Do Christians Need to Fast?

Strangelove wrote:

Ok so I fast from 2pm until 7pm everyday...is that ok?

Sure as long as your fine with that, iv got no problem with it.
Fasting is Spirit led not a carnal religious excercise Doc

I don't think it is a commandment to fast. But I think it is a good idea to try it. I found that when I fast that it quieted my mind and allowed me to focus and concentrate better. Not at first though. At first my body was basically screaming that it was gonna die. It's kind of my way of telling my flesh that my spirit is in charge. My flesh doesn't like that at all. My flesh wants to be in charge. It seems to be a constant battle, for me anyway.

Your flesh will give you all kinds of excuses why you shouldn't fast. It reminds me of a story I read once about a man who had two dogs that he would have them fight for money. Each week he would come into town and he would make money because the people would bet on the dog that won the week before. But he would make sure that the opposite dog won each week. A man from town asked him what his secret was, how could he get the opposite dog to win each week. He said that was easy, the dog that would win would be the one that he fed.

I think fasting is like that.

I started my first fast at 24hrs. Then I went up to 48hrs. Then I went up to 72. I've never gone more than 72hrs. I haven't fasted in a really long time, on purpose. It's probably time again.

Fasting is a natural response to grief and some illness. If the Apostles fasted when Jesus was with them, it would have sent a mixed signal. But, otherwise, it seems Jesus expected his followers to fast.

There's no command to fast because fasting is for our benefit. If you're obligated to do it, it's a burden, not a benefit.

Have you ever heard of anyone who fasted, but then regretted it?

I def understand not eating when your ill.

At the age of 37 I've yet to experience grief (Thank the Lord) but there have been times when I've been really sad (arguments with the Mrs. etc) when I have missed meals and just laid down, so I can understand the natural response to grief too might be fasting.

Thanks Hammer. I see you possess common sense.

I have many times fasted for five days. Went two months eating only on the weekends. Went from 230 lb. to 186.

I didn't do it to cease being fat, although that was good. The truth is I did it because I was so stressed that I had no appetite. No, that's not a very admirable reason.

A side effect of this event was the stripping down of my ego. By "ego" I don't mean pride exactly, although there was that too.

The effect was to focus my attention on what mattered, as opposed to what I imagined matters. Those two can become conflated.

Prayed the normal amount during that time, which is to say daily, before bed. Praying, humbling oneself before the Omnipotent Creator and Ruler of the Universe, before sleep is hugely healthful.

Moses fasted 40 days, and the result was a closeness to God that the other Israelites could not endure. It was very rough on Moses, apparently.

But that's the thing about the ascetisim that is fasting. To fast is to take up the cross, the instrument of carnal death. We are meant to be living sacrifices. Nobody minds noting the "living" part. It's the "sacrifice" part that gives us trouble.

Fasting is a visceral, tactile reminder that our lives are not our own. It brings home to us like nothing else that we are dependent on God for every second of our existence. We continue because God wills it.

Lately, and perhaps amusingly, I use my pants to decide when to fast: If they get tight, I must be living too high. It's time for a week or so of water-only discipline.

For a about 6 months now I have been only eating dinner.
It started off being a double helping...lol....but eventually it came down to eating a normal meal.

That's about as far as I can take fasting.
I still can't imagine fasting for days on end.