Disclaimer: If I write on an issue of a spiritual nature I'm going purely on experience. Better bloggers can discuss the Biblical basis. (Bases? Basees? What's the plural on that? Help?) I'm about humiliating stories. That's my calling.
The first time I was exposed to fasting in a "you're going to do this" sense was in Bible college. There was some big prayer need, and we were called upon to fast. However, we were already called upon to work in the dish pit, kitchen, or on maintenance staff throughout the year when we didn't have classes. Granted, dish pit and kitchen were off the hook. Still, we weren't too keen about running on fumes.
In the end, the forced fast wasn't so forced as dorms ordered pizzas. I wish I remember why they wanted us to fast.
The second fasting experience was my choice. I was a senior in college and I wanted to know God's will for my life. It was major, so I felt it was fast-worthy. It was a noble effort, but I made a couple of mistakes.
First, I thought I'd know automatically if I fasted. God would know I was taking things seriously and He'd smile and say "Be a missionary to Hawaii" or something of that nature. It didn't work so well.
Second, I went to a friend's house when I was fasting. Everyone passed pizza around and I refused a good dozen or so times. They asked me why, and I said I wasn't hungry.
I took certain passages of Scripture to mean one shouldn't tell anyone when one is fasting. If that's the case, one shouldn't go to a friend's house to watch Chris Farley movies. But one had to figure that out for oneself.
More later.
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