What are the benefits of fasting today? #Fasting #spiritualdiscipline #fastingbenefits
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Should Christians fast? By Adam Dooley, Op-ed contributor Thursday, March 06, 2025iStock/Marinela MalchevaMention the word “fast” today and the conversation might turn to the speed of light, the stride of a cheetah, or someone’s internet connection. Refusing to eat, however, is usually the furthest thing from our minds. In his book, The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster says that in a land filled with Golden Arches and pizza temples, it seems strange to talk about fasting.
Surprisingly, though, Scripture has much to say about the spiritual benefits of taking a break from food. The practice was so familiar to Jewish believers that they incorporated civic fasts into their New Year celebrations, Day of Atonement observances, and national tragedy commemorations. Though the concept is somewhat foreign to us, it was commonplace in ancient Israel. Fasting appears 75 times in the Bible, with 44 and 31 verses in the Old and New Testaments respectively.
