A Word on Fasting

A young Christian brother wrote me, asking for a word on fasting, which he is trying for the first time. My response consists of the very basics, not about Orthodox Christian fasting guidelines, but gleaned from my own prayer life and the experiences of the abbas, the Desert Fathers, and others. I want to share this with others who are growing up in Christ outside the Orthodox kinonía (fellowship).

Fasting is something that you do when you want to unleash your power of prayer.

Take this for an example… Have you ever had a friend or family member in such trouble or danger that it just drove all thoughts for food or entertainment or sex right out of you? I mean, all you could do was strain for them in prayer and sympathy, stretching yourself out in supplication. Perhaps it was even yourself that was in serious trouble, and you could do nothing but watch and pray, stretching your soul out to the Lord… the very thought of eating or any bodily or sensual enjoyment just left you? Well, this is true fasting. We fast because we cannot do anything else. Our prayer drives out the demands and even the needs of the body. Then, our bodies, emotions and minds being unconcerned for gratification, the power of prayer grows even stronger.

Another kind of fasting is more deliberate. You eat little (but usually not nothing), and try to calm your body down so you can maintain a state of quiet, for your spirit to gain a place of prayer. Unfortunately, this is very difficult to do, because our social interaction defeats some of its goals. I mean, you cannot admit to fasting, yet you sometimes are feeling weak and even sick.

A good kind of fasting to practice, for beginners, is to content yourself with bread (in a fixed amount, plain bread) and water (in amounts as needed). Another way to fast is to not eat in the day time, but to arise before dawn for a beginning prayer, then eat something nourishing (but vegetarian, like a bowl of cheerios with soy milk), and go without eating until after sunset, then pray and study the Bible, and afterwards take some green tea and a bowl of rice with some veggies. These are just suggestions.

The thing to avoid is anything that will endanger your health. Push the body gently into a state of alertness caused by hunger, but not into a state of acute discomfort. Stop fasting if you become sick, if you begin to praise yourself for your asceticism, if you begin to judge others, or if you are called upon to offer or partake of hospitality. Fasting means, no food gleaned from pain, therefore no animal products (except dairy, for some people), and never eating to fullness (always eat 2/3 to 1/2 of the quantity of food that you want to eat).

I wonder, does any of this help? Fasting is to make us hollow for God, so He can play us like a flute, so we can feel His breath within us, and sing for joy to the glory of His name. Fasting is to make our lives 100% prayer. I hope whatever it is you are seeking, you will succeed.

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18 NIV)