Fasting Basic Training - Pastor Bradley Peters

Fasting is framed not as a private rule-keeping exercise but as a joyful response to the presence and absence of the Bridegroom. Drawing from Luke 5, the call of Levi and the banquet with “tax collectors and sinners” becomes the doorway into the question of fasting. In the presence of Jesus, celebration was fitting; after His ascension, purposeful fasting would mark love and longing for Him. The emphasis is on the why, not the how: fasting is less about techniques and more about directing hunger toward Christ, training the will to serve love rather than appetite.

Modern abundance, convenience, and busyness have dulled the church’s practice of fasting, and sometimes secular “optimization” eclipses spiritual purpose. Colossians 2 warns against human-made rules, self-imposed worship, and harsh treatment of the body—approaches that look wise but cannot restrain the flesh. Christian fasting is not ascetic self-punishment or a diet baptized with Bible verses; it is a grace-directed habit that confesses dependence and aims at communion with Christ. It should be practiced with wisdom, humility, and honesty, not as a public display of righteousness or as leverage against God.

Practical counsel is simple: start small. Skip a meal with prayerful intention. Let hunger become a bell that calls the heart to seek righteousness. Communicate with family, consider health realities, enter and exit longer fasts gently, and remember that secrecy in fasting is about avoiding pride, not hiding from the people who serve and love you. Scripture gives a range of faithful reasons to fast—intercession, repentance, seeking deliverance—but all are gathered up into one center: submitting desires to Jesus and preferring Him above good gifts.

There are also wrong motives. Fasting is not a hunger strike to force God’s hand, not a badge of spiritual superiority, and certainly not a tool to harm others. Instead, fasting forms a heart that rests in the finished work of the cross, where Christ disarmed powers and canceled our debt. Even secondary health benefits are secondary; the chief reward is deeper fellowship with Christ. In a culture of constant access to food and constant distraction, fasting recovers a neglected habit of love: training the body to follow the soul, and the soul to follow the Bridegroom.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Fast for the Bridegroom’s sake Fasting responds to the joy of Christ’s presence and the ache of His physical absence. It is love that longs, not legalism that performs. When the Bridegroom is “taken,” hunger turns into prayer, and the table into a place of longing for His fullness. [40:44]
• 2. Reject legalism and harsh asceticism Human rules and harsh treatment of the body look wise but cannot heal the heart. True restraint flows from grace, not from willpower worship or self-made fences. Fasting that submits to Christ replaces prideful self-denial with dependent love. [45:24]
• 3. Start small; let hunger pray Skip a meal and let each pang become a cue to seek righteousness. The difference between dieting and fasting is the direction of desire: not self-improvement, but Godward attention. Practice gently, with health wisdom and family communication. [52:56]
• 4. Avoid manipulative or performative fasting Fasting is not a hunger strike to force God, nor a stage to showcase holiness, nor a weapon to harm people. Such approaches distort God’s character and harden the heart. Humble fasting aims at surrender, not control. [63:40]
• 5. Seek Christ, receive side benefits Health gains may come, but they are not the point; the greater gift is knowing Christ more deeply. Fasting clears space for attention, affection, and obedience. In teaching the body to wait, the soul learns to worship. [67:26]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [31:57] - Why talk about fasting
• [33:31] - Luke 5 backdrop
• [34:23] - Levi called; banquet joy
• [38:16] - Doctor for the sick
• [40:28] - Bridegroom and fasting now
• [42:20] - Why fasting faded today
• [43:12] - Beware human rules
• [50:21] - Lord of Sabbath, not legalism
• [52:35] - Basic training: start small
• [57:25] - Fast in secret, with wisdom
• [58:55] - Communicate at home
• [63:18] - Wrong motives to avoid
• [67:26] - Benefits and knowing Christ
• [68:13] - Closing prayer

1. In Luke 5, what happens in order: Jesus calls Levi, there’s a banquet, then a question about fasting. How does that flow set the stage for Jesus’ “bridegroom” answer?
2. At Levi’s banquet, who was at the table and why did the Pharisees complain? What did Jesus say about “the sick” and “the doctor” in response?
3. What time contrast does Jesus make about fasting: while the Bridegroom is with his friends and when he is “taken”? What does that show about when fasting fits best?
4. Name two modern obstacles to fasting that were identified: abundance/convenience and busyness. What specific examples were given? [41:02]

1. Jesus calls himself the Bridegroom and says, “In those days, they will fast.” How does that picture move fasting from legalism to love and longing? [40:44]
2. “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” can be human rules that look wise but cannot restrain the flesh. How does that warning reframe harsh ascetic fasting? [43:12]
3. What is the difference between dieting and Christian fasting? How does “let hunger become a bell to seek righteousness” clarify the direction of desire? [52:56]
4. “Fast in secret” protects from pride, yet wisdom invites honest communication at home. How do secrecy and simplicity fit with letting family know so you don’t burden them? [59:27]

1. Start small. If you were to skip one meal this week as a first step, which meal would it be, and when will you pray each time hunger rises? Be specific about day, time, and a simple prayer you’ll use. [52:56]
2. Look at your calendar. Where does busyness, late-night snacking, or constant convenience crowd out the space to fast and pray? What is one small adjustment you can make this week? [42:20]
3. Check the heart for legalism. Are there any human-made rules you tend to add around fasting (or food) that make you feel superior or “in control”? What would it look like to replace those with dependent love? [45:24]
4. Communication at home. If you plan to fast, who needs to know (spouse, caregiver, coworker) so you don’t burden those who serve and love you? How will you tell them simply and humbly? [54:48]
5. Wrong motives. Have you ever tried to “hunger strike” with God or used fasting to pressure outcomes? What would repentance and a surrender posture look like before you begin? [01:03:40]
6. If food fasting isn’t wise for you right now (medical, pregnancy, nursing), what focused abstinence could still turn your attention Godward (for example, phone, coffee, sugar), and how will you keep the aim Christ-centered rather than performative? [01:01:09]
7. Side benefits are secondary. What “wins” (health, clarity, productivity) might quietly become your main goal? How will you keep the chief reward front and center: deeper fellowship with Christ? [01:07:26]