I’m just curious about the reasoning behind fasting. I’m especially interested in why Muslims fast? Is it to gain a greater appreciation for what we are fortunate to have and to feel empathy for those less fortunate? What are the main reasons for fasting?
There are many reasons why a person might choose to fast:
1) Jesus indicated we would
In the sermon on the mount Jesus talked about the time ‘when we fast’ and how we should act at such times. It was clear that he expected this to form a normal part of worship and prayer. He said that his disciples didn’t fast because he was with them but indicated they would when he was with them no longer.
2) To accompany prayer
Before we go any further, fasting is not a magical tool that gets us the answers to prayer that we want. Fasting may accompany prayer for a number of reasons:
i) to demonstrate our commitment to the issue we are praying for
ii) to free up time to focus on God and praying for the issue
iii) to remind ourselves that ‘man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God’
3) As a discipline
Fasting is a discipline for many religions and indeed also should be for Christians – not because it wins us favour with God but because it reminds us of our need for Him to sustain us even as food sustains us. A time of fasting can be a very spiritual experience and if done for the glory of God can have a deep impact on the person fasting and the people around them.
These are just some of the reasons – I’m sure there are many others which might include reminding ourselves to be thankful for what we have and to feel empathy with those who are less fortunate. In this way was can also fast from material pleasures, fine foods, alcohol, television and many other things. Fasting does not bend God’s ear to hear us more because we are fasting… it may however result in more effective prayer because of what it achieves in us rather than the physical demonstration that it is.
Every blessing!
July 17th, 2009 - 2:20 am
It is meant to cleanse the body, and allow the person to focus 100% on God.
In Jesus time, the search, harvesting and preparation of food was an incredibly time consuming task. Almost every person spend most of their day finding a way to harvest, buy and then prepare meals.
Fasting allowed them to spend most of their time in prayer.
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July 17th, 2009 - 2:47 am
While I’m not an expert on it i would say is b/c they feel they are doing the sacrifice for the love of God.
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July 17th, 2009 - 3:18 am
No spiritual reasons. Fasting cleans your system. It;s good for health.
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July 17th, 2009 - 4:00 am
its to get one closer to G-d
Edit: and yes it is also a chance for you gain appreciation for what you have and to experience what it is like to be with out.
it humbles a person.
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July 17th, 2009 - 4:28 am
Fasting causes you to hallucinate. Such hallucinations are very spiritual to some people.
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July 17th, 2009 - 4:53 am
Peace and blessings be upon you.
First :it has a very important medical importance , some doctors treat now with fasting.
second:religious; it want learn us to feel the needy , to feel how the people who don’t find food or drink feel , to make this a motive for us to help them.
third:To make our souls overcome our body needs , we decided to fast for the God ,then we will not respond to our hungry stomach ,or our dry throat or our lust , but we will overcome all of that and control it and will not allow our body needs to control us.
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July 17th, 2009 - 5:40 am
To depend upon God by telling the flesh that it doesn’t take precedence for a time. (To tell the flesh to ’shut up’)
It causes a person to depend upon God for strength and sustenance, and it can cause someone to become closer to God.
I personally have found this to be true. A person who turns his or her back upon the crying out for food, attention, entertainment, and other desires can become closer to God. God is then the center of focus.
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July 17th, 2009 - 5:54 am
look up instances of fasting in the Bible, and you will find it is to seek the face of God.
That is to say, we are putting aside all fleshly desires and such, to focus on getting closer to God
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July 17th, 2009 - 6:01 am
Fasting is a way to deny the flesh for the purpose of focusing the spirit on the prayer at hand. It is meant to be done in a prayer that resembles more of a meditation, and may go on for days. It is usually done when there is something that you want to place serious emphasis on in your prayer. The Hebrew prophets did it right before getting their prophecy. Moses fasted for 40 days while he talked to God and got the Law.
If you are planning to start, don’t just jump into it. There are serious safety concerns to think about. Start with one day a week, and move up to three over time. Don’t deny yourself water on your fasting days. To be more comprehensive about safety, get a book on the subject.
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July 17th, 2009 - 6:07 am
When Jesus becomes our Lord, we are automatically transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Now that we have a new king and live in a new kingdom, we must understand "kingdom principles" if we are to be victorious Christians. We cannot overcome until we have the keys that unlock the kingdom of heaven. The Lord never meant for us to wait until we die to experience heaven but purposed for us to bring heaven to the earth through the power of His Spirit. Fasting is only one of the keys to the kingdom; others are prayer, praise, worship, intercession and travail (a prayer burden from the Lord).
