A Customizable Call and Guide for Fasting

A Customizable Call and Guide for Congregational Fasting Regarding the Sanctity of Human Life

The following article may be customized and <see red items> and used by churches, individuals, and Life Teams. Include the following salutation in any reproductions, electronic or otherwise: (c)2011 Rev. Douglas W. Merkey, President, Churches for Life, www.getintolife.org

OUR CALL TO FAST ON <DATE>

The <Life Team, Session, Deacons, etc.> of <church name> has called a congregational fast for the day of <date> to unify our hearts as we, together, (1) express our brokenness over the widespread disregard for human life in our culture, (2) admit our negligence in championing life as an application of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and (3) entreat God for forgiveness and repentance in these matters. This brief article was written to help us grasp the biblical basics of fasting so that we as a congregation may be of one mind and heart in this matter. The end of the article provides important practical counsel for anyone participating in the fast.

THE BREAK-FAST ON THE MORNING OF <DATE>

If you are led by the Lord to join us in this fast, <church name>’s Life Team invites you to join in a congregational break-fast at <time, date, location>. This will be an informal time of eating, prayer, and fellowship. To register to attend (so we can have food for you), please contact <contact phone number and/or website registration> no later than <date>. This is a free event, however a basket for offering to defray the cost of the break-fast will be provided.

FASTING, IN GENERAL

Concerning fasting, Presbyterian pastor and professor at Princeton Seminary Samuel Miller (1769-1850) wrote

“There is no precept in the Word of God which enjoins the observance of a particular number of fast days in each year. It is to be considered an occasional, or perhaps, more properly speaking, a special duty, which, like the season of special prayer, ought to be regulated, as to its frequency and manner of observance, by the circumstances in which we are placed.” (“Fasting,” Rev. Samuel Miller, p. 5).

As we search the Word of God, we find Miller’s statement to be true. We also find numerous examples of the people of God fasting, and even some words on the subject from Jesus during His incarnate ministry. It is to these instances we turn for insights into the times and occasions for fasting. Miller’s words regarding the “circumstances in which we are placed” certainly warrant the “special duty” of fasting. Since abortion was legalized in 1973 in America¹:

At least 50 million unborn children have been killed by surgical abortion.
Euthanasia has been legalized in Oregon, and hundreds have been killed as a result.
Over 400,000 human beings remain frozen as embryos as a result of fertility treatments. State and federal governments continually champion and release funds to experiment on embryos, an action which results in their death.
Sexual promiscuity leading to “unwanted pregnancies” and Sexually Transmitted Diseases continues to skyrocket, especially among America’s teens.
Chemical abortion (Plan B, Elle) continues its silent, deadly rise.
Millions of men and women in churches and the general public live in chains of shame and pain as a result of having had, or been party to, an abortion.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON FASTING FROM THE BIBLE

Fasting as an expression of sorrow for sin, or the results of sin and suffering.

Upon hearing the report that Jerusalem was destroyed and that its inhabitants were in “great distress,” the prophet Nehemiah (back in Babylon) “sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4, see also 9:1-4). This demise of Jerusalem, you may note, was a result of God’s chastising Israel for their continuing sin, including the “shedding of innocent blood.”
Psalms 69:10 and 109:24 both convey instances where the Psalmist (David) had been fasting in response to adversity and persecution.
In Jonah 3:5, even the pagan Ninevites proclaimed a fast as part of their response of repentance to the prophecy of God’s judgement coming from the lips of Jonah.
In 1 Kings 21:27, Rev. Miller points out that “Even the hardened Ahab fasted and cried for mercy when the judgements of God were denounced against him by the prophet Elijah.” (ibid, p. 6)
There are many times in Scripture that God called His people to fast as an outward expression of sorrow for their sin and as an outward sign of inward and true repentance. In Joel 1:14, sin and disobedience in Israel had provoked the judgement of God, Who says, “Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.” The same is echoed in Joel 2:12.
In Esther 4:3, upon hearing Babylonian King Ahasuerus’ decree that all Jews were to be destroyed, the Jews’ response included fasting. “In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was a great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.”

Fasting as a part of heartfelt supplication.

