Why Fasting Works

“How is being hungry going to make me any closer to Jesus?” 
You cannot always tell why someone asks a question. Maybe this person felt her pastor asked his church to engage in a senseless task. Perhaps she knew Christians modeled fasting in the Bible but was unwilling to be hungry, and the lack of explanation salved her conscience. Maybe she was afraid that she would commit to the church-wide fasting, but would not carry it through. Perhaps food was a deep-seated idol, and the fast challenged her idolatrous heart. Maybe. We cannot always know, but we do know this–she is not the first person to ask this question.

People, as a general rule, respond to fasting in one of four ways:

- I do not care what the Bible says; I am not going hungry, so I will not fast. 
- I know the Bible talks about fasting, but is that something Christians still do?
- I am willing to fast if Jesus says I should, but I really want to know why fasting works.
- Fasting? Sure, the Bible talks about fasting. Sign me up!
If someone falls into the first category, there is not much we can say about it. This person embraces a posture of rebellion. Any time a person recognizes a biblical teaching but is unwilling to put that teaching into practice, he sets himself against the teachings of Scripture. This person is not skeptical or in need of a little more guidance. He is fully aware of biblical principles, but for whatever reason, he is unwilling to embrace those principles.

If someone falls into the last category, he has likely fasted and enjoyed the goodness of the Divine through the fast. Or, not having fasted yet, embraced the teaching and is willing to carry out any desires Jesus has for him because he is acting from a heart of obedience.

But what if you are reading this and fall into one of the middle two responses?

You may wonder if fasting is something Christians still do. Clearly, you have read about fasting in the Bible. You have seen instances of fasting in the lives of God’s people. For example, Esther fasted when she planned to intercede on behalf of her kinsmen in the presence of a pagan king. The Jews of a region named Susa also fasted with her (Esther 4:15-17). When the Philistines killed Saul and Jonathan, the Jews fasted as a sign of mourning (2 Samuel 1:12). Moses fasted for forty days and nights when he met with God and received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28). Jesus fasted for that same period while being tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). The first church fasted too, and in one period of fasting God chose to set apart Paul for his special mission. (Acts 13:2) The Bible is replete with fasting examples, but it is absent of any inclination that fasting should ever cease. Even though fasting is not something many Christians currently do, a biblical model of Christianity would certainly include the practice of fasting. 
This observation leads to the question you might have asked, “I know I should fast, but why does fasting work?” This question is common for those with a pragmatic, American, Christian mindset. Most of us want to know why someone asks us to embrace a task and what makes it work if we are obedient. I would venture a guess that your physical hunger might not accomplish anything. Sure, it will remind you to think about God when you really want to grab a snack. It will leave the time you typically spend eating open for spiritual activities like prayer and Bible study. It will even develop a sense of unity among Christians who fast together. These are good things but are more like the fringe benefits of fasting than what makes it work. The essence of what makes fasting work goes far deeper into our hearts. Fasting works not because you are going hungry and reaping pragmatic benefits but because Jesus, the one we can trust above all others, has promised a reward from the Father to those who willingly trust His Word.

Notice what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 6:16-18. He instructed them to fast secretly. His followers were not (and are not today) to tout fasting as a testament to their own spirituality. In fact, we are not even supposed to let others know we are fasting unless it is in an appropriate circumstance. Our fasting is for an audience of one: the Father. Jesus promised this approach to fasting would not go unnoticed. He said, “...your Father who sees.” We know (based on the original language) that this seeing is far more than a casual observation. This seeing stops, takes notice, and becomes intimately aware of the things observed. It is the difference between a six-year-old girl strolling through a garden looking at the pretty flowers and a botanist studying the intricate design of a purple Bonsai rose. When you fast, the Father who sees the rose and created it, observes your heart.

The Father, who promises to see, also promises to reward. Jesus said, “Your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” The reward is just that--a reward. It is one person giving another a token of success or achievement. Yet, when we speak of divine rewards, we recognize those come not because of our own efforts but from the grace of a good Father who has promised to bring about good in the lives of His children. (Romans 8:28) This means that fasting works because the Father has promised to give the reward, and He will always keep His word.

Why does fasting work? It works because the Father we can trust has promised us it will be fruitful. He has promised to see us and to reward us. While this might not be the most intricate explanation of why fasting works, it is a truthful overview. It works in ways we do not always realize and cannot fully understand. However, fasting or intentionally going without food works because the Father says it will.