A Hunger for God

Introduction

If there is one spiritual discipline that has fallen on hard times it is fasting. Especially among Baptists, we like our food and yet the bible is clear that fasting is something we ought to be doing. Jesus said in Matthew 9:14–15 “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” Those days are now. The bridegroom is gone and we await his return. We hunger and thirst for his presence.

I think there are a few reasons why fasting has become a thing of the past in most of our lives:

It is hard- Many of us have probably tried fasting in the past and when we got to dinner time, the temptation to eat became so strong we gave in. We started feeling weak or arranging our schedule to work around our families became too hard. I understand that it is hard and hopefully tonights message will help with that a little bit. I think many of us think we have to David Brainerd right off the bat. Go fast for a week at a time and maybe reading some of these great men of the past has made us unrealistic.

It has been abused- Fasting in many circles is viewed as “afflicting the flesh so the soul can thrive.” This type of thinking is linked with Monasticism and it falls short of what fasting is really about. Paul cautioned about people who legalistically limited what you can and cannot eat and promote ascetic lifestyles. 1 Timothy 4:1–3 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” The honest truth is that most Americans don’t really have any temptation with asceticism, but it is one ditch that we can fall into. The ditch most Americans fall into is found in Philippians 3:19 “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” We are ruled by our appetites. I’m hungry so I must eat. I’m tired so I’m going to take a physical break. I don’t feel like going to that event so I stay home. We are ruled by our desires.

It isn’t understood- I think the main reason people struggle with fasting is that there is a misunderstanding about what it is and how to go about it. Many of us fast for the sake of fasting. But why should we fast?

I think the simple answer is that what we hunger for the most is what we worship. Psalm 73:25–26 “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Psalm 63:1–3 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, My flesh longeth for thee In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise thee.”

John Piper in his book A Hunger for God likens fasting to a homesickness for God (Illustrate)

Last year when I went on my discipleship retreat, I was gone for about a week and a half without my wife. During that time, I tried to call every night; but the schedule was so packed full that we didn’t get to spend a lot of time talking. As the week went on I became homesick for my wife. I wanted to be with her, to spend time with her. I would give up anything to get more time with her.

Every year when we go to camp, we deal with this issue. A kid came to camp and by the second day they were so homesick they wanted to go home. Their parents are called to come pick them up. But that kid is willing to sacrifice time with friends, the fun games, swimming in the pool just so they can be with their parents.

Fasting is a homesickness for God because we desire God so much that we are willing to give up some things that are taking away time from being with Him. Fasting allows our hunger for God to win out over the other desires in our lives.

The danger that we face is that the good things of life like food, TV, sex, entertainment will crowd out our desire for God. Notice what it is that chokes out the word in Luke 8:14 “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

Cares-worries, fears, anxiety

riches- money, self-sufficiency

pleasures of this life- all the good things in life can choke out God’s grace if I let it. They aren’t wrong in and of themselves, but they can become wrong when they choke out desire for God and his word.

So where does fasting fit into our spiritual disciplines? Piper goes on to describe fasting as the hungry handmaiden of prayer. Fasting and prayer are often linked together because fasting removes distractions, because fasting gives us time for prayer, because fasting is motivated by a hunger for God. So tonight we are going to look at how to fast, how long to fast, why should we fast, and then give some practical suggestions to help with fasting.

How

When I started studying for this message I searched through every verse that mentioned fasting so I could get a wholistic view of the topic. We start with asking how we should fast. We will look at some practical suggestions latter but these are the biblical examples that we have.

Going without food- 2 Samuel 12:16–17 “David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.” This story is about the death of David’s firstborn with Bathsheba after they sinned. While the child was alive, he fasted. But what we assume about fasting is that it is going without food. That is the most common practice and I don’t want to leave the obvious assumed.

2. Without drawing attention to yourself- Matthew 6:16–18 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” Jesus would correct the Pharisees because they wanted their spiritual disciplines to be seen by men. Just so we are clear, there is a difference between showing people your spiritual disciplines to encourage them in the practice and trumpeting your own horn. But Jesus says other than the fast, we should go about life like normal. Don’t go around with a sad, grumpy face because you haven’t eaten. Fasting is about a hungering for God not recognition of men.

3. Giving up pleasant things- Daniel 10:3 “I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Sometimes fasting isn’t going without food completely. Daniel’s fast was avoiding good tasting food and drink. He avoided pleasures. Maybe their is a special food or drink you have every single day, so you decide to give that up for a time.

4. Giving up other things- Daniel 6:18 “Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.” Fasting can include other things than food and drink; so we shouldn’t be so narrow in our practice. In this verse it included good music and sleep.

How long

How long should someone fast? Often times we think of a fast as at least a day but that is not actually correct.