The world is looking for a church that has the power to heal and bless, a church that walks in victory. The world wants to see a church that is not hypocritical, a church that is holy and full of love. We are the individual members of that church if we are born again. The work must begin in us personally before it can manifest itself corporately. The Lord is returning for a bride without spot or blemish. God is preparing her. We must have the keys to the kingdom so that we can come to that place in God where the world can tell the difference between "us" and "them."
Fasting is a wonderful tool given to help bring us to that place. God’s ultimate desire is that we live "fasted" lives, thus reducing the need for periodic fasting. However, until we come to the place where the kingdom of God means more to us than food, we need to set our wills to fast in order to bring our bodies under subjection to the Spirit of the Lord.
Hope this helps.
Elder Greg
(((SFCU)))
References :
http://bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=179
July 17th, 2009 - 6:13 am
There are many reasons why a person might choose to fast:
1) Jesus indicated we would
In the sermon on the mount Jesus talked about the time ‘when we fast’ and how we should act at such times. It was clear that he expected this to form a normal part of worship and prayer. He said that his disciples didn’t fast because he was with them but indicated they would when he was with them no longer.
2) To accompany prayer
Before we go any further, fasting is not a magical tool that gets us the answers to prayer that we want. Fasting may accompany prayer for a number of reasons:
i) to demonstrate our commitment to the issue we are praying for
ii) to free up time to focus on God and praying for the issue
iii) to remind ourselves that ‘man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God’
3) As a discipline
Fasting is a discipline for many religions and indeed also should be for Christians – not because it wins us favour with God but because it reminds us of our need for Him to sustain us even as food sustains us. A time of fasting can be a very spiritual experience and if done for the glory of God can have a deep impact on the person fasting and the people around them.
These are just some of the reasons – I’m sure there are many others which might include reminding ourselves to be thankful for what we have and to feel empathy with those who are less fortunate. In this way was can also fast from material pleasures, fine foods, alcohol, television and many other things. Fasting does not bend God’s ear to hear us more because we are fasting… it may however result in more effective prayer because of what it achieves in us rather than the physical demonstration that it is.
Every blessing!
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July 17th, 2009 - 6:33 am
Fasting purifies you.
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July 17th, 2009 - 7:20 am
In the OT, there were 2-kinds of fasting, individual and community. This practice was common in Israel, it was obligatory only on the Day of Cleansing or Atonement ( Leviticus 16:29 ). Individual fasts were observed in Israel as a sign of affliction ( 2 Samuel 12:15-23 ), contrition ( Psalm 69:15 ), or in sympathy for someone who had become ill ( Psalm 35:13-14 ). Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, ad Daniel were among the leaders who fasted and encouraged others to do so. Community fasts were called by prophets, priests, and kings as a sign of the peoples repentance ( Jonah 3 )and as part of fervent prays for deliverance from enemies ( Esther 4:16 ). In the NT, the practice of individual fasting continued with John the Baptist and Jesus, but apparently not with His disciples until after the resurrection and ascension. John the Baptist, fasted from normal food–eating only locusts and wild honey–called the people to the desert. "Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is near". Those who headed his call "confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River" ( Matthew 3;1-6 ). Before beginning His public ministry, Jesus wanted to be baptized by John, in accordance with God’s will ( Matthew 3:13-15 ). Immediately afterward, Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the desert for 40-days and 40-nights of solitude. He ate nothing, He prayed, He was tempted by Satan, He was with wild animals, and angels took care of Him ( Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 4:1-13 ). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that individual fasting should be done in secret, as an inward act of spiritual devotion rather than as an outward sign of being religious: "When you give up eating, don’t put a sad face like the hypocrites." Instead, fast without letting people know what you are doing, your Father in heaven will reward you ( Matthew 6;16-18 ).’If we call attention to our fast, people will certainly be impressed, and that is our reward. If we fast humbly and in secret, as Jesus taught, our motivation is pure, and our reward is inward. Jesus expects his followers to fast, struggle, and pray ( as He did in the desert ) at the appropriate time and season. Spiritual battles are recognized, fought, and won in the spiritual desert of prayer and solitude. Certain kinds of demons, Jesus knew, could only be driven out by prayer ( and fasting Mark 9;29 ). The benefit of spiritual fasting is that it reveals things that control us. Food, drink, or any other idol or addiction, must ultimately bow to the Lordship of Christ. Fasting purges the soul of that which claims to be but is not God. Fasting can help us to experience the grace of God in unique ways. It should not be neglected by believers today.
