Psalm 69:10 When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn.
Fasting does not change God, it changes us. Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.4 Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists (Isaiah 58:3-4). Fasting, yet holding onto unforgiveness, misjudgment and quarrel in our heart is only starving both the body and the soul. Fasting and prayer reveals the inflammations of the heart and heals the infections of the soul. Fasting helps us to forgive the marauder and forget their misdeed. We have truly forgiven the offender only when anger and animosity stop surging and choking our heart when we think about them. When a text, call or conversation with the wrongdoer inundates our mind with smelly acidic reflexes(thoughts) of the hurtful past incident, we have not forgiven the violator. The therapy of fasting heals unforgiveness.
Science explains the basic spiritual concept that “fasting heals inflammations, infections and irritations”. A new study has concluded that intermittent fasting reduces inflammation, a condition that can lead to various diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel syndrome. As we treat the inflammation of the body and the bowels with fasting, our soul should be healed from hatred and loathing by fasting and prayer. “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, … with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12).
Fasting heals the wounds of soul:
- Inflammation: Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, the founder and medical director of Cardiovascular Interventions Florida, after extensive research and study has concluded that fasting for more than 24 hours may lower inflammation by reducing oxidative stress in cells. Similarly, fasting from repeating the wounds of the past, heals broken hearts. The more we reverberate the painful incident of betrayal, bickering or brawling the worse the inflammation of the soul gets, curdling unforgiveness into bitterness. Fasting that ends in fighting is not fasting. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife. Fasting alleviates anger and alleviates forgiveness.
- Infection: Loss of appetite is one of the ways the body responds to infection. A new study from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, states that fasting may help to heal infections in the intestine. Likewise, fasting from rehearsing damaging thoughts of humiliation or stigmatization will heal the infection of low self-esteem and lack of enthusiasm. Fasting heals the bacteria in the soul infected by insults.
- Irritation: Food fasting helps to fight the ‘irritable bowel syndrome’ such as abdominal discomfort, intermittent abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and gas (gastrointestinal(GI) disorder). As food fasting is the antidote to GI disorder, fasting and prayer is the antihistamine to irritability, bad temper and mood swings. Fasting and prayer helps us to clean our own backyard before we complain about our neighbour. Fasting helps us to self reflect and correct before we point our fingers at the offence of others. Fasting and prayer heals frustration, exasperation and irritation.
Fasting is the antidote to the inflammation of unforgiveness; the infection of shame and the irritable bowel syndrome of irritation.
Zachariah 8:19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’
Prayer: Father in Heaven, fasting is the divine medication that heals my bruised and battered soul from hostility and hatred. Give me the grace to fast. Amen.
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