1. Half a day- Judges 20:26 “Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.” Here they fasted until evening. They skipped breakfast and lunch at the very least. Skipping one meal is still a fast.

2. 1 Samuel 7:6 “And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.” Often a fast is an entire day.

3. 1 Samuel 31:13 “And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.” Sometimes it can be longer. It is recommended that you practice your fast differently if it is prolonged for health reasons. If this is something you would like to do come see me first. I have done one 7 day fast.

The point here is this: there is no rule saying how long you must fast for. The time frame is determined by the need. Do what you can and don’t legalistically feel like you have to measure up to some standard.

Why

This is probably the most important part of this message. What circumstances should lead us to fast? Since the message is getting long, I will just run through these without turning to the passages.

1. Expressing grief- 2 Samuel 1:12 “And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.” Nehemiah 1:4 “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,” There is a time for mourning, for grief and often accompanied by that is a time to fast. Fasting won’t bring them back from the dead or necessarily fix the situation, but it allows us to come to God in our grief and our pain and Lament. Who knows but in some circumstances God might turn things around.

2. Seeking God (put first) 2 Chronicles 20:3 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” This is probably the most important reason and should be first on my list. Fasting eliminates things that take time away from spending it with God. It shows us the power some of these things have in our lives and allows us to put God first.

3. Humbling ourselves Psalm 35:13 “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” Are you struggling with pride? Fasting has an effect on your pride. If it is done right, you will be humbled by the goodness of God and your own weakness.

4. Seeking God’s deliverance Ezra 8:21 “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.” I talked about how fasting is not asceticism. This verse seems on the surface to contradict that; however, the word afflict means humble. Here Ezra is seeking guidance for the people. Do you have an important decision to make? Maybe you should fast first.

5. Expressing love and worship in our service of God Luke 2:37 “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

6. Ordination Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” before ordination Acts 14:23 “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”

7. Casting out a demon Mark 9:29 “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”

8. Confession 1 Samuel 7:6 “And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.”

9. Ministering to the needs of others Isaiah 58:3–7 “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, And to smite with the fist of wickedness: Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, To make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, And to let the oppressed go free, And that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?”

10. Overcoming temptation Matthew 4:1–11 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give …”

When I ask why you should fast, these are all important reasons to fast, but let’s tie this in to our theme for the year. These spiritual disciplines are what I call habits of grace. So in fasting I am seeking more grace. What is that grace? Here: comfort in grief, intimacy with God, forgiveness of sin, guidance in decisions, deliverance from trials, help in service, strength to fight temptation. Every one of these points is God’s grace in our lives. I know I am hitting on this repetitively, but I don’t want you to forget why we do any of these spiritual disciplines. If you truly know why we should fast, you won’t have any problems desiring to do it.

Practical tips

Here are some practical tips that may help:

start small

Many of us fail at fasting because we try too much too soon. Try beginning with skipping a meal once a week, then maybe two meals in a day until you hit a whole day. Consider a multi-day fast but start with eliminating everything but juice and water (so you get nutrients) Make sure to drink water no matter how long your fast is. The flesh is weak, so work up to it. All these people who fasted in the bible, it was part of their culture so they had already been trained in it.

Plan what you want to do during the time you would normally be eating- Fasting isn’t about self-deprivation but it is about seeking more of God’s grace. Focus on why you are fasting. What grace is it that you are seeking? Pray about whatever it is you are fasting for, read a book about the topic, memorize some verses and meditate in the word. Spend the time you would be eating doing something else. Don’t sit there staring at your wife and kids as they eat dinner. You are setting yourself up for failure.

Consider how it will affect others- if you fasting drives you to be unloving towards others, something is wrong in your motivation to fast. Try to be considerate of others if you have regular meals with them.

Try different kinds of fasting- As we saw in our overview of fasting, it can include eliminating just good tasting foods, going without sleep, avoiding pleasant music. in 1 Cor 7 it even includes marital intimacy for a time. So there is a variety in fasting. Martin Lloyd Jones commented:

Fasting should really be made to include abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special spiritual purpose.

5. Don’t sit there thinking about how hungry you are, get up and seek Jesus.

Conclusion

Heads bowed, eyes closed. Tonight, I want to ask if you have every tried to do a fast before would you raise your hand. This isn’t to shame anyone, but we need to wrestle with the fact that we aren’t doing things that God desires us to do right. Don’t add this to your life just because you feel you have to. If I could leave you with one thought it would be the reason’s why we should practice fasting.

Don’t you see how amazing this could be. Don’t you desire to break the hold of things that might be holding you back from greater intimacy with God. Tonight ask yourself, is it worth it to try something hard to be with God more deeply.