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July 17th, 2009 - 7:26 am
Fasting aids in spiritual activities and progress.We in Dharmic religions fast as it is type of ‘tapas’ or austerity..austerities are done for sense controland purity
say for example speaking truth/being honest or being content is a mental tapas leading one to purity of mind and destroying the negatvities in mind.Similarly fasting is a bodily/physical tapas..since in fasting we have to eat not as per our taste of tongue or we dont overeat, we eat food that is only conducive to good health and pure thinking like fruits etc while avoiding too much spicy, sour etc which causes restlessness in mind and body and avoiding meat or wine which cause impurities in our body -it is a type of sense control that has very scientific basis.Fasting removes toxins in our body and makes one more steadfast , peaceful, serene and religiously inclined.
So fasting being good for mental health and physical health is used as an aid for ones spiritual progress.
However there is a line btw austerity and self torture…It is no way suggested that denying the body or tormenting it with thirst or hunger is any kind of tapas and anything that can be useful/ makes sense.
It is said – ‘mana devalyam, deha devalyam’ ie body is the temple of God and so is the heart.Through the body we find the God within.Thus we must take good care of them and thus the importance of keeping clean the body and mind and taking care of health
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July 17th, 2009 - 7:39 am
The Power From Within…Nov 23, ‘07 9:28 AM
for everyone
Getting In Touch With The Power Within
One of the "keys" to the kingdom ( Matthew 16;19 ) has a thread that goes way back in the history of Gods relationship with man. That key, we will take a look at:
FASTING
When The Holy Spirit finally got my attention, He gave me a hunger for His Word, and everything I read I took it to heart. During this time I was blessed with finding out the importance of fasting. The denial of the flesh has in itself many benefits. Here are some I experienced :
First, I found out discipline. All my life the fulfilling of the lust of the flesh is the only thing I had known. When I was hungry, I ate. When I was thirsty, I drank. Going without these I found to be completely contrary to what I knew, and believe me, my flesh put up a terrific battle ! When those hunger pangs start, everything of the flesh cries out : Food, food, food !!! The hunger pangs go away after about the 4th. day, thank God, but to get to that point sometimes take a few times of trying and failing. I started with one day and graduated. The longest time i have fasted at one time is 10 days ( I think, it may have been more, because I lost track about then ). All fasting is good, even if for one meal, but, you experience much more AFTER 4 days.
In fasting after 4 days, when the hunger pangs are gone, then you come to another benefit: Feeling the spirit inside you. Man what a blessing ! To actually be in touch with the life inside is quite an eye opener, and the longer you fast, the more prominent. In 7 plus days, it seems like you are spirit. You no longer feel flesh. There has been times that I felt supernaturally strong ( I was ) . Although my body was weak, an inner strength took over and every day that passed, I felt STRONGER ! I understand what it meant when I read when Jesus , after the baptism, coming back from being drove into the wilderness, came back " IN THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT ". Halleluiah !!!!
I have felt like, after 7 days, I could take one hand and snatch up a tree and throw it.
Another great benefit is that the Word becomes more intense, more alive ! Revelations come forth, because the Word is Spirit, and you are in touch with the spiritual realm. Your thinking becomes different, because you aren’t thinking of fulfilling the lust of the flesh…
PRAYER LIFE : Wow !!! Talking about speaking straight to God ! I remember during a time of fasting, praying seemed to be so religious, repetitive, that I asked God to give me a deeper prayer life, and that is when I began " travail of the spirit ". The spirit would double me over, groaning, praying for things beyond MY understanding, sometimes for hours…
The importance of fasting is beyond any words I can come up with…
If you want a deeper walk with God, fast.
Here are some scriptures referring to fasting :
Psalms 35: 13 , 109: 24
Jeremiah 36: 6
Matthew 17: 21
Mark 9: 29
I Corinthians 7: 5
2nd Corinthians 6: 5 , 11: 27
Jeremiah 14: 12
Zachariah 7: 5
Matthew 6: 16
Isaiah 58
I want to encourage everyone that has a heart toward God, want a deeper walk with God, to deny the flesh by fasting and prayer…
PEACE and Love in the Holy Ghost,
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July 17th, 2009 - 8:26 am
Fasting is to put off everything you do or think about to focus completely on God.
To spend time meditating on God & the things of God & ask God for personal direction, or to give something of great concern to God.
