The first time I chose to fast was almost 6 years ago. I was new at IHOP and decided I would fast every Sunday. I remember after that first day, I went to bed and I was starving. In fact I felt so hungry I wanted to cry. I felt like I was torturing my body and didn’t know why. But gosh-darnint I should be fasting if I want to be mature in God.
After 2 hours of lying in bed wide awake with hunger pains I gave in (since it was after midnight), and went downstairs to eat 3 bowls of cereal and 2 slices of toast. I felt bad for breaking my fast, and went to bed without talking to God. I felt like that day didn’t count and I would have to continue to torture myself until I could fast with no side effects and then I would start getting somewhere in God.
I bet many of us can relate to my story. So over the next week (and then-some) I want to answer & address some of your fears and questions about fasting as well as give some basic teaching on how and why to fast.
My aim is to equip you spiritually and physically in your endeavors to incorporate regular fasting in and to successfully do an extended fast. Because there are so many questions and fears and only a few days left until the 40 day fast beginning May 28th, I’ll be doing a few more posts than normal. So gird your bootstraps and try keep up…
Here are 5 quick tips about fasting:
1. Rend Your Heart: Remember, the reason you’re fasting is to touch God. It’s about being poor in spirit and emptying yourself not as it’s own end, but so you may recieve more of Him. It is not as much about the external actions of not eating as it is about the internal focus and desire for God.
2. Lovesickness: Fasting tenderizes your heart and your spirit in a divine way. Even if you don’t ‘feel’ anything special when you are fasting keep in mind that it is a gift you are giving to God because you love Him. He sees the movements of your heart towards Him, and you will bear fruit down the road.
3. Caffiene: This is hinderance to your body when fasting. I love my coffee in the morning, but I’ve found that it greatly increases my energy level if I cut the coffee 72 hours before an extended fast and keep off it the whole time. That’s like a fast in and of itself!
4. Water: Drink as much as you can. This is my biggest difficulty. I just don’t like to drink water for some reason. But it will significantly help you along your fast.
5. If you break it, just fix it: Don’t set the bar so high and ‘ultra spiritual’ that you are in fear of death after 2 hours. Choose a fast that you feel grace from God to do and then stick to it. If you happen to end up at Chipotle and accidentally eat two burritos in a row just get back on. Remember, your fast is a gift you are giving to God. But when you make the commitment to do it, then you need to let your yes be yes. So if you break your fast, don’t quit - just move on and keep going to finish it out.
Ronni said:
appreciate this man… I’m watching…
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 12:10 am
Robin said:
I felt like I was emptied out until I had nothing to offer God. I felt like dirt, like nothing, at rockbottom. And then I was reminded of how God felt about me.
I belong to Him. He delights in me. He sent Jesus to die to reconcile me to him.
See it’s one thing to know how God feels about you when you are running as hard as you can after Him. When you are praying daily and worshipping wholeheartedly and ministering to others. But when you know that there is nothing in you that makes you good enough and you have done nothing to deserve it, it’s a whole other story. Only when you are completely emptied out can you truly know His love apart from the conditions you fool yourself into thinking you don’t believe.
I’m with Ronni!!
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 1:02 am
Kurt said:
Thanks for the post… I am gearing up and trying to get my heart and body ready for the fast. I appreciate your info on this topic. Thanks again.
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 7:07 am
Retroman said:
Speaking of Chipotle, did you know you and your wife have an open invitation there on Sunday? CBB
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 8:59 am
Michaela said:
@Shawn - great stuff. A few extra thoughts…
For the caffeine addicted: it is far easier to come off caffeine prior to the fast. As a former and current caffeine addict, I usually try to minimize the headache issues by cutting down to 1/2 a diet coke (or probably a 1/4 cup coffee), the first day and 1/4 the next. Sometimes I’ve done this and missed the headache entirely or just had a mild headache.
Water: most people (esp. the caffeine addicted) are slightly dehydrated. It’s recommended to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces every day. So if you weigh 120 lbs then drink at least 60 ounces of water per day. 200 lbs = 100 ounces, etc.
Chipotle: for those on a Daniel fast - they make a great veggie burrito bol or veggie salad. Sadly you have to skip the pinto beans as they are cooked with pork fat. Chipotle has gotten me through several Daniel fasts.
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 9:24 am
antje said:
I haven’t commented for a long time… but I’m still around and reading and watching this with interest. Thanks for all this great input, Shawn!
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 10:43 am
Jennifer James said:
Chipotle is HORRIBLE during fasts though (sadly, even the veggie stuff) because of the absolutely insane amounts of salt. Talk about dehydration headaches….
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 11:41 am
Michaela said:
@Jennifer -
thanks for the info. I never experience dehydration headaches from Chipotle but i’ll have to check into the salt content.
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Lauren said:
I appreciate #5 a lot. I have been wrestling between doing a Daniel fast or juice fast for the 40 days. I feel God’s grace to do a Daniel fast, but if I chose the juice it would be out of the spiritual pride that I should be doing more. I work at a place similar to Chipotle, but it was started by nutritionists and is very good for Daniel fasts. I appreciate these posts!
Posted on May 23, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Esther said:
Wow! No wonder IHOP has a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy on fasting!
Shawn, I’ve always thought that if you settled some of these things before going on the fast as to what you will and won’t eat/drink that it would be much easier to keep to the agreed vow with God. I’m very clear with God what I will and won’t eat/drink on a fast before I go into it. Then when a temptation comes along during the fast, I can go back to my original vow with God and deal with the temptation easier. So on a Daniel fast I would write down on paper if avocado is ok to eat or not. If I’m honest with God up front, it’s easier to be honest during the 40 days, and He’s helped me to set up the boundries.
Here’s another question… is fasting things that are sinful or have a hook in our lives (like addictions to one thing or another) really fasting? For instance, if I can’t control my chocolate intake (or smoke, or caffine…) except when I’m on a fast, am I really just deceiving myself? This is a real question, not a condemnation.
Posted on May 24, 2007 at 5:35 am
Drew said:
Shawn,
I really want to fast for the forty days preceeding 7-7-07 and the call. What kind of fast would you recommend other than straight water. I want to give God my best but my work poses a problem in my fasting schedule.
What dya think?
Drew
Posted on May 24, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Misty Cole said:
Hey Shawn,
I found your blog through the grapevine, but really appreciate your post. God has really been talking to the crew in New Zealand THOP about fasting recently, so props for the timliness of the post. Hope all is well in KC!
Misty Cole (you guys should come vist NZ!)
Posted on May 26, 2007 at 6:53 am
nadeen said:
thank you sooooo much , thats my 12th day on my 21 days fast and i just ate 2 bars of chocolate and i felt like “now what ” but as you said its a gift from me to god so i will continue my fast and pray that my YES be a realll YES
god bless
Posted on September 29, 2007 at 10:58 pm