Fasting Part 2

[InquisitiveSoul]

More fasting questions:

#1 Water, are you supposed to go without water too?

#2 Is there any kind of promise attached to fasting in terms of blessings/answers?

#3 Is there any worthiness requirement? If you aren't living exactly the way you should, are you penalized by not receiving answers for your fasting?

I have a big life altering decision to make and am planning on fasting for some help. I need to know what God wants me to do about this and am trying to determine the right way to fast and what to listen for.

Any more ideas or help is appreciated.

[Dravin]

#1 Water, are you supposed to go without water too?

As part of the fast Sunday fast one is expected to go without water. Personal fasts are more personal, one can fast for one meal, or just abstain from food while drinking water (particularly if a job precludes this), one can abstain from water but not food. Ultimately, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, fasting is about subjecting the body and it's needs to spirit in an effort to draw our spirits nearer to God.

#2 Is there any kind of promise attached to fasting in terms of blessings/answers?

You may find this very useful, particularly the scriptural references at the end:

Bible Dictionary: Fasts

#3 Is there any worthiness requirement? If you aren't living exactly the way you should, are you penalized by not receiving answers for your fasting?

Fasting is like prayer, one is never so unworthy that the recommendation is to not pray or fast. Just keep in mind that if one is unworthy, if one has separated oneself from God beyond the normal separation of being in this life and not in his presence that *greater prayer may be required along with other things (such as repenting of those wrong doings) in order to draw us nearer enough to God that we can hear the promptings of the Spirit. Imagine walking away from someone talking to you, as you get further away you can hear them less clearly until you can no longer hear them, you need to walk back towards them to hear them again.

There are of course examples in the scriptures where God shouts, but generally the medium for communication is the still small voice of the Spirit and so I wouldn't count on a Saul, Alma the Younger, or a Laman and Lemuel type experience.

* I chose greater instead of more as more just implies increase frequency or length where greater can include both of those things but also fervency and purpose, at least to my 'ear'.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Dravin

[beefche]

And don't forget that sometimes it takes more than one prayer or fasting one time to receive some answers.

[Hemidakota]

Adding to the posts let me add some background on how we started in the church concerning fasting. President George Q. Cannon discourse, found in the book called, 'Fasting and Fast Days' (compiled and written by Jerald L. Newquist - Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, 1957), provided a narrative background how the church began fasting and fast days;

Fasting and Fast Days

The fast day and fasting. Probably the most explicit definition of fasting as acceptable to the Lord is given in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah, where the Prophet, reproving hypocrisy and comparing a counterfeit with a righteously-observed fast, says:

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

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 58:4-7.)

We see that in the sight of the Lord the ostentatious display of humility, such as would be indicated in the wearing of sackcloth and the strewing of ashes about the body, does not of itself constitute an acceptable fast. Something more than the outward show is needed. It is not enough to bow the head in seeming humility while within there is strife and hardheartedness. We may not understand that even the going without food or the giving of alms to the poor is of itself a passport to divine favor. The idea is that with the outward sign of humility there shall also be the contrition of heart, the charity, the love of fellowman that produce in the worshiper a desire to see and correct his own shortcomings and to strengthen and build up himself as well as his fellowman in faith and excellence. True fasting causes one to put away worldly-mindedness, to feel his weakness as compared with God's might, to draw near to Him in earnest supplication. The humiliation of the flesh leaves the spirit less trammeled in its appeals to heaven. And every one who has tried its efficacy in time of sorrow and distress will acknowledge the spiritual support that has followed. . . .

It would not seem that fasting can be construed under any circumstances to mean feasting. It is true that in the book of Doctrine and Covenants the Lord, speaking of the Sabbath and commanding that the food for the day shall "be prepared with singleness of heart," adds, "that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy be full. Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer." (D&C 59:13-14.) But rejoicing in the outpouring of the spirit and feasting upon spiritual things does not imply worldly merry-making. . . . Humility, contrition, charity—these things constitute rejoicing far beyond anything that the festal board can yield.

Fast day instituted by Brigham Young. The observance of a fast day, when donations for the support of the poor are to be given to the Bishop for distribution, was instituted at an early day in these valleys by President Young. It was in a time of scarcity, when no one had any too much, and some did not have enough. He gave instructions that a general fast should be regularly observed throughout Israel and that the food which would have been eaten, or its equivalent, should be given to the poor. The occasion became a time of spiritual refreshing, when in their assemblages the Saints were moved to the exhibition of sincere brotherly love and to the expression of strong testimonies of the truth of the Gospel, accompanied in many instances with powerful manifestations of the spirit and the giving of precious experiences and instructions.

It also came to be a custom that children should be blessed at these meetings, where a record of births could be kept in the Ward books. And by a natural process, where faith, charity and humility were so strongly manifested, fast day prayers for and administration to the sick came to be a feature of the exercises. All this is in accord with the old definition of a fast—a time for denying the carnal appetite and building up and satisfying the spiritual nature, not with a woe-begone face and hypocritical prayers but with a cheerful countenance and true, heartfelt devotion.