Biblicaly, once the disciples couldn’t cast out a demon in Jesus Name. And Jesus said that this demon only is cast out by fasting first. Jesus of course did cast out the demon. But that is because Jesus is one with the Father God. And his disciples needed more connection with Father God, so fasting was required regarding this particular demonic possession.
Also consider Moses who had fasted 40 days & nights. And especially Jesus who fasted 40 days & nights after he was baptized & led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
That is when Jesus said to the tempter, "… Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from God…".
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July 17th, 2009 - 9:12 am
Ramadhan, the fasting month is just around the corner.. yehaa.. i love this month. actually there are many good reasons behind fasting.
many scientific finding published about the benifits of fasting (restricted calorie intake). you can check some of them here; http://www.healthpromoting.com/Articles/articles/benefit.htm.
its compulsury for muslim to fast in this month (except for some few reasons). Spiritually, fasting is like a personal development training to a muslim. the goal of fasting is to purify oneself from negative thing/ sins and in the same time to gain rewards/ merits from god which we muslim sought for the preparation for the after life.. fasting is not limited to refraining from eating, drinking and sex from dawn till dusk but refraining from a lot of other negative/ things forbid by the islamic law such as fighting, telling lies, behaving badly to the society etc. when we fast we are always reminded to be good, so its sort of 1 month training program to reprogram us to be good and that the result of this program should be maintained to the rest of the year.
its also some sort of sincerity test by god to his servant. I remember when i was still a kid, i would ’secretly’ drink from the tab and sneak some food. but later i learnt that its not my parents who judge my fasting, but its god who know everything.. make me realize that i cant escape from god knowing all the things that i do/did/will do.
Ramadhan or fasting month is a bonus month for muslim. when we be good we are rewarded generously by god. its like working the same capacity but the rewards are much greater + other bonus and benefit (like improve health, help in saving etc).
its also to make us realize that we are not so great after all, we barely can go thru the day without drinking and eating, thus must depend on god all the time.
it is also very true like what u said; it is to gain a greater appreciation for what we are fortunate to have and to feel empathy for those less fortunate.
hope that will give you some insight why muslim fast.
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i am a muslim, trying to be a good one
July 17th, 2009 - 9:18 am
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much about why Muslim’s fast. I am a Christian and, although I try to have a good understanding of most religions, I cannot claim to have that deep of an understanding of the Islamic faith. I also have to admit from the start that I, personally, have never fasted, not out of a disbelief in the importance of it but simply because, being only just 16, I am only beginning in my life and have not had the opportunity to, and also my health makes it a really bad idea for me.
Now that you understand where I am coming from, here is my answer to your question.
Fasting seems to be a way in which to focus soley on God. It tends to be done when someone goes away for that purpose, away from their regular lives, away from a lot of people, usually to somewhere remote but, more generally, just to anywhere where they can be alone or only with a small group of people who share their want to fast. By putting themselves in this situation, they take themselves away from all of the extra things which cloud our lives and spend the time with God, where there are no distractions.
The fasting aspect of this experience is to forget the physical needs of your body, to forget about all of this superficial, material stuff that we fill our lives with, and therefore be able to focus more fully on God.
Of course, this is by no means to be taken as a belief in the evil of all material things, food included. This is not a Christian, but Gnostic, belief where all that is spiritual is good and all that is material is evil. Christians believe fully in the goodness of creation, in enjoying our world that God has created for us, including His vast options of food that He has provided for us. Christianity never says that the material world is evil.
What Christianity does believe is that, no matter how good all of the material things can be when enjoyed in the right way, God is still more important than all of this and our relationship with Him should come top priority, above our need for anything material. Fasting is a way to focus on this, to focus on God and put Him before all material things by removing those material things, to get our priorities straight and our relationship with God deepened before we go back to our material lives, which are not as important.
I hope that I have given you some insight. I am sure that there are many other ways of fasting, and many other reasons for fasting, even within Christianity but based on my limited knowledge in this area, this is my understanding of what it means to fast and why we fast. I am eager to hear other peoples opinions, as I would love to know more about fasting.
Thankyou for asking this question.
p.s. In your question you mentioned that it could be to gain a greater appreciation for what we are fortunate to have and to feel empathy for those less fortunate. I think that this is another great reason to fast, in fact when I read this I immediately thought of the 40 Hour Famine, which my church participates in and I have, in the past, actually participated in. This is an example of a fast designed to, not only gain the appreciation and empathy you mentioned, but to actually actively do something about it by being sponsered and using that money to help those less fortunate. I think that this is another reason for fasting that is very big in Christianity. Thank you for sharing that idea.
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