Fasting is more than just going hungry. Fasting accompanied by prayer is an opportunity to seek spiritual growth. Prayerful fasting is an opportunity to be filled with the Spirit of God.
Imagine that you have a basket filled with rocks and you desire to use the basket for apples. I am sure that you will soon realize that the only way that your basket can be filled with apples is to first dump out the rocks. This principle is shown in the following scripture found in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ about missionaries teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a Lamanite king.
"And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
"But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou will repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
"And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day…" (Alma
This king was in the process of repenting for his rebellion against God and offered to give up his kingdom and all his possessions in order to receive the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost. Aaron taught the king that he needed to bow down before the Lord in prayer and repent of his sins. Unlike most people, this king was ready to give up all his sins - not just one or a few but all - in order to receive the Holy Ghost. He was willing to dump out all his rocks (sins) in order to fill his basket (soul) with apples (the Holy Ghost). We can make room for the Holy Ghost in our souls by ridding ourselves of our unrighteous thoughts, words, and actions.
One very important way to overcome our weaknesses and rid ourselves of our sins is to regularly fast and pray. Many people think that fasting is merely giving up food and drink. Going without food is merely starving ourselves if we do not make the effort to gain spiritual strength. We can be uplifted spiritually through the experience of fasting and prayer. Our fasting can be more joyful and spiritually uplifting when we prepare properly for the experience and include prayer. Even though our bodies are physically empty when we abstain from food, we can receive the Lord's Spirit when we partake of spiritual nourishment during the fast.
When Jesus Christ visited the inhabitants of the American continent after His resurrection, He told them: "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 12:6).
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go without food and drink for two consecutive meals one Sunday each month. We call it "fast Sunday." On that day we attend fast and testimony meeting, and we make a donation called a fast offering to the bishop in order that he might have the necessary funds to help the poor and needy. This donation is at least the amount that we would pay for the two meals. Many members give many times more dollars as a fast offering. My husband and I give about one percent of our monthly income for our fast offering in addition to the ten percent we pay as tithing.
In addition to the monthly fast, we can also fast any time we feel the need for extra spiritual help or in case of an emergency in our family or community. We are not required to pay a fast offering on any of these occasions.
Why do we fast? There are numerous scriptures that teach us of the importance of fasting. Please notice the many scriptures that counsel us to include prayer with our fasting. The scriptures are listed in the following order: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Doctrine and Covenants.
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7). Purpose given is to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked.
"Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning" (Joel 2:12). Purpose given is to draw closer to God.
"And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37). Purpose given is to serve God.
"And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength - that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
"And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort" (Mosiah 27:22-23). Purpose given is to receive special blessings, such as healing.
"Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me" (Alma 5:46). Purpose given is to gain a testimony.
"Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God" (Alma 6:6). Purpose given is for the conversion of people who are not yet members of the Church of Jesus Christ
"But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God" (Alma 17:3). Purpose given is to gain the spirit of prophecy and revelation and the ability to teach.
"Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy" (Alma 45:1). The purpose given is to worship God and to show gratitude to Him.
"Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:76). Purpose given is to be obedient to God's commandment.
Numerous people understand that we can gain many blessings by observing the fast properly, but some people do not yet have this understanding. The Lord told His people through the Prophet Joseph Smith that we should feel joy as we fast.
"And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.
"Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer" (Doctrine and Covenants 59:13-14).
Do you feel joyful when you are fasting? Do you know how to feel more joy in your fasting? The answer is proper preparation and prayer.
When I plan ahead and look forward to fast Sunday, my fast is much more enjoyable. Some of the things that we can do to make our fasts more joyful are as follows: 1) pray at the beginning of our fast as well as during the fast; 2) concentrate on our fast;
3) decide to make the fast a meaningful spiritual experience.
One of the most important ways that we can prepare for our fast is to choose a purpose for our fast. Fasting with a purpose can make our experience more meaningful and may make the experience easier for us. If it is an emergency fast, we would have an immediate purpose, but here are some suggestions for our monthly fasts: 1) choose a specific person or group of people who are in need of divine help; 2) choose a personal weakness to overcome; 3) fast for knowledge about a specific problem - such as a job offer or move; 4) fast for spiritual strength or for special blessings for ourselves or others.
It is very important that we include prayer with our fasting. Our prayers can be 1) requests for strength in fasting;
2) opportunities to discuss our purpose for fasting with Heavenly Father; 3) expressions of our gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity to fast and receive spiritual growth.
We may feel physically weak while we are fasting because we are depriving our bodies of food and drink; however, we can gain strength in other areas of our lives. Bishop John H. Vandenberg gave the following counsel while he was serving as our Presiding Bishop: "Fasting and prayer equip a person with a much greater degree of strength and power than would otherwise be his if he were left to his own devices. Fasting and prayer can bring an individual to a point of humility and faith where the Lord can give him the extra strength and power needed to complete a task or to solve a problem" ("The Presiding Bishop Talks to Youth About: Fasting," Improvement Era, Feb. 1969, 71).
I am very grateful for my many opportunities to fast and pray. I consider these instances as two of the most valuable spiritual tools I can use. I am grateful for my testimony of the purpose of the fast as well as for my positive attitude about it. I know that spiritual strength and blessings can come through fasting and prayer. I encourage you to remember to prepare for your next fasting experience and to include prayer with your fasting so that you can receive spiritual fulfillment instead of just going hungry.
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