The Spiritual Discipline of Fasting
The concept of fasting and the principles that guide it are introduced in the Old Testament. From the beginning until now, the basic definition of fasting has remained: refraining from some or all foods and, sometimes, for very limited durations, refraining from drinks as well. Jesus made it clear He expects His followers to fast (Matthew, 9:15; Mark 2:20; Luke 5:35). His example is our inspiration, but remember He was likely miraculously sustained through His 40-day fast in the wilderness, which was to fulfill prophetic types from the Old Testament that confirmed His Messiahship. No biblical author suggests His 40-day fast is normative or that any other figure in the New Testament ever voluntarily fasted for that long. Fasting for that long can cause major damage to your health or even death. No one should ever fast from drinking water for more than a couple of days at a time, if at all. The body cannot survive a total fast from water for much longer than three days. Fasting from othe...