Fasting
For me, fasting has both spiritual and physical benefits. I decided to complete a liquid fast on Wednesday to heal my body from a recent beach trip and to focus on a day of prayer. There have been some heavy things on my heart lately, and I felt a nudge to spend a day fasting and praying.
“Fasting can heal and help rheumatism in the joints and muscles, diseases of the heart, circulation, blood vessels, stress-related exhaustion, skin diseases-including pimples and complexion problems, irregular menstrual cycles and hot flashes, disease of the respiratory organs, allergies such as hay fever and other eye diseases.” -Dr. Oda H. F. Birchinger; excerpt from the book FASTING by Jentezen Franklin
Fasting can be a normal part of the Christian faith. In Matthew, Jesus says, “Moreover, WHEN you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 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 is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:16-18
Fasting can create holy intimacy with God. While we hunger for food, we can pray to be filled instead with the Holy Spirit. Instead of focusing on our bodily needs, we can put the focus on spiritual needs.
Each time that I felt a hunger pang throughout the day was a reminder to pray specifically for things I had written down that morning. I knew that each time I longed for food, it was a nudge to long for my Father in Heaven. “Hungering for God brings with it a much greater reward than satisfying the temporary hunger in my body.” -excerpt from FASTING by Jentezen Franklin
Fasting for physical reasons also has tremendous benefits. Fasting allows your body to detoxify, flush out fat, and create alertness in the mind. It can also impact your metabolic function and aging!
Whatever your reason for fasting, the benefits are boundless!
**This is different from fasting each day. If you choose to fast for a 14-16 hour window on a daily basis, you will still consume the same amount of calories and macros each day. For a day of fasting for health reasons or prayer, you will obviously consume less calories. This should not be done every single day. Fasting to lose weight for an entire day is not typically recommended. Please feel free to ask me questions about fasting. I’d love to discuss it further!**
More resources on Fasting:
Fasting by Jentezen Franklin
The Model Health Podcast with Shawn Stevenson, Episodes 96, 124, 465, 468, and 538