Why Fasting Matters So Much to Me

It’s the holiday season, which is probably the worst time of the year to think about fasting.

Nevertheless, I want us to work on planning this spiritual discipline into our lives as we look forward to the new year. Now’s the time to make these plans and commitments if you want to keep growing as a believer in 2026.  

I understand why, of course, we don’t like to think about fasting. Food is important to our body, and, frankly, we just like it. On the other hand, the Bible does challenge believers to fast—and that’s why we want to talk about this discipline for the next four weeks. As I wrote in a previous article for this website: 

When you study the Word, you will find that God’s people fasted on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29–31) and in times of national crisis or renewal (e.g., 2 Chron 20:3, Esth 4:16, Neh 9:1). Nehemiah fasted (Neh 1:4). Daniel fasted (Dan 1:11-16). Jesus assumed His followers would fast, just as they would give and pray (Matt 6:2-17). The early church fasted when they made major decisions (Acts 13:1-2, 14:23). Even when Jesus’ disciples were not fasting, it was because they were celebrating in the groom’s presence; the day would come when they would fast as they longed to see Him again (Matt 9:14-17).  

In my own journey, though, fasting was not a discipline for me in my early years (decades, actually) of being a believer. It was the study of God’s Word a number of years ago that convinced me that I need to fast. Since then, let me tell you why fasting has become an important aspect of my spiritual journey.  

1. Fasting renews my focus on God when my prayer life has become stale. I never want my prayer life to become routine, but I would be less than truthful if I said that never happens. When it does, though, I know I need to seek God with even more intentionality and focus—and fasting becomes the means to do so. Leaning away from my table and more deeply into God always pays spiritual dividends.  

2. Regular fasting has taught me that God produces in us the discipline we need to fast. Fasting has not always been easy for me, and I still fight through the first few days of a fast. Dependence on God becomes a big deal on those days. Obedience in fasting, though, has reminded me I can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13)—and that truth helps me not to be afraid of failure the next time I fast.  

3. There really is something both weighty and freeing about prioritizing the spiritual over the physical all day. My practice during fasting is to pray at certain times during the day, while also praying every time my body craves food. That usually happens a lot, at least in the first days of fasting—which means I pray more. Hunger pangs make me hungry for God, and the spiritual becomes more important than the physical. That’s good for me.  

4. God has deepened my burden for friends and loved ones to know Jesus—and seeking Him fully without regard for food is an expression of that burden. I first learned of this kind of burden from friends who fast and pray every Friday for their children (and, I’ll write about them later in this series), but that head knowledge then has become even more real experientially for me now. It’s almost as if I don’t even think about eating as long as I’m interceding for others I love.  

5. I’ve seen God dramatically answer prayers I prayed during fasting. The most obvious example is my mom’s Christian conversion at age 79. We had prayed for her for 47 years before the Lord dramatically saved her and amazingly transformed her in ways we could only watch in wonder. Fasting is not a “magic bullet” to gain God’s approval, but He does hear when we seek Him and His intervention more than we seek food on our tables.  

6. I’ve had to admit that unhealthy eating can be my first “go to” response when I’m stressed. Here I’m simply being honest with you. I try to eat well in general, but it’s usually worry and stress that lead me to ignore my healthy eating patterns. It’s been just too easy for me to turn to junk food to somehow soothe my soul in the tough days, even though I knew that bad eating brings only more regret. I push hard now, however, to run quickly to God in those hard moments—and fasting not only turns me to God, but it also turns me away from my food idols at the same time. 

7. I’m a church member and leader—and those roles have increased my desire to see God work. As a church member, I want God to do mighty things through my church family—things I’ve sometimes seen around the world but not often in North America. As a church leader, I pray that our other members will have the same desire. In a dark, chaotic world, we desperately need God’s help to be His church, stand on His Word, and proclaim it to the nations; I so much long for Him to work in and through my congregation that fleeing to Him and pushing away from the plate seem almost natural.  

If fasting's not a discipline for you, here’s a way to start: go back to the article I quoted earlier, “Strengthening Your Discipline of Fasting,” and find a starting place there. I have just prayed for all of my readers as I write this article, so know that I have your back as you run to God with this spiritual discipline in 2026.