Taste and See
When my friend decided to do a 21-day water-only fast, I thought it was extreme. Five days in, she was in the ER with what turned out to be appendicitis. Most people would have quit—but not this warrior. She finished the 21 days, then added four more to make up for the contrast dye she drank for medical testing.
When the fast was complete and I saw her again, I expected to see someone frail and exhausted. Instead, I was greeted by an energized, radiant woman who could have scaled my stairs two at a time. Her eyes were bright, her smile unshaken, and her heart was overflowing with stories of how God had drawn near through each day of the fast.
She never complained. She never drew attention to herself. She quietly lived Jesus’ words:
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites… But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)
Her perseverance inspired me to look deeper at a spiritual practice I had too often neglected.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is voluntarily setting aside something good—most often food—for a set time to hunger for something better: God Himself.
As Dr. Don Whitney explains in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (NavPress, 2014),
“The goal of practicing a given discipline is not about doing but about being—being like Jesus. The biblical way to grow in being more like Jesus is through the rightly motivated doing of the biblical spiritual disciplines—discipline yourself for Godliness.”
When we fast, we express our dependence on God’s grace, our longing for His presence, and our trust in His provision. Sometimes we fast to seek guidance, to repent, to battle temptation, or simply to say, “God, You are my greatest need.”
Fasting Through the Bible
God’s people have fasted in some of the most significant moments in Scripture:
Moses: 40 days on Mount Sinai while receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28)
Esther & the Jews: Fasting before she approached the king to save her people (Esther 4:16)
Nehemiah: Fasting and praying for the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 1:4)
Paul: Fasting after his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:9)
The Early Church: Fasting before sending Paul and Barnabas on mission (Acts 13:1–3)
Jesus: Fasting 40 days in the wilderness, triumphing over temptation (Matthew 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4)
Fasting isn’t about weakness—it’s about strength that comes from God alone.
Practical Ways to Begin
Not everyone can fast from food for health reasons. If that’s you, check with your doctor before trying. You can still experience the heart of fasting by setting aside something else—like social media, entertainment, or a daily comfort—to give more time and attention to God.
As Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (Eerdmans, 1959),
“Fasting… must not be about food and drink; fasting should include abstinence from anything legitimate for the sake of some special spiritual purpose.”
If you do fast from food, it might be for a meal, a day, or several days. The key is to let the hunger or desire you feel point you toward prayer and deeper fellowship with God.
Taste and See
Fasting isn’t about what we lose—it’s about what we gain: a clearer mind, a softened heart, and a deeper hunger for God’s presence.
I thank my friend for showing me that fasting is not an act of deprivation but an act of devotion. Your longing for Jesus can become so great that you willingly set aside what satisfies the body to feast on what satisfies the soul.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)
So, what might God be inviting you to set aside? Give Him your hunger, your focus, your time—and discover that He is all you want and all you need.
