FASTING and PRAYER – ‘NO’ to pleasures and ‘YES’ to our Lord’s companionship

When we go down through the annals of history, we find that many religions had fasts with fervent prayers to attain the graces and blessings from Almighty God. Fasting and prayers are observed to enable the weak and the sinful, to prepare and present themselves unto the Mighty, Divine presence and Holiness of the Almighty God.

Feeding or let me put it, as feasting is essential for the sustenance and growth of the body. But God created man much more than a body. Man is body, mind and soul. Fasting prepares our body, disciplines our mind and frees our soul to rise in prayer. Fasts are not mere abstinence from food and drink only. They have to observed with frequent prayers and sacrifices of comforts. It is an occasion of intensified prayer and self-discipline.  Fasting without prayer is worthless, as fasting bears fruits through prayers. It is through prayers we communicate and commune with God. We can grow spiritually only when we can keep constant relationship with God, through prayer.

In our worship there are factors beyond human reasoning and intellect. Through the particular cycle of prayers, rites of purification and courses of meditation together with lent, fasting and deeds of charity we find amalgamation with such factors beyond our reason and intellect. The Literary meaning of the word ‘Fast’ is to abstain or to be strict. So, fasting is a period of discipline and abstaining from food and drink for spiritual purposes. However, scriptures refer to fasting as a voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of increased spiritual activity. Fasting is the earliest commandment known to mankind, for God commanded our first parents Adam and Eve, to refrain from eating a certain fruit from a certain tree (Gen 2: 16, 17) but allowed him to eat from the rest. Thus, God set for the body, certain limits beyond which it should not go. God did not give man did not have absolute freedom to take whatever he laid eyes on and whatever he desired, but had to abstain from certain things and control his inclination towards them. Thus, since the very beginning, man has had to control his body. A tree may be “good for food and … pleasant to the eyes” (Gen 3: 6) and yet one must turn away from it. “Because man did not fast, they were exiled from Paradise. So, let us fast now, so we can enter back into Paradise and regain it” — St. John Chrysostom

Moses spent forty days and forty nights, on two occasions, in the glorious presence of the Lord (Ex 34:28; Deut. 9:9-18). He neither ate bread nor drank water. He came down the Mount Sinai holding the two tablets of the “Ten Commandments”, given by the Heavenly Father. His face was radiant because of the communion with God. It is through fasting and prayer we can climb the heights of holiness and see God. We are removed of all impurities and we become radiant.

Prophet Elijah fasted forty days and forty nights and came into the Lord’s presence on Mount Horeb. Yes! We too can fast and pray, make our body and mind fit for prayer and meditation and walk into the Lord’s presence. 

The Holy Bible is bubbling with many examples of fasting and Prayer. David, the King – spent seven days in repentance, fasting, weeping and lying on the ground and crying to the Lord (2 Sam 12:16-22). The people of Jabesh Gilead fasted for 7 days. ¹³Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days (1 Sam 31: 13). Esther, the Queen – including her people fasted for three days and three nights without food and drink to find answer for their problems (Esther 4: 16). Daniel, the seer, aged and weak, fasted for three weeks, ate no choice food, no meat, drank no wine and used lotions to attain the fulfillment of God’s promise and deliverance of His people (Dan 10: 2-3). His fast led him to the glorious presence of the Son of God and also revealed the hidden mysteries of the king’s dreams. Jonah, the fleeing prophet – including the people of Nineveh observed a total fast which averted destruction of their city when God’s anger turned into compassion. (Jonah 3:6, 7, 10). Nehemiah, the cupbearer – fasted, prayed, mourned and confessed the sins of his people that fetched God’s mercy on his city and his people (Neh 1:4-11). Anna, the prophetess – fasted and prayed all her life (Lk 2:37). St. Paul, the Apostle – was engaged in fasting very often (II Cor 11:27). The apostolic band, at Antioch – worshipped and fasted to know the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3). Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust (Acts 14: 23). Paul urges them all to eat, after 14 days of fasting. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Acts 27:33

Our Lord Jesus Christ, fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights, was led by the holy Spirit, into the wilderness and destroyed the formidable Satan. Fasting during the lent enables us to control our emotions and bodily desires. We become vigilant and watchful against the evil, that we may gain strength to defeat the evil.

Fasting is pleasing to God. 7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear. (Is. 58: 7-8) God asked his people to observe fast. ….. 13Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God;
for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.14Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. (Joel 1:12-15).

All these and many more examples from the Holy Bible speak volumes about fasting. Fasting should forever center on God. It must be God initiated and God obtained. It should be accompanied by worshipping the Lord. (Acts 13: 2; Lk 2: 37). Fasting and prayer, should be used to transform us into a true image of Jesus Christ. Pride, anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear etc. should all be surfaced and done away with during fasting. David said, “I humbled my soul with fasting” (Ps 69: 10). It is a time of intensified prayer, self-discipline, meditation and abstinence. We should give special efforts to guard our mind from the temptation of evil. It means to develop a sense of detachment and personal self-discipline. Say NO to pleasures and YES to Lord’s companionship. This will help us to grow in the spiritual dimensions of life. We should fast from food and comforts, feast on the word of God and every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4).

The Great and Holy Lent in Orthodox Church is the divine process of self purification and repentance with humility, kindness and love through almsgiving, thereby moving closer and closer to God. “Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold” (Tobit 12; 8). Lent is a period of fasting and prayer prescribed by the Church, so that we enter into the Kingdom of God.

Let us all observe the Lent of our Church. Let us all fast with spirit of humility, acts of love, discipline of mind and strengthened by prayers, so that we can walk towards our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wishing you all a blessed and prayerful Lenten Season and may God bless you all in abundance with thy grace.

Fasting of the body is food for the soul.

Fasting is a gate to paradise. When the stomach is constricted, the heart is humbled.

The greatest of the virtues is prayer, while their foundation is fasting.

As much as you subtract from the body, so much will you add to the strength of the soul.

He who fasts prays with a sober mind, but the mind of the intemperate person is filled with impure fancies and thoughts.

When we are in a state of prayer united with fasting, we are more directly connected to God than to any other material thing in this world.

“Do not neglect the fast; it constitutes an imitation of Christ’s way of life.” ~ St. Anthony ~

“Fasting is wonderful because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flower.” ~ St. Basil ~

Fasting is the beginning of the sacred path of God, and it is a constant companion to virtues.
Fasting leads the virtues at the start of the spiritual battle and preserves chastity.
Fasting is the father of prayer, the source of serenity, the teacher of silence, and the illuminator of the mind.
The fasting of the tongue is better than the fasting of the mouth, and the fasting of the heart is better than both.
Every struggle against sin and its desires must begin first with fasting.
It is like a harlot speaking of chastity, or when one loves their body yet seeks spiritual matters.
~ St. Isaac the Syrian