fasting

[Uhura]

Hopefully some of you will have some answers for me.

People talk about needing to fast for something specific. I don't have anything specific that I haven't been praying about for as long as the situation exists. Although I do admit there are things I shold focus more on my prayers.

I will also be the first to admit that I always end up giving in and eating. And it is the hardest commandment for me.

Any advice to make it easier? I might ask for a blessing (although that will have to be for the next fast Sunday.)

[KrazyKay]

When you fast, it should be for something specific. I used to have a hard time not giving in and eating, but that was before I would fast for something specific. Since I started fasting for something specific, it has been easier. What also helped was asking Heavenly Father to help give me strength during the fasting to not give into eating. This doesn't mean I'm still not tempted, I am... but it is easier to resist the temptation when 1) I fast for something specific and 2) I ask Heavenly Father for help to resist food during the fast.

[tubaloth]

Fasting isn't suppose to be easy. It is to help us understand our dependence on the Lord. After teaching the priesthood lesson on developing out talents, their is a part in that lesson about making weak things strong (Ether 12 27)

Now you just have to figure out what your weakness are? Have you thought about fasting to help you learn how to fast?

[Vort]

Practice fasting in steps through the month. You can fast eight hours. You do it every night, unless you're compelled to get up to eat in the middle of the night. Stretch that out to twelve hours as a relatively painless start by eating dinner at 6 or 7, then brushing your teeth and not eating until breakfast. Expand this by a couple of hours every Saturday/Sunday. Before long, you will be fasting the full 24 hours -- and it won't even be that big a deal.

[Traveler]

I believe in fasting - I especially believe in teaching our children to fast. One time teaching 12 year olds in Sunday school about fasting I was surprised to learn that none of them had ever fasted for 24 hours. So I suggested that we fast as a class. We did this by meeting at the Church Thursday evening before fast Sunday to talk about the fast. The bishop came and told of two needy families (no names) in the word needing help. One had serious medical problems the other family was out of work and needing jobs.

The agreement is that we would each start our fast privately on Saturday and then end our fast together with prayer on Sunday following church. The activity turned out much better than expected. Most of the class ended up sharing their testimonies at Fast and testimony meeting. There was a great outpouring of spirit upon the class.

About teaching children to fast - I employed a method that seemed to work well in our family. When our children turned 5 we started teaching them about fasting and having them skip a meal. When they turned 8 they were expected to fast 24 hours with the rest of the family over 8. If they complained they were hungry - I would tell them it was okay if they ate and that we had something prepared for them, just in case but they would not be allowed to complain. Complaining meant no food because it was not fare for the other children fasting and going without while they eat and complained.

What was prepared for them was something that in the past they had expressed they would not eat because they hated it and said they would rather go without. This was given to them and it helped their teaching regardless if they ate it or not. If they ate it - then we knew that they could eat it without complaining. If they did not eat it - then we all knew that they could fast by their own decision and that they would not die. The interesting thing is that my children, now grown, do not think that going without eating is any big deal and fasting is thought of as something to do often - even more than once a month.

The Traveler