word of God can nourish us in a real even literal way and we experience that in some way as we fast [00:02:58]

fasting is not about weight loss I know sometimes people who uh approach lent and think they will Fast some during Lent that'll be good thing because I can stand to lose a few pounds that's not the idea for some reason online I keep running into these days ads for uh the Swedish program of intermittent fasting I grew up amongst few swedes intermittent fasting was the time that went between breakfast and when you would have coffee and cardamom rolls or almond tarts at 10 o'clock in the morning we were not an intermittent fasting people [00:04:01]

fasting is not a way to try to get God's attention and increase the likelihood that my prayers will get answered sometimes people will think well I really really really want an answer to this prayer about my spouse or my child or something I really want so I will fast as a way of showing God how deadly serious I am and making him more inclined to give me what I want like little kids when they were around their moms sometimes and they just keep touching her mom mom mom and she just capitulates that is not the idea of fasting [00:04:42]

Jesus after his death and resurrection and Ascension would no longer be physically present with his followers in the same way and then they would fast as an expression of longing oh I want to be with him I want to be with him I want to be with him that longing that we feel in our physical bodies reminds us of a deeper longing that we feel in our souls and fasting can be a time to do that [00:05:49]

another wonderful gift of fasting is it allows me to recognize that I don't have to immediately gratify the desires of my appetites it is possible for me to say no to my appetite and survive and maybe eventually to say no to my appetite and even thrive and so as always is the case with spiritual practices or disciplines uh the goal of it is to bring freedom and here it's to be freed from enslavement to my appetites [00:06:55]

one of the discoveries that I made was when I would fast on a regular basis I found that dealing with sexual impulses sexual Temptations actually became significantly easier because my body at some way that I hadn't even particularly intended was learning that uh it doesn't have to have its appetites gratified immediately in order to survive I also discovered for some reason I'm still not sure why on days when I would fast I became more aware of how hurried I often am [00:07:42]

when it's time to eat today just take a minute before you Plunge in and look at that food and be aware of your own appetite and your own hunger and that it's possible even for 60 seconds to survive before you Plunge in today when you eat stop eating before you normally would and be aware of the fact that you don't have to eat until you are fully seated [00:08:41]

when I'm hungry it's possible for me to remember in a more Vivid way with my whole body there are many many millions of people all around the globe who are very hungry today and I might be able to help them and if I don't have a meal maybe I could take the money that I would have spent on that food and sent it to help people that are hungry or take the time that I would have spent at that food and um serve other people who are there [00:09:11]

maybe you want to fast today not so much from food but from social media maybe I find I'm enslaved and what's inside my body is I gotta look at that I gotta see how many likes I'm getting I got to see how many five I gotta see who's living a good life where I would like to be more like them I gotta find some way to outsize my boredom and and satisfy my craving for stimulation and today I'll just fast for that and find out what happens in my life and my mind when I'm not indulging gratifying that particular appetite [00:09:42]

we find God in a strange way when we learn that it is possible to be free from the appetites that demand to be fed because we're nourished by more than just bread alone [00:10:41]

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Transcript
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