Do you ever fast?

[krystian]

Why? How often and for how long? What was your longest fast?

[fuego]

Yep. Actually started to fast again here lately after not doing it for awhile. Longest fast with just water was 32 days, then I finished out the last 8 days with juice, for a total 40 day fast. Done many few days, couple of weeks, a few 28 days, all just water. I don't fast near as consistently as I once did, but trying to get back into it.

I do it in order to execute the positional truth which my body has been declared, which is 'dead'. Also health benefits, spiritual benefits per Isaiah 58. Breaking the strongholds of the flesh.

[Colonel]

My body doesn't respond well to that and I lose sleep. It's more a spiritual/mental attitude for me. I watched Torben Søndergaard talk at length about his occasional 40 day water fasts and it sounded hard but certainly not impossible. His build is similar to mine and he starts at a higher weight than I'm at (195 pounds) and probably ends at a correspondingly lower weight, having lost about 40 pounds.

[Ezekiel 33]

My body doesn't respond well to that and I lose sleep. It's more a spiritual/mental attitude for me. I watched Torben Søndergaard talk at length about his occasional 40 day water fasts and it sounded hard but certainly not impossible. His build is similar to mine and he starts at a higher weight than I'm at (195 pounds) and probably ends at a correspondingly lower weight, having lost about 40 pounds.

His message on fasting was very inspiring to me. After watching it last year I fasted for like 35 days.

Fasting is a great way to put the flesh man back in his "dead" state. It is powerful to deal with unbelief, as with the disciples who could not cast out the demon from the boy with epileptic fits.

[Romans828]

... I don't fast near as consistently as I once did...

My longest fasts are 40 days (usually one meal a day) - However, my normal routine is to fast on Wednesdays.

I did a 40-day fast when I was considering marrying my Hubby - He fasted also...

We wanted to be sure we were in God's will and not in the flesh, so we "crucified our flesh" in order to clearly hear (in our Spirit) whether we should get married or not.

[Nikos]

Many fast when they should just call it for what it is to them: a DIET!

I consider a fast a spiritual venture. God as shown me many things and given direction while fasting. It helps us to rise up to a higher level spiritually. It resets our priorities among other things.

[fuego]

My body doesn't respond well to that and I lose sleep.

That's typical. I'm the same way. Last night I hardly got any sleep at all. In heavy ketosis from fasting is one reason. But sleeplessness is a common side effect of fasting. Well at least total fasting, just water, once you get past a day or two.

[Colonel]

I can lose sleep from just eating less. I can handle going from 2500 to 1500 kcal per day though.

[Colonel]

Fasting from food is a component in the fasts that the Jews did, which was a bit broader than just that. God made it even broader :

Isaiah 58:3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast that I have chosen,
A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Which is comparable to one of Jesus' teachings :

Mat 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

The Jews fasted from food, sex, sometimes water. A fast can also be from various activities or lifestyles. Most fundamentally it's a fast from the works of the flesh, to where the works of the Spirit prevail instead. It can include giving of one's time or money. Serving God in the Spirit at all times qualifies as a fast from the works of the flesh at all times. Submitting to God instead of to the desires of the flesh is a form of fasting.

[A.J.]

Fasting has always been spiritual for me and I know when it's not, as it's a struggle and often unsuccessful. When it's spiritual, Rog says I get really peaceful and I can see the change in my face, as my features appear softer.

The reason I say that fasting has always been spiritual for me is that when I was in the occult/new age, my "mentor" told me to fast to increase my "gifts." And I DID fast....

When I completely committed my life to Christ and I read/heard that the Bible says, "...when you fast..." I thought that if the occult/new age think it's important to fast, how much more important is it for Christians to fast!!! So I have incorporated fasting (water only) in my walk since I was a really young Christian. My longest has been 7 days of water only. I fasted TV & media for 40 days a few years ago and it was almost harder than food because I've always been such a TV addict and media... well, being online is a daily thing for me, for several hours a day!

It's been awhile now, since I fasted, but I know it was in the last year because I fasted when we were searching for a new pastor and we hired him in May/2016....

I'm actually SHOCKED at the number of Christians who have never fasted, not even a single meal.