How Is Lent Relevant Today? Part 2: The Physical Benefits of Fasting
How Is Lent Relevant Today?
Part 2: The Physical Benefits of Fasting
Biblical References to Fasting
Lent, traditionally, is a time for Christians to fast and
pray. In this post we will discover that there are many physical benefits to
giving up foods and drinks that we would normally enjoy. We will look more
deeply into the spirituality of fasting in a future post.
It will, however, enlighten us to firstly establish the
Biblical origins of fasting. We can go right back to Moses receiving the Ten Commandments
to witness fasting in earnest:
“Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty
nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the
words of the covenant” Exodus 34:28 (NIV UK).
When Saul took his own life following defeat by the
Philistine army, the Israelites fasted for seven days to mourn Saul’s death; see
1 Samuel 31:13.
Ezra called a fast in order to ask for God’s help as he led
the Israelites back to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon:
“ 21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so
that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey
for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the
king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because
we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to
him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ 23 So we fasted and
petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23
(NIV UK).
Jesus, himself, instructed his disciples that the casting
out of demons required “prayer and fasting”. See Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29.
You will need to refer to the King James Version of the Bible as modern
versions have left out the word ‘fasting’ and some versions even omit verse 21
altogether in the book of Matthew.
Even the Roman centurion, Cornelius, recognised the need to
fast:
“And Cornelius said, ‘Four days ago, I was fasting until
this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold a man stood
before me in bright clothing’” Acts 10:30 King James Version.
Why Do We Fast?
Before we explore some of the physical benefits of fasting, from a Christian point of view, you should approach Lent as a time to get closer to God. As a Christian you should not be approaching fasting from the viewpoint of personal physical benefit . You may wish to shed a few pounds or increase your fitness. These are not bad motives but they should be considered as side benefits. Your priority should always be building your relationship with God through prayer and fasting. If you have any doubts whether you should be fasting, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR / PHYSICIAN BEFORE DECIDING TO FAST.
Physical Benefits
Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting – controlled fasting, within a planned
timescale – can help to burn excessive fat cells more effectively than a
regular dieting. Your body will tend to use fat as its main source of energy as
opposed to sugar.
Reduced Risk of Heart Disease and Lowered Blood Pressure
Studies show that intermittent fasting can reduce levels of
cholesterol and blood pressure. There is also considered to be a lower risk of
coronary artery disease or diabetes.
Improved Brain Functioning
Your brain produces a protein called brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF); fasting can boost the production of BDNF, which in
turn activates brain stem cells to make new neurons. It also causes other chemicals
to help make your brain healthier. BDNF can help deal with changes in your
brain pattern, thereby warding off diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Enhanced Immune System
Intermittent fasting reduces free radical damage to the immune
system. It also controls inflammatory conditions in your body and may prevent
cancer cells forming.
Fasting can improve your body’s wellbeing in numerous other
ways. Please check out the links to further reading, listed below.
Relevant Scripture for this Post
Matthew Chapter 6: verses 1-16 (New International Version
UK)
Giving to the needy
6 ‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness
in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from
your Father in heaven.
2 ‘So when you give to the needy, do
not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on
the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the
needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 ‘And when you pray, do not be like
the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the
street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your
room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And
when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be
heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 ‘This, then, is how you should
pray:
‘“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]”
14 For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But
if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins.
Fasting
16 ‘When you fast, do not look sombre
as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are
fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But
when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so
that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your
Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you.
Do You Know Jesus?
If you do not know Jesus, or maybe you really don’t
understand the question, you may have many questions that need answering. There
are many people: church pastors, Christian friends and online resources where
you can find the answers to those questions.
In the first instance you are very welcome to contact me. My
telephone number is +44 7906 710 979 or you can email me at paultforrest@mail.com.
I personally recommend a resource called Try Praying. You
may have seen banners advertising it in your area. You can get a booklet or a
phone app. Click here for
full details.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and you have received
something worthwhile from it. The next post in this series will be available
from 9th March 2021. If you have any further question, please do
not hesitate to get in touch with me at the above telephone number or email
address.
Acknowledgements and Further Reading:
The
Physical Health Benefits of Fasting
Comments
Post a Comment