It is to be regretted that in some quarters there is a disposition to belittle and ignore the fast day. We consider it one of the most important of our Church services and cannot too strongly urge the benefits and blessings that follow its correct observance. (Apr. 15, 1892, JI 27:248-49)

Origin of fast and testimony meetings. It has always been a custom in the Church of Jesus Christ to meet together for fasting and prayer and, no doubt, bearing testimony also. . . .

It is recorded that the baptized believers on the day of Pentecost "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42.)

An account of the labors of Paul and Barnabas among some of the branches of the Church reads as follows: "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." (Acts 14:23.) Moroni says: "And the Church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls." (Moroni 6:5.)

It is evident from these records and from Moroni's that the same practice prevailed in the Church of Jesus Christ in those days that now prevails among the Latter-day Saints. The members of the Church met together in their local meetings as we do now in our Wards, and they met fasting and for the purpose of praying and bearing testimony one to another concerning their faith.

And wherever there is a Church of Christ organized, this has been, and is, and will be the practice among them. (June 15, 1898, JI 33:438)

Working while fasting. If the ordinance of fasting always required the abstaining from all work, many would be unable to take part in it. Besides the usual fast day, which occurs on the first Sunday of the month, and which for that reason can be accompanied by the laying aside of labor, many persons have the habit of fasting regularly once a week or oftener. Such persons omit in no respect their customary labors—they cannot do so. In like manner a special fast for the sick, or for any other purpose, can be observed.

It would be no doubt desirable for such as were able to do so to meet together and unite their prayers for the object desired. But those who cannot do this can still fast with as much sincerity and faith while performing their usual labors as if the other course were followed. Their prayers, even, can be offered while pursuing the every-day duties of life whether in office, workshop or field, with as much earnestness and faith as in the meetinghouse or the closet.

An affair of the heart. Fasting is intended to be an affair of the heart rather than an outward manifestation, just as secret prayer is recommended by the Master in preference to the display of the Pharisees. One who fasts need not by a long face, or by a pained expression of countenance, or making a virtue of abstaining from his customary work, give public notice in this manner of his observance of the fast. The main thing is to bring the heart and being into a condition receptive to the influences of the good Spirit and to approach in prayer the throne of the Father with a soul filled with praise, humility and faith.

Whether one works with his hands or lays aside all his labor while observing the fast has far less to do with its efficacy than the lowliness of the spirit and the purity of motive which should accompany it. And there is no reason why a person cannot enjoy these latter while engaged in his necessary labors on a week day just as well as and have his offering received with even greater favor than if he tried to make too much of a display of it. (Aug. 15, 1900, JI 35:535)

Abstinence from water in fasting. There is nothing in the shape of a commandment upon this point, but to be a proper and perfect fast it is quite necessary that water should not be used any more than food. . . .

A notable illustration of this kind of fasting is found recorded in the 3rd chapter of Jonah. After Jonah had proclaimed to the people of Nineveh the word that the Lord gave him, to the effect that He would destroy Nineveh unless the inhabitants thereof repented, the people believed God, and a fast was proclaimed. The king himself and the nobles humbled themselves before the Lord, and the decree they published was: "Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?" (Jonah 3:7-9.)

It will be seen that the animals as well as the people refrained from drinking water. This was a fast which the Lord accepted, and Nineveh was spared. (Apr. 1, 1891, JI 26:218)

Word of Lord confirmed. Again, we see it stated in a medical journal that the free use of cold water as a beverage is an excellent remedy for many ailments. The experience of the Latter-day Saints who have observed the counsel of the Lord has proved to them that it is the best of all beverages, when it is pure. There are many places, however, where the water is of so impure a character that it ought to be boiled before drinking. . . . We have no doubt that the health of the children, and grown people, too, would be greatly promoted if greater pains were taken to secure pure water for drinking purposes.

Another remedy for acute diseases has been brought to our attention. We see it stated in a medical journal that an eminent physician has proved in his practice that fasting is an excellent thing for patients who have acute infections. By fasting, he says, the alimentary canal is cleansed, so that germs do not acquire virulence and produce serious complications. His extensive experiments establish the fact that animals, and also men and women, who are kept fasting recover far more rapidly from acute infections than others in the same condition who are fed as usual, or even much less than usual. He has won for himself the name of "the starving doctor," because he forbids all food to his patients in acute infections, especially in pneumonia if there is any reason to suppose that the digestion is not in good order.

Observations of 140 cases of pneumonia are said to have confirmed the wisdom of this course. In every case it was noted that during the prolonged fast the patient partially regained the strength he seemed to have entirely lost before. Latter-day Saints are recommended to fast and pray; and no doubt there is true philosophy in this command. The Lord, who created us, does not require us to do anything that would be injurious to us. It appears plain from this doctor's experience, that fasting may be of great benefit physically to all who practice it.

In this connection it is interesting to note the remarks of men eminent in the profession of medicine. They state that it is a great mistake to suppose that doctors can cure people, when attacked with disease. All they can do is to help nature. It is nature, or the recuperative power of the body of the sick patient, that effects the cure. The doctors may alleviate pain, but they cannot cure disease by any of their remedies. When this view is taken of the profession of medicine, we can see how beneficial the administration of the ordinance of laying on of hands can be for those who seek relief through it, and who strictly comply with the counsel which the Lord has given to His people concerning their food and their beverages. (June 30, 1898, MS 60:412-13)