Psalm 35:13a Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.
“The discipline of fasting breaks you out of the world’s routine.” — Jentezen Franklin
Fasting is an expression of humility before God. Fasting disciplines us by disrupting our routine and recreation in order to reunite us with the Lord. Fasting is a whip that breaks our preferences and pride. Fasting restrains the cravings of the flesh to develop spiritual hunger. Regular fasting helps us to remain humble, honest and holy before the Lord.
Our body needs rest and so does our digestive system. Physical rest helps relieve muscle tension, reduces fatigue, and relaxes the mind. Rest is the best medicine for practically every health problem. Sleep and rest boosts growth hormones and reduces cortisol, strengthening our immune system. Symbolically and literally, fasting is a rest to the body and the soul that improves our spiritual health and wellbeing. Fasting is saying ‘no’ to the demands of our stomach and bringing it under the subjection of the spirit. Fasting works from the inside out and puts a bridle on the mind that craves for food by redirecting it to spiritual manna.
Our stomach releases “hunger hormones” at breakfast, lunch and dinner when it habitually receives sumptuous meals. The hunger hormone is called “ghrelin”. However, while we are fasting we feed ‘water’ instead of a ‘burger’ to our rumbling belly and abrasively refuse to gratify our cravings. The physical discipline of fasting aids us to train our soul from unhealthy appetites, temptations, attractions and enticements.
David not only fasted for himself but he fasted for others. Intercessory fasts humble us further. From putting on humility like a garment, meekness is interwoven into our soul when we do intercessory fasts. Fasting humbles us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Fasting disciplines us to remain humble:
1. Stomach: Fasting helps us to gain control over our stomach and quench the ghrelin that makes us ‘hangry’ when we are ‘hungry’. Some of the health benefits of fasting are that we can live free from diabetes, high cholesterol or any cardiovascular disease as we age gracefully. Our stomach will soon learn to stop craving and start eating what it is fed. Fasting humbles our physical appetite.
2. Senses: Regulating our physical appetite teaches our mind to be on guard. The best antidote to overcome any kind of addiction (– substance, wrong habits or strongholds) is fasting. Fasting disciplines our thought process and brings our mind and mouth under control. Fasting is the engine behind a disciplined mind and a controlled tongue.
3. Sensitivity: Fasting makes us sensitive to the heartbeat of God. Without humility we can never get close to the bosom of the Lord and listen to His heartbeat. David was not a perfect man but he was quick to repent and rebound his relationship with God. It was not David’s achievements but his humility that made him great.
Fasting is the physical discipline that keeps physical, emotional and spiritual appetites under control.
Isaiah 58:3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’
Prayer: Father God, teach me to discipline myself physically to bring my emotional appetites under control. Amen.
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