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Article #11

To Eat or Not to Eat?

Part 2

by: Anthony B. Campbell

"Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites..."

Matthew 6:16

As we learned in last week’s article, fasting is not commanded but it is definitely a beneficial spiritual tool available for a child of God to use if he or she chooses. However, even something as sacrificial as fasting can be meaningless if it is not done properly. If you decide to fast, there are certain things that you should consider including your health and your motive or reason for fasting.

Before you decide to deny yourself physical nourishment for any length of time, you should consult your doctor to make sure you are not putting yourself in any danger. If your health will not allow you to engage in the act of fasting, don’t feel bad. There are other ways that you can draw closer to God other than fasting such as prayer and meditating on the Word of God. Remember, the Lord is most concerned about the condition of your "spiritual" heart not whether or not you can skip a meal or two. If your doctor gives you the ok and you feel you are ready, start slow. Perhaps you can start with a morning fast where you don’t eat anything until lunch or you can fast for an entire day- not eating anything until dinner. Most people do drink water during a fast. The length of your fast is entirely up to you. One hour, one meal, one day or longer, its your decision. The idea is to use that time to really try to be in tune with the Spirit by including intervals of prayer and study of God’s word. Take it slow. If you find that you cannot go as long as you would like, its ok. The more you do it, the "easier" it will become for you to do it. However, you need to be aware that your body will let you know that you are doing something "different". You may experience hunger headaches. Your stomach WILL growl. However, remember, this is about denying your fleshly desires in order to draw closer to the Spirit. So, you will have to develop the strength to be able to resist the body’s natural urges and reactions during fasting.

Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt after fasting for 40 days? Nevertheless, he knew he had to prepare himself for the task that was ahead of him as our Messiah. Through his example, the Lord let us know that fasting is an invaluable tool for a servant of God. So, child of God, do you think you are ready to use this spiritual tool? Before you jump into it, you better make sure you are doing it for all the RIGHT reasons.

TO BE CONTINUED...