Reflections on Experiencing God

April 29, 2001

By Mark Mullins

Another principle in Experiencing God is that we must make major adjustments in our lives to join God in what He is doing.  I have not mastered this concept by any means.  In fact, I have a very long way to go!

One small change that has blessed me in recent years is the practice of fasting.  This is a difficult discipline for Americans, raised as we were in a culture consumed with food.   Yet scripture refers frequently to fasting.

The Hebrew people fasted on a regular basis (Lev. 16:29; Ezra 9:5; Joel 2:12) and at times of specific need (Ex. 34:28; Neh. 9:1; Dan. 9:3).  Early churches fasted at key times (Acts 13:1-3, 14:23).  When Jesus spoke of fasting in the Sermon on the Mount, he didn’t say “if you fast,” but rather, “when you fast” (Matt. 6:16-18), and the verb form indicates a regular discipline.

The spiritual purpose of fasting is to allow us to focus more fully on God by focusing less on the physical.  But medical experts say that regular fasting is also good for physical health.  It flushes out toxicities that build up in the body, burns excess fat, and improves metabolism.

I was part of a tradition that did not emphasize the spiritual disciplines.  In graduate school, I got to know a number of Christians who practiced fasting, but never could bring myself to do it myself.

But in 1998, our congregation had a number of prayer warriors who began a prayer ministry in the church.  They began hosting 24-hour prayer vigils every few months, during which we were encouraged to fast.  The first time I fasted was a busy day for me—visiting hospitals, writing a sermon, and doing counseling.  But I also prayed for two or three hours with the vigil team, and being empty of food helped me focus on God in an unexpected way.

I recently spoke with my mother, who tried for over a year to sell my grandparents’ house so that their estate could be settled.  A few weeks ago, she was frustrated that it had not sold, and she decided to fast and pray about the matter.  My aunt was at the house that day, and six different people stopped by to tour it!  Two weeks later, the sale closed and the buyer was a Christian minister whose family had been looking for a home for four months.

I believe that one reason that Americans have trouble with fasting is that we are also unable to feast.  The Hebrews observed a cycle of feasting and fasting that created a spiritual rhythm for their society.

Our culture, on the other hand, eats on the run.  We gulp down fast food on the way to our next activity.  Even when we sit down to eat, we don’t spend as much time as people from other cultures, according to a study I once read.  Perhaps we need to slow down enough to enjoy our food, remember who it comes from, and fast regularly in order to seek Him even more.

"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!"  Psalm 150:6

Praise God with me at Spokane Church of Christ