Fasting is a healthy religious act

When did you last deliberately stay away from food for at least 24 hours? Fasting is largely seen as a religious or spiritual activity that connects our spirit with God’s.

Denying oneself food in consecration to God is one of the highest forms and acts of worship. Muslims have a month in a year that is dedicated to this holy act. They fast from dawn to dusk daily.

Christians too fast even though their fasting is not structured. It depends on churches and individuals.

Some churches call for 40 days of prayer and fast at the beginning of the year.

Some individuals usually decide to fast while spending quiet times in the mountains.

Whatever the case, fasting is recognised not only for its spiritual benefits but for the physical benefits as well.

The chief purpose of fasting is to strengthen us in times of trial, sorrow and adversity.

There are numerous examples in the Scriptures of people who fasted during difficult times. They include Jesus, Zachaeus, Cornelius, Barnabas and Saul.

When properly engaged in, fasting can be a source of great spiritual blessing, a discipline of the will and an exercise producing inward strength, and power.

There are other reasons and benefits for which we engage in fasting:

• Fasting helps subject our bodies to our spirit. The flesh is presented as very dangerous if it operates without the spirit. It is through the weakness of the flesh that people fall into various sins such as immorality, lust and greed. When we fast, we subordinate our flesh-desires to our spirit-desires.

• Fasting is a way to acknowledge that we need God in our lives. It is the realisation that we need God more in our lives than food. The Psalmist said his soul longs for God the way a deer pants after water.

If this is how hungry we are for God, then what better way than to shut ourselves to the world and seek God through fasting and prayer.

• Forgiveness and repentance. There are times we fall very deep into sin.

Even after we pray, the guilt feeling still lingers. It is at this time we are advised to go into seclusion and seek God and engage in fasting. During these hard times, the stomach will be humbled and you will stay tuned to hear from God.

Restoration will naturally follow. That is what happened to King David after he had sinned.

• Sometimes we suffer from bondages. Those things that hold us in sin or bad habits year after year. We want to be free but we are unable. Jesus said some of these evil spirits can only come out through prayer and fasting. These could be addictions.

• Sometimes we only want revelation from above. It could be a pastor struggling with hostility from his members and just wants to hear from God concerning the direction he should take.

It could be a member at a crossroads and who must make a decision. Fasting will definitely bring about revelation from God.