Scripture verse: Joel 2:12

…That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning

When I was young, I grew up thinking that Christians do not fast. I thought fasting was for Muslims. After accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior, I schemed through the Bible about this topic and found that fasting is something we should do as Christians. Look up the following verses: Isaiah 58:1 – 8, Matthew 6:16 – 18, Joel 2:12. They affirm that fasting is part and parcel of the Christian life.

What is fasting?
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is taught in the Bible. … Fasting, according to the Bible, means to voluntarily reduce or eliminate your intake of food for a specific time and purpose.

How do we fast?
Many a people have gone through the practice of fasting without doing it the right way. They stop or reduce their intake of food and drinks for a targeted period and in a good number of cases spend sometime in prayer but at the the end of the day miss the mark.

When you fast, remember the following:
1. God is not looking for the affliction of your flesh to please Him
2. Fasting expresses your desire to get the attention of God. Normally this desire is so intense that one chooses to abstain from food and drinks. The intention of this is for one to concentrate on God and God alone. In this case the hunger for the attention of God is more important than food and the pleasures that surrounds him.
3. Fasting is an attitude of the heart

Whenever I fast, I always avoid doing it mechanically. Tradition has a way of killing spiritual things.