Q. Should we fast when we pray?
A. Yes, fasting adds an "exclamation mark" to our prayers.
There are many appropriate times to fast and pray (see the long biblical list in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, chapter 9 [pgs. 159-180]). Fasting is expected by our Lord (Mark 2:19-20, Matt. 6:16-18, etc), but it is not a means of wrestling God to our point of view or holding him hostage by a hunger-strike. Fasting is a way of intensifying our prayers so that we increasingly say to ourselves and to God that we really believe what we are praying. "This much, O God, I want you" (A Hunger for God, 23).
2 comments:
I certainly agree with the need for fasting in prayer, but biblically speaking, I don't know that I could prove that it is intended to demonstrate our passion in prayer (paraphrasing the above--apologies if the paraphrase does damage to the original meaning).
The basic reason for (New Testament) fasting, at least IMHO, is found in Matthew 9:14-15:
"Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?' And Jesus said to them, 'The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.' "
It needs to be emphasized that, during the Incarnation, the disciples did NOT fast. So whatever reasons there are biblically for fasting must have been negated during the Incarnation. Jesus' response in this passage shows that the fundamental meaning of fasting is mourning--mourning the absence of the Bridegroom.
When we fast, we are not (primarily) demonstrating our commitment or our passion or our rejection of food as an idol. We are demonstrating our longing for the return of Christ. We are saying, as the second-to-last verse of the Bible says, "Amen, come quickly Lord Jesus." And I think this should be in our conscious understanding when we fast.
This is not just one reason among many to fast. If this reason is taken away (i.e., during the Incarnation or after the Return), then all other reasons to fast are nullified. In fact, from the way Jesus was speaking, it would be an outrageous offense to God to fast in those times (like the friends of the groom wearing black to the wedding because they mourn his death when he is standing there in front of them).
It is this reason that gives all other reasons their reason. It is the sine qua non of fasting.
Oh man, I just read my previous post. It sure sounds harsh! I didn't mean it to come out that way--just making an observation on how little impact the doctrine of the Return of Christ makes in our practical Christian living these days. Sorry if I came across badly.
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