I Tried Fasting For One Day, and Here's What Happened

Fasting.

Does anyone else shudder when you hear that word? Does a chill go down your spine at the thought of having to deprive yourself of delicious FOOD? It sure does for me. I’m one of those people where my day revolves around meals and snacks, and I always need to know where my next nibble is coming from. For The Beatles, it may be “all you need is love,” but in my book...it’s “all you need is FOOD.” So needless to say, I’ve never fasted before. Intentionally. But I’ve been hearing so much about how beneficial it is for you spiritually, because it allows you room to really think about God and make him a priority during your fast. You’re supposed to be able to really hear what He’s trying to tell you. And what better time to do this than at the start of a new year? Inspired by the new book A Life Beyond Amazing and the free Fasting & Prayer Guide created to accompany said book, I decided to fast for a day to re-center myself for the new year. And if you’re curious if you should do one too, below chronicles my day...

8:30am:

Good morning. I had coffee. I can have caffeine, right? Probably not? Maybe it's okay if I don't use cream and sugar...which I did...but that's besides the point. I am sorry, but I need caffeine to survive this fasting day...it was creamy and delicious. Thank you Lord for coffee. Amen.

10:30am:

I’m pretty sure on a non-fasting day, I don’t really eat much until lunch anyways. But somehow on this day, I’m hungry like the wolf by this time already. The Lord is testing me. My body keeps drawing me to the fridge, and then sheer will-power unglues my hand from the handle. Trying to take each of these moments to praise God. Thank you Lord for...fridges. And blessing me with food. Which I will eat soon. So soon.

12:00pm:

I caved and had a protein shake. Forgive me. But that’s liquid, so I’m not counting it as food. Speaking of which... is chocolate food? I'm asking for a friend. This tummy is grumbling, but it also feels good in a way. It's a reminder to be blessed for the things I do have easy access to on a regular basis (like food). Trying to send a little prayer every time my stomach pangs! Hope the Lord is feeling the love!

2:00pm:

Coffee numero dos. Please don't look at me like that. I feel like I’m drowning in liquids, but in the best way. Feed me, sweet liquids! It’s amazing how the cloud I felt this morning over my brain from lack of food is gone now though. I feel sharp, focused, and still so very grateful.

4:30pm:

I literally can’t stop thinking about food. It’s crazy how much thought space it can take when your stomach is growling like a bear. But it’s also amazing how many times you can turn that head space into more productive, positive thinking.

5:30pm:

A fast only lasts from sun-up to sun-down, right? That's a thing? Great, because I am grilling chicken right now. Thank the Lord for these early winter nights. I think you get the picture with how my day went. I’ll say fasting was easier and harder than I thought it was going to be. It was easy in the sense that my willpower (for the most part) was strong and I was able to withstand the urge to eat everything in my sight. But it was harder because I thought about food way more than I realized I would. And to turn the pangs into positive thinking wasn’t always easy, and certainly not instinctual. But, it actually stretched me so much more than I thought, and I definitely turned my mind towards the Lord way more than I usually do. I’ll shock you by saying...I think I’ll do this again. And probably for the whole 3 Day Fast outlined in the A Life Beyond Amazing Prayer & Fasting Guide. I think in our culture today it’s so easy to get swept up in the day-to-day, that we don’t take the time to refocus our thoughts and actually LISTEN to what God is trying to tell us. It can be really helpful and important to do so! Take the time to pause, fast, and refocus your energy and thoughts towards what truly matters. Laura is an active friend to the Page Chaser team and enjoys thrillers on Netflix and arguing the merits of Belgium over France. If you want to follow Laura, check her out on the Page Chaser Instagram, Facebook, or wondering why she ever left warm California for freezing Tennessee. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., operates Page Chaser, the publisher of A Life Beyond Amazing.