FASTING III

Though most fasting consists of not having food or drink for a certain amount of time, I think there is another deeper fast or perhaps a combination fast. It is my understanding and belief that when fasting we have no food or drink meaning only water and no fruit juice, sports drinks, snack bars or other sustaining things. That is a partial fast if it is a fast at all.

The deeper fast is what I call The Jesus Fast, which is solitude and silence… to fast noise. There are several references in scripture to Jesus and this fast. They are mentioned with prayer but not specifically with the absence of food and drink, but for the absence of noise. For example:
Luke 5:16, “Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness (deserted places) and pray.”
Luke 6:12,” It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”
Mark 1:35, “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”
Matthew 14:23, “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
Luke 4:42, “When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.”

It is obvious that this was familiar pattern with Jesus: to fast from noise, seek solitude, silence and prayer. One way we can learn this is to realize He is Lord and we are to be quiet and listen. In none of the fasting from noise texts do we read that he took Red Bull, Kind Bars, Orange Juice, Life Water, Clif Bars or his Cell Phone. Just silence and maybe some water.

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious.” Jesus