In 2 Samuel 12:15ff, David fasted and prayed in sorrow and supplication to the Lord for his stricken son. David reveals his motive for fasting in verse 22, “David said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’’”
See also Psalm 35:13 for an example of when David fasted for sick friends who at present were slinging lies upon him.
Upon finding herself and her fellow Jews in mortal danger, Queen Esther called a fast in Esther 4:16, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
At a crucial moment of need, Ezra “proclaimed a fast here at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions” (Ezra 8:21).

In Daniel 9:3, the prophet “gave (his) attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”
In 2 Chronicles 20, good (see 17:3) king Jehoshaphat called a fast as part of his seeking after the Lord for wisdom and help in the face of an enemy’s military attack (read chapter 20). A similar event occurred in Jeremiah 36:9 at the reading of the law.
In the New Testament, we find the apostles fasting as they seek wisdom for the selection and commissioning of elders, “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they believed” (Acts 14:23).

Jesus’ affirmation of proper fasting.

The classical text which affirms Jesus’ affirmation of proper fasting comes in Matthew 6:16-18. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, a sermon addressed to Jesus’ disciples about Kingdom principles and conduct.

“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (emphasis added).

Certain words have been italicized to show that Jesus obviously assumed that fasts would continue among His disciples (see also Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:20). It would have been just as easy, had it been His desire, to say, “stop fasting, it is unnecessary henceforth in this era of redemptive history!” But that is not what He did. Instead, He affirms the goodness of fasting when it is done with an internal heart-attitude of humility and reverence toward God and not with an outer show of humility in order to win the praise of men.

Other New Testament evidence for fasting.

In Acts 13, we find “prophets and teachers,” including Saul/Paul fasting in the midst of ministry. “While they were there ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (verses 2 and 3). A similar practice of fasting was followed and described in Acts 14:23.

ABUSES OF THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF FASTING

God issues a stern warning in Isaiah 58:1-12 to show that fasting without true faith, a humble God-ward attitude of the heart, and faith-invoked service is revolting to Him. See also Jeremiah 14:12.

Joel 2:13 records perhaps the most famous quotation regarding the improper use of fasting (or any other outward religious practice) in “rend your hearts and not your garments.” The quote comes right on the heels of a sarcastic jab at Israel for their empty fasting and tears for sin. Again, we see that fasting is only valuable in a God-ward sense when we endeavor to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord” (Micah 6:8).
Jesus lambastes the Pharisees for engaging in fasting so that they may receive the acclaim of men in Matthew 6:16ff.
Based on the crystal clear Biblical teaching that we are saved by faith and not works, it is an abuse of the practice of fasting to do it with an eye to earning saving merit before God. This is equally true in our sanctification. That is, once we become Christians, the gospel says that nothing we do can continue to earn us merit with God. Thus, to fast in order to procure or maintain our salvation is an offence to the gospel and repugnant to the cross of Christ. It is not the place of this article to exhaustively explore this truth, but for a start, visit Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 3:1-14, among the multitude of places you could look, for more insight into this matter.
It is an abuse of fasting, or any spiritual discipline (like prayer) to go into it thinking that it is a means to “get God to do something.” In some circles, people make the error that a fast (like a so-called “40-day fast”) practically forces God to act, or puts God in a position where He must answer our prayers. This is an affront to the sufficiency of Christ’s work on our behalf to secure God’s blessings toward us. And while we fast in faith, we do not fast “in demand” or in “vending-machine expectation” that we do this and God does that.

THE REASONS FOR OUR FAST ON <DATE>

On this subject, Reverend Miller eloquently states, “Seasons of fasting ought, undoubtedly, to be observed…by particular churches, whose circumstances are frequently such as to call for seasons of particular mourning, penitence, and supplications….” (ibid, p. 17). In keeping with this admonition and the Biblical discussion above, the <church leaders, Life Team, etc.> has called this fast for the following reasons:

express our brokenness over the widespread disregard for human life in our culture,
admit our negligence in championing life as an application of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and
entreat God for forgiveness and repentance in these matters.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

In the wide scope of Biblical discussion, fasting generally means the abstaining from food and/or drink for a specified period and for specific spiritual reasons. There is no rule given as to the exact nature of this abstinence. For example, in some cases in the Bible we find persons eating and drinking nothing (Esther 4:16), in others we find them withholding only certain foods, as in Daniel’s case “I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth…” (Daniel 10:3).

