Fasting, Porridge, and Homesickness

First thing first. I am a stranger to the spiritual discipline of fasting. When I read Richard Foster's classic Celebration of Discipline, which outlines different kinds of spiritual discipline, I deliberately skipped the chapter on Fasting. But in the last couple months when I was preparing for a series of sermons on the Lord's prayer, my mind always thought about fasting for some unknown reason. This nagging thought became stronger when I meditated on the verse "Give us this day our daily bread".

By way of observation, I noticed something interesting about the 'strategic' place the verse resides. It is somewhat sandwiched between Jesus' teaching on fasting (Matthew 6:16-18) and Jesus' fasting before being tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-4). Second, on the one hand, Jesus taught us to pray "Give us this day our daily bread" and on the other hand when tempted by the devil said "Men do not live on bread alone, but on every mouth that proceeds from the mouth of God." Now you see why I was intrigued by the connection between bread and fasting.

That sent me back to Foster's neglected chapter on fasting, which then led me to other things, and I found many enriching insights.

My first personal encounters with fasting took place when I was a new convert. A naive and restless teenager, I was dead curious why people in the church starve themselves then prayed like crazy as if armageddon was gonna happen that day. So I decided to jump on the fasting bandwagon. I can vividly remember that during those hours of skipping lunch, I fought very hard not to think about the legendary chicken porridge that the skillful ladies in the church prepared for those who participated in the day of fasting. Good things come to those who wait, and indeed... the porridge tasted like heaven.

That was basically my spiritual experience of fasting, which was more about the porridge than about God.

As I studied and read more about the subject, I began to learn the true meaning of fasting. The following are some memorable quotes I came across I thought are worth sharing here:

Fasting, if it be considered in itself, without relation to spiritual ends, is a duty nowhere enjoined or counselled. But Christianity hath to do with it as it may be made an instrument of the Spirit, by subduing the lusts of the flesh, or removing any hindrances of religion. And it hath been practised by all ages of the church, and advised in order to three ministries; 1. To prayer; 2. To mortification of bodily lusts; 3. To repentance.
Jeremy Taylor, Rules for Christian Fasting

More than any other single Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. David said, "I humbled my soul with fasting" (Ps. 69:10). Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear—if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger then we know that we are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that healing is available through the power of Christ.
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p. 64.

Fasting is a laudable practice, and we have reason to lament it, that it is so generally neglected among Christians today
Matthew Henry

I wonder whether we have ever fasted. I wonder whether it has ever occurred to us that we ought to be considering the question of fasting. The fact is, is it not, that this whole subject seems to have fallen right out of our lives, right out of our whole Christian thinking
Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Of fasting I say this: It is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, or studying, or for doing anything else that is good. Under such circumstances God's Word cannot remain. But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.
Martin Luther

Why do we fast? There are many excellent reasons for fasting. Here is what I can gather from the Scripture and books:
1. To expose the true conditions of our hearts (Matt 4:4)
2. To learn to hear the still, small voice of God (Acts 13:2)
3. To make a space for God to reorient ourselves (Matt 6:9-11)
4. To express our homesickness for the Lord; his name, his kingdom, his will be made perfect on earth (Matt 9:15)
5. To help our prayer life

I would recommend these two excellent resources for those who want to seriously consider engaging themselves with God through the discipline of fasting: A Hunger for God by John Piper and Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer by Dr Bill Bright.