Over the weekend I performed at 24 hour fast. I decided to do it after listening to an audio book called The Great Physician Rx. The book lists many benefits of fasting including but not limited to:
- Increased energy
- Weight loss
- The resting of vital organs
- Reduced cravings for sugar
- Strong connection to God
I started the fast Friday night after getting Chinese foods with my daughters. It was father/daughter night and I knew my first test of restraint would come when I made popcorn for the kids to eat with their movie. I love popcorn and having bowls of it surrounding me was not easy but I manged to make it through. I drank several glasses of water and kept my mind busy with the movie. Bedtime came and although I felt hungry, I retired for the night. The next morning was a bit of a challenge as I awoke and made the wife and kids breakfast. Being around all that food made me even more hungry. Instead I drank a cup of hot tea and more water. After breakfast we took off to my wife’s school to help her prepare for the upcoming school year. There were times in the morning that I felt hungry,weak, and a bit disorientated but as the day went on, the hunger subsided, my energy levels increased and I regained my focus. I felt great!
One of the main reasons that I performed this fast was that I heard that it would strengthen my relationship with God. The idea was that whenever I would get really hungry, instead of eating I would sit down and pray. This is what I did. I don’t know if was my state of hunger or my increased focus on prayer but that entire day, my relationship with God seemed to be very strong and even after I ate for the day, my exhilaration withheld into the night and the next day.
For anyone interested in fasting, I highly recommend it. I will be performing many more of these in the months to come. Its such a great feeling knowing that I did something to improve my health and my faith. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Hmmmm…I love both God AND food! Can't I pray while I eat?
Actually I find its not so bad if you start the fast right after supper on Friday and then you eat again at Supper on Saturday. Its still 24 hours but you are really only skipping 2 meals. Well in my case, 4 meals.
Tyson , what you have experienced is interesting. I think I fasted many years ago, but that was because I had no money. When I first came out and started to work in the oilfield they did not pay until after the first month. I would pack a little food and hoped it would keep in the little cooler that I had, of course every week it would spoil by Wed. in the heat, so I would fast from Wed. until Fri. nite when I would go back to Fargo. The only thing I remember was being hungry.
If you could remember that far back, you would probably remember how great you felt once you came out of the fast. A fast is a fast, regardless of the reason! They say that fasting helps to speed up your metabolism.
@tyson- a fast means you are supposed to sacrafice and make it as hard as possible to magnify you intense dependency on christ. if you modify your fast to only skipping two meals all you are doing is making it easier on yourself and still leaning on your own strength instead of Gods strength.
Seth – Thank you for your comment and for visiting my site. Even though it was only 2 meals skipped it was still 24 hours and was quite hard to do. It took all my strength and really helped me to focus on God's strength.
I am curious what your schedule would have looked like? I now fast almost weekly and it has become second nature. I wouldnt mind finding another schedule that would really put me in touch with God.