The <church leaders/body>, therefore, desires to leave it to individual conscience as to what varieties of food and/or drink a person abstains from during the fast on <date>. And they add Paul’s warning that we not judge one another in this matter from Colossians 2:16a “therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink.” Though this text was not written to specifically address fasting, nonetheless it applies to it from the vantage point of judging our brothers regarding food/eating decisions.

IT CAN NOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH that if you have any concerns at all as to your physical ability to participate in this fast WHATSOEVER, please do so only at the advice of your physician. DO NOT put your physical health in jeopardy!

Let Reverend Miller’s insights also be helpful for you as you prepare for this special day. He points out the following as the “Proper Method of Fasting” (ibid, points 1-7 abstracted verbatim from pp. 15-17).

Yes, my friends, in fasting, as well as in praying, the engagement of the heart is the great and essential matter. The primary consideration, then, in keeping a religious fast, is that the whole soul be truly engaged in the work; that while we use the outward symbol of humiliation and penitence, we labor to have our minds deeply occupied and affected with the humbling realities which we express with our lips.
My friends, real abstinence from food [and/or drink] is, no doubt, intended in all the examples and precepts which are given us on this subject in the Word of God.
It is important to the proper observance of a religious fast that we retire, during its continuance, as much as possible from the world, shut out its illusions, and endeavor to break its hold of our hearts. When we resolve to fast [it is important that] every occupation be as far as possible suspended, which may even remotely tend to draw off the mind from an entire and unreserved devotion to the appropriate exercises of the day.
Days of religious fasting are to be devoted to a deep and heartfelt recollection of our sins and unfeigned repentance for them.
As days of religious fasting ought ever to be marked by a special recognition and deep sense of our sins, so this recognition, if it is of the right stamp, will ever be followed by genuine reformation [i.e. grace-impelled, joyful obedience].
In keeping a religious fast, everything like ostentation, or self-righteousness, should be put far from us.
Once more: Christian fasting ought ever to be accompanied with more or less of sympathy and benevolence to the destitute.

To these ends, let us together consider using this adapted prayer of Nehemiah (1:5-7) during your fast.

I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayers of Your servant which I am praying before you now, day and night, on behalf of the <church name> family of believers, confessing our/my sins of negligence regarding the sanctity of human life which we/I have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.

We/I have acted corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Please also bring us/me into new obedience in this matter. I humbly ask you, Lord God Most High, that you would be pleased restore a knowledge of the sanctity of human life and its related practices in our land even in this calendar year, <year>. We/I ask these things for your great glory and our/my exceeding joy in Christ Jesus. We/I raise these petitions to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

REMINDER: PRAYER SERVICE AND BREAK-FAST

There will be a special time of prayer in the <location at the church> from <start and end time> on <day and date> to encourage us all in this endeavor. There will be a brief time of singing and instruction and prayer until about <time>. Then, you may stay in the sanctuary as long as you like to pray for issues discussed in this article regarding the sanctity of human life.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our congregational break-fast that will be held at <location, day, date, time>. This will be an informal time of eating (!), prayer, and fellowship. To register to attend (so we can have food for you), please contact <contact phone number and/or website registration> no later than <date>. This is a free event, however a basket for offering to defray the cost of the break-fast will be provided.

End Notes

¹ All statistics taken from Churches for Life’ website, www.getintolife.org. Visit the statistics page for references and for many more sobering statistics.

Written by Reverend Douglas W. Merkey, January 9, 2003 and updated on January 6, 2011. ©2011 Rev. D. Merkey
All Bible quotations taken from the Updated New American Standard Version.
Reverend Samuel Miller’s booklet, Fasting, was originally published as two sermons entitled “The Duty, the Benefits, and the Proper Method of Religious Fasting” in The National Preacher, Vol. V, No. 10 (March 1831), pp. 145-160.