A few years ago, one of our Covenant Members participated in a church-wide fast for the first time in his life. His experience was powerful and life-transforming. Below is an email that he sent to the elders of the church (shared with permission). Our hope in sharing this is that those of you who are nervous or apprehensive about fasting would be encouraged to participate in this important spiritual discipline. Here is Andrew’s testimony:
This fast has been amazing. I was not even planning on fasting until hearing all of the encouragement this past Sunday. I normally cant skip lunch without being grumpy so I thought I had no chance of fasting for 5 days. I’m thinking my “reserve” that I carry around my waist all the time might have made my experience less difficult than others. I have not had any headaches besides the first day which I think was more of a caffeine headache than anything. I have of course heard my stomach make some crazy noises and growl quite often but I have not had any bad pains. I even had nearly normal amounts of energy all week which shocked me! I have spent a lot of time in prayer and was reminded to pray every time my stomach growled, which was often.
I have been praying about a lot of different things but God used this fast to show me something I was not praying about. I have been truly convicted about the lies I believe regarding eating. I have always assumed I had to give in to my hunger and could not function if I have not eaten, which has helped lead to my current weight. I have used food for comfort and the momentary joy that I get from the taste and texture of food. God has used this week to prove to me that I do not need food to be happy and that I can eat less by relying on him more. As a guy who has been over weight for 20 years this is an amazing revelation that God has given to me and I am very happy that I decided to fast.
I have not seen food the same way ever since God changed my perception of eating during that fast. God has helped me lean on him and ask the Holy Spirit to discipline me ever since and it has changed my life. I have lost 75 pounds since the fast and would not have changed my ways without the fast. The weight loss if great, but the point is that God knows what we need and when we spend time with him, he guides us in ways that he knows is best whether we planned for it or not.
I am excited to fast again, not to lose more weight, but to see how God will change my life again if I spend a week relying on him for my strength.
—Andrew