I’ve tried fasting a few times, but my heart wasn’t behind it. A few years ago, I tried a 5-day juice cleanse, and after three days, I caved and ate a block of aged cheddar cheese. Mission fail. A few years older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I decided to join my church in a fast as we prepared for a weekend retreat. But, it turns out, once again, my heart wasn’t really behind it. I made myself so many smoothies with protein powder that I was hardly calorie-deficient and was rarely hungry. Mission fail… again.

My church was preparing for the same weekend seminar a year later, and I committed to fasting again. This time, I felt a calling to devote myself to a real fast, and I approached the four-day fast with prayer and sincerity.

Lessons I Learned From Fasting

Here are 6 of things I learned from my first real fast:

1. At Times, It Is Simultaneously Harder and Easier Than You Expect

The hunger pains are real but also fleeting. Day two was the hardest for me. It’s not unusual for me to skip a meal or two, so day one wasn’t that difficult. But on day two, I woke up hungry with a mild headache that continued to grow throughout the day.

By the end of day two, I was already feeling weak and dizzy whenever I stood up or moved fast. I’ve been tested a few times in my life for blood sugar issues, and I’ve come up borderline but have never been diagnosed with anything. I realized that a full fast likely wasn’t safe for me, so I added a small fruit and veggie smoothie at the end of the day. It wasn’t enough to remove my hunger, but it alleviated my dizziness.

Surprisingly, I felt great on day three and had much more energy than I had expected. Day four was busy as I prepared for the retreat, and although I started to feel a bit tired, it was very manageable. I attended an event that evening with bar-b-que, and it was tempting to ditch my fast and devour some slow-smoked pulled pork. Denying one of my favorite meals was hard, but a short prayer for strength and some common sense to not stand near the food table allowed me to get through the evening without cheating. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t that hard once I set my mind to stick with my fast.

I had expected to have agonizing hunger pains that wouldn’t let me focus on other things. And although my productivity might have been down a bit, I was still able to accomplish my tasks each day.

2. We All Have Limits

I wanted to do a full food fast and had prepared for that. I was disappointed that I needed to supplement my body with the smoothies. But during a moment of silence after praying, I felt God reassuring me. He created my body this way for a reason, and although I might not like to admit what I see as a weakness, we all have limits.

Our earthly limits are built into who we are, and they encourage us to lean into Christ for our strength. Although my limit was a physical one, it was a great metaphor to remind me of how my skills and abilities will always fall short, and that’s an opportunity and a necessity to be made whole in Christ.

3. You Get Out What You Put In

Like so many things in life, you get out of it what you put into it. My previous attempts to fast failed because I approached them halfheartedly and didn’t put in the work. I hadn’t planned ahead of time for what to do with the time I usually spent eating or preparing meals. This time, I had a prayer journal and a scripture reading plan that I used during my standard meal times. Committing ahead of time and putting the work and effort into my fast made it a much different experience.

4. I Eat Unnecessarily Out of Habit, Not Need

Wow, I didn’t realize how much I snack throughout the day. I eat a lot out of habit, not need. It turns out I don’t need a handful of pecans or chocolate chips each time I walk through the kitchen. I found myself with a handful of goodies more than once and caught myself each time before eating them. My fast taught me a lot about mindful eating, and while snacking is still part of my life, it’s not as mindless as it used to be.

“Fasting must forever center on God. More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us.” – Richard Foster

5. Self-denial, Obedience, and Submission

Self-denial is hard and something we get to practice little in our current instant gratification world. The skill of denying myself something I want has value, both practically and spiritually. Practically, it’s helpful as it helps you make choices for your goals and aspirations. Spiritually, it enables you to learn that you can say no to sin. Fasting is a great way to exercise your self-denial muscles and can transfer to mastering some distractions in life.

Obedience and submission are even less popular words than self-denial. But the Christian walk is all about obedience and submission to God. It’s one thing to believe that God exists, but it’s another thing to set aside your heart’s desires and follow Jesus.

As Christians, we aren’t under the Old Testament covenant, which required fasting for certain celebrations. But when Jesus spoke about fasting, it was from the assumption that his followers would fast. Submitting to a fast isn’t easy or convenient, but it does nudge your heart and mind toward God, which can result in obedience in other areas of your life.

To learn more about fasting in the Bible, read this blog.

“By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying, the soul learns to command the body.” – William Secker

6. Check Your Expectations

My expectations for my fast were a little lofty. I have friends who have said they’ve gained great insights or answers to prayer while fasting, and I was hopeful this would happen for me. It didn’t this time. Maybe it will next time I fast, and perhaps it won’t.

But that doesn’t mean that the experience wasn’t still worth it. I could spend more time in prayer, meditate on scripture, and have shorter prayers infused throughout my day anytime hunger pains popped up. And those things have stayed with me. Although it wasn’t some grand or special revelation, it did affect my spiritual life.

My guess is that each fast will be a different experience. Some may yield significant insights or life changes, and others might be small steps of obedience in faith. All of which are worth it.

“Ultimately, we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us.” John Piper

At the end of my fast, I was ready for it to end, but I was also looking forward to the next opportunity to fast again. I’m fortunate to be part of a church that fasts a few times a year for different reasons. I’m looking forward to exercising my fasting muscles again and spending some extra time in prayer and meditation.

For now, I’m sticking with communal fasts that I get to participate in with Christ’s body. I’ve also felt a gentle nudging recently from God to do a personal fast apart from my church and I plan to do that soon. I’m curious and excited to see how that will differ from a communal fast.

If fasting is part of your regular spiritual walk, I would love to hear from you. You can comment below with tips or insights you’ve gained or reach out to me personally.