Fasting as Rest

A host of new research has been lauding the health benefits of fasting lately.  Water fasts in particular (as opposed to juice or other fasts) have been lauded for their effectiveness in slowing the aging process, strengthening the immune system, reducing the risk of diabetes, and inducing cellular reparation (google it). Some doctors are even calling it a “cancer insurance policy”.

But my introduction to fasting came through the pathway of Christian spirituality, not medicine. So my interest in fasting has been primarily for spiritual reasons, though I admit the health benefits are compelling. I’ve fasted occasionally over the last 15 years or so, mainly to improve my prayer life, hear from God, and grow spiritually. While I’ve had some interesting experiences, during most of my fasts I felt further from God, not closer. So I just figured the point of fasting was to learn perseverance in the midst of physical discomfort and fatigue.

But in the last year or two my spiritual life has deepened in some interesting ways. Suddenly, fasting has begun to make sense to me as I’ve developed a spiritual life based less on achievement and more on “abiding in Christ”; consistently experiencing His real (i.e. not metaphorical or contrived) Presence and interacting with him throughout the day on an emotional and spiritual level as well as an intellectual level.

In light of the dramatic shifts in my spiritual life over the last year or two, I’ve gained some clarity on why it is often so difficult for those who (like me) come from a conservative evangelical background to embrace fasting as a desirable spiritual practice.

I think that evangelical culture going back to the periods following the Great Awakenings of the 18^th century have been deeply shaped by an enlightenment worldview that bred suspicion against contemplative Christianity. These evangelical movements often championed a rationalist epistemology that focused on spiritual growth (sanctification) through right doctrine, biblical knowledge, and mind-based prayer over and against spiritual practices such as abiding prayer, meditation, and fasting.

So when evangelicals fast they often find their spiritual practices, which are largely based on mentally rigorous bible-reading, intercessory prayer, intellectual stimulation, and reflective writing get torpedoed by the inevitable mental fatigue we experience in fasting, especially in the first couple days. In our desire for spiritual achievement, we’ve lost our ability to cultivate restful spiritual practices. Fasting challenges that and it is uncomfortable.

Even those who engage God more through emotions than intellect may experience some disillusionment while fasting since the mental fatigue of fasting impacts our emotional capacity as well. I find that at different points I become irritable (especially on day 2) or I feel emotionally dull. But I’ve had a few experiences where in spite of feeling mentally and emotionally “low” I’m able to have a vibrant experience with God on what I can only call a “soul” level. Actually, the experience of fasting bolstered my belief in the soul as something separate from the brain. I think fasting can help us understand the form and function of our spirits and how they interact with God’s Spirit on a sub-cognitive level. I believe we are integrated beings and that our life with God works best when body, mind, heart, and soul are fully developed in relationship to God. But it seems that evangelicals are not good at engaging their own spirits with God’s Spirit due to inbred suspicions or simple inexperience. Thus our spiritual lives become anemic and need focused attention to develop properly. I think fasting can help with that.

I’ve already alluded to this, but fasting majorly challenges our achievement-based mindset by imposing physical limits, which impact our ability to work, strive, and achieve. I find I have to slow everything down. I walk slower. I perform tasks much more slowly and deliberately and I have to have patience with myself as I may not be able to accomplish as much during a fast. This is actually really healthy for me since I’m a natural doer and am not good at resting and imposing physical limitations to cultivate rest with God.

I want to propose that we not view fasting primarily as a way to achieve or gain something from God (such as an answer to prayer or direction on a major life decision) but as a way to be with God in weakness and to form the character of our souls. Is it enough to fast just to cultivate a restful “present-ness” with Jesus that doesn’t need to gain anything from Him? Can we be content to let God shape us in the dull, weak, and painful parts of fasting rather than using a fast to shape God according to our desires?

If this resonates with you, can I propose a little experiment? (Of course, you can tailor this to fit your needs). Try a 5 day fast. I thought this was a radical idea until I read about the many people who regularly perform 10, 15, even 30 day water fasts for health benefit alone! So really 5 days isn’t such a big deal is it? J Drink lots of water. I also do black coffee and unsweetened tea for variety (and because... its coffee... I mean seriously).

During the fast, don’t put any pressure on yourself to read large chunks of the bible or have epic intercessory prayer sessions. This time is for cultivating rest and embracing God’s restful presence in your life. That being said, have grace for yourself when you find at times you feel restless, irritable, and very very hungry. That’s normal and will fade after a couple days so don’t over-spiritualize it. When you’re ready, turn your attention to the Father in simple meditative prayer. Don’t worry about saying much or needing to hear anything specific from Him. Just be with him and enjoy His presence. If you like, you can grab a single verse or phrase from scripture to mull over. If you’re up for it, you can even try meditating on a single verse for an hour or more and see what it does to your insides. Better, yet ask him what HE wants to do in you and how He wants you to spend your fast and just listen to him. You might be surprised by how He leads you. And have fun!

I hope that those of us from a conservative evangelical background (especially us in the west) can learn to enjoy fasting from a place of Rest rather than from a place of striving. Because beyond its physical benefits fasting from Rest can become a rich and spiritually formative experience. It can challenge our paradigms for spiritual life while nurturing our souls on a very deep level and cultivating intimacy with God. If you try your own fasting experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!