Spiritual Benefits of Fasting

As Christians, we do not go on hunger strikes to manipulate God to work on our behalf. Instead, when we commit to starting a fast, we allow God to refine our desires according to His will.

If it feels like you keep on missing God’s blessings, favor, and divine appointments, maybe you need to take some time and surrender to God by deciding to fast. God wants to bring your life into alignment with His.

3 Major Benefits of Fasting

1. Fasting Helps in Humbling Us

An inward desire to humble ourselves before God should lead to an outward expression of humility–a fast. There are many Scriptures that prove a direct link between humility and fasting. We can see some of these examples in the Old Testament.

While Ezra desires to bring the exiled families back to Jerusalem, he tells King Cyrus of Persia that they do not need any help or provisions for the trip back. The truth is, however, they lacked provision. Ezra wanted to be a testimony of the faithfulness of God and His evident provision for them (Ezra 8:21-23). Ezra humbled himself before the Lord with fasting and God answered their prayers.

One other example of this is King Ahab who was known in the Bible as one of the worst kings that Israel has ever had. He also humbled himself by fasting and God noticed it and postponed his judgment until the next generation (1 Kings 21:27-29).

Humility has little to do with starving yourself, but instead with choosing to surrender to the acknowledgment of God as your Supreme King by abstaining from the pleasure of food for an allotted time.

2. Fasting Restores Our Hunger for God

If you feel like you have lost your hunger for God, fast. Choose to experience physical hunger for a spiritual reason. You’ll notice that God will reset your spiritual appetite for godly things.

When God led Israel through the wilderness, He taught them the importance of desiring God’s commandments with the same intensity as they desired natural food (Deuteronomy 8:3). God wants us to depend on His Word and desire Him more than our desire for physical food.

Read: The Weapon of Fasting

3. Fasting Increases Our Holiness

Lastly, Scripture states that the vessels who cleanse themselves will be instruments used for special purposes. Jesus died on the cross for our spirit to be sanctified, but our soul is undergoing sanctification until Christ’s return (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

Respond to the beckoning of the Holy Spirit. He wants to do wonders in your life. Today’s sanctification will bring tomorrow’s results. Today’s crushing will bring tomorrow’s calling and anointing (Joshua 3:5).

You’ll see that God will begin to expose areas of your life that are unholy, and He will draw you closer to Him. This separation will cause Him to send you out into His mission and into His call for your life.

Final Thoughts

The benefits that fasting can produce in our lives are truly countless. You’ll notice that as you take this step, your heart will become more sensitive to God’s voice and the Holy Spirit’s leading. This act of surrender will not manipulate God to move based on your requests, but when it’s done with the right motives, the Bible says, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).