We think of Lent as a time for depriving ourselves. As Jesus fasted in the desert, we put ourselves through the trial of doing without chocolate, meat or even all meals for a short time to focus on the spiritual. But fasting—by which serious practitioners mean giving up solid food for spiritual reasons—is also a powerful tool for getting God’s attention. “Abstaining from food elevates prayer to a higher level,” says Elmer L. Towns, dean of the school of religion at Liberty University and author of Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough. “It’s like saying ‘Lord, I’m serious, and to prove it, I’m going to fill up on You, and put the steak on the back burner.”
 
Fifteen years ago, Janet Kinosian, a California journalist and media consultant, was struggling with bulimia, an eating disorder. She fasted, and prayed with friends to be freed from what was blocking God’s plan for her. “Now, I’m not saying God wouldn’t have eliminated the bulimia without the fasting,” Kinosian says. “But I do believe it sped up the process. It was like a ‘holy oil’ that let me slip through that negative part so I could get on with the good things.”

Jentezen Franklin, a megachurch pastor who leads a fasting movement through books and his website, claims that fasting does focus your spiritual mind, but that focus is only a means to an end.  “When you eliminate food, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world. You’re able to break out of normal routine and slow down.” In return, “God makes you sensitive enough to be directed to the paths He’s designed for your life,” says Franklin.

Stepping out of routine isn’t easy, especially when others around you depend on it. Franklin and his wife just completed their annual 21-day January fast, but with five children, the couple carried on with regular family activities. “We prepared breakfast and bag lunches for school. My wife cooked for the kids’ meals. We went to restaurants and had juice or broth while the kids ate.”

The biggest obstacle to fasting for most people, says Kinosian, is fear, “They’re afraid,” says Kinosian. “And it’s a hard thing to do.” She says there’s a period after the first day and a half where you really get hungry. If you can get past that point, she says, it gets a bit easier.

Here are a few tips that won’t make fasting a cinch, but will help it be a more powerful, and palatable, experience.

Get your doctor’s approval

People with diabetes or other medical conditions definitely need to get a physician’s okay, but it’s a good idea for anyone to check in with their doctor before starting a fast.

Start with a specific, written promise and purpose 

Jot down something as simple as, “Lord, I offer You this fast which will last 24 hours, starting at breakfast today. During this time, I’ll drink water and sips of juice. I’m fasting to know You better and to pray for guidance in my career.” A promissory note like this will get you focused, and lay out the ground rules.

Don’t overpromise

If you have doubts about your ability to fast, take baby steps. Try fasting for a half-day, or a day. You don’t have to swear off all nutrients. Some fasters drink water or juice or liquids only, including broth. Under the “Daniel fast,” named after the prophet’s practice in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, the faster abstains from sweets, breads, meats, and wine. As Towns reminds us, “God isn’t so much interested in what goes into the mouth, as what comes out of the heart.”

Photo: Getty Images

Don’t promise too little

Don’t enter a fast casually or with a ‘hit or miss’ approach, advises Franklin. He says the “I’ll try to fast until I get hungry” method sets you up for failure. “If you’re committed, you’ll succeed. If you’re not, you won’t.”

Occupy yourself with spiritual matters at mealtimes

Franklin reads Scripture with the time he would have taken for meals. This gives him three extra opportunities a day he wouldn’t normally have devoted entirely to seeking God in prayer. Franklin also suggests you take a Matthew 6:16 approach: act low key and don’t bring attention to yourself. “If you don’t make a big deal out of it, others won’t either.”

Combine a fast with a retreat

Kinosian goes on a fasting retreat yearly so she can concentrate on God without distractions. She stays away from TV, cell phones, movies, and newspapers.

Fast with others

People fast with spouses, friends, and in fellowship with church members. St. Philips’ Youth Group in Norwalk, Connecticut combines a 30-hour fast with community service, random acts of kindness, prayer, and a supervised sleepover on the church basement floor. Teens fast with their friends, and in the morning they go to services. “The best part for me,” says Youth Minister Pat Olsen,"is knowing that the first meal we will share together is the Eucharist. That always makes me cry."

Pray

The Tempter will try to undermine you. When this happens, fasters suggest you pray, concentrating on the reason you’re fasting. Repeat Jesus’ reply to the enemy: “It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Be “lovesick” for the Lord

When people are desperately in love, Frankin points out, they are so engrossed in each other that they frequently go without food. Put yourself in a frame of mind where your heart rules over your stomach.

As Kinosian points out, what you need most to fast is courage. For a little boost, look to Scripture. Jesus, Moses, Daniel, David, Esther and the Apostle Paul all fast or advocate fasting in the Bible. “Jesus did not say…’If you fast,’” says Franklin. “He said, ‘…when you fast.’ So if Jesus needed to fast to fulfill all God had for Him to do,” says Franklin, “then I need to follow the Master’s pattern and fast and pray to fulfill my call, too.”


Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of  The Worrywart’s Prayer Book, Purr More, Hiss Less: Heavenly Lessons I Learned From My Cat, and over a hundred children’s Bible and trade books.