[Video: First Experience with Fasting – Part 2]

Why is no one talking about fasting?

1. Food is an idol. Our western culture is consumed with food. Culinary school is becoming an increasingly popular career choice. And do you notice how many TV shows have to do with cooking or eating? To not eat, in the face of its abundance, is countercultural… and seemingly ludicrous.

2. Fasting doesn’t sell. Fasting offers no fancy diet plans, no infomercials, no multi-level marketing products. Fasting doesn’t make people money. It hardly makes for a good sermon or small group study. Why would anyone talk about it?

3. Poor press. People inaccurately quote Jesus (from Matthew 6) saying that fasting must be done privately. The truth is fasting is like other spiritual disciplines and behaviors. The idea isn’t that you should not be seen fasting, but that you should not fast to be seen. There’s a difference.

Yes, secrets with God are important (see E-Paper in right column). But how are we to learn and be encouraged in the area of fasting without honest, open conversations (like this one)?

[See also Divine Applause, Chapter 4 called Secrets with God]

4. Fasting is not cool. Christian leaders seem to be more interested in leadership (growing your fellowship), discipleship (organizing your growth), influence (building a platform), discovering your purpose or dreams or calling, etc.

But fasting is about building your platform with God, not with people. Ironically, fasting is perhaps an essential to discovering these other platform desires leaders have. Those who get that don’t care that it’s not cool.

5. Enemy opposition. Fasting moves you in the spirit realm quickly. And the enemy is vehemently against you having powerful spiritual breakthroughs. While fasting will test you physically and mentally, the greater test is for the spirit. Fasting is a spiritual battle.