by Sharalee Ward

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Christianity and the Importance of Living a Fasted Lifestyle

Do you ever notice that women in scripture never dieted, they never talked about their weight. There isn't even a word in Hebrew for diet or weight loss. How does this pertain to living a fasted lifestyle? Let me explain what fasting is first and what is used for.
Fasting is the act of abstaining from something for a period of time. Fasting in the Bible is generally fasting from food for a given period of time. Many Christians today believe that fasting was a tradition of the past and died with the Apostles along with the gifts of healing. This is not true. The gifts of healing are very much alive today as well as the grace to live a fasted lifestyle.

Fasting was designed to make your spirit more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and more reliant on God's voice. It is simply an act of obedience, to humble yourself in the presence of God in anticipation for more of Him, to experience the new things of God. You can not put new wine in old wine skins, they will break, so we need to be renewed.
Fasting is also used in deliverance. Jesus said in Mark chapter 9 in the story of the demon possessed man that the disciples could not heal, Jesus healed him and told the disciples that some spirits only come out with prayer and fasting. Demons get uncomfortable when we fast because we are no longer relying on our fleshly strength to function, but on God's supernatural power within us. Food is the sustenance of life, but God is the TRUE bread of life, and is eternal food. By abstaining from physical food we are showing a reliance on the bread of life and learn to rely on Him for strength. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

What does all of this have to do with dieting? You ask, well when we are obedient in living a fasted lifestyle there is no need to diet. God never intended us to be obsessed with dieting or our weight. When we are dissatisfied with our bodies that God designed we become fixated on ourselves and God is not longer our focal point. We no longer see ourselves as God sees us, as beautiful. Weight becomes an idol. Fasting is multi faceted in that it not only has spiritual benefits but physical benefits as well. Fasting cleanses the body of toxins, and allows the body to shed those extra pounds. Your apatite is reduced, so there isn't an over consumption of food. Now this could obviously be taken to the extreme and used as an excuse to starve yourself. The primary motive for fasting should not be to lose weight, its a benefit that comes with being obedient. Its not about how long you go without food, take it one day at a time, listening to the Holy Spirit, so when the He says your fast is done, you are done. I realize that some people could abuse this concept and use it as an excuse to be anorexic or have an eating disorder, but this is a lifestyle of obedience not bondage to an illness. If you have an eating disorder you should seek deliverance ministry and let Jesus set you free from that.
If you are interested in reading more about the importance of fasting read the book called "The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting" by Mahesh Chavda and "The Rewards of Fasting:Experiencing the Power and Affections of God" by Mike Bickel and Dana Candler.

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