During Lent, the liturgical season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, many Christians opt to fast in some way or another.
This fasting can take many forms, including traditional fasts from food for a period of time, or fasting from an activity or habit, as Dan A. Biddle, Ph.D., noted in comments to Fox News Digital.
“Lent comes from the Latin term Quadragesima, which means ‘Fortieth,’” Biddle said. The length of the season is a reference to the 40-day period that Jesus Christ spent in the desert, fasting and resisting temptation by Satan.
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Based in Folsom, California, Biddle is executive producer of “The Ark and the Darkness: Unearthing the Mystery of Noah’s Flood” and is president of Genesis Apologetics.
The ministry is devoted to “strengthening the faith of God’s children by grounding them in biblical truth,” the group notes on its website.
The 40 days of Lent are a reference to the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent in the desert, fasting and resisting the temptations of Satan. (iStock)
A person who wishes to fast, perhaps for the first time, this Lent should turn to the words of Jesus Christ for guidance, said Biddle.
“In Matthew, Christ told his followers, ‘When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward,’” said Biddle.
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He continued, “‘But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you'” (Matthew 6:16-18).
Fasting is not just limited to food, said Biddle, though many people decide to give up sweets and snacks during Lent as a way to grow closer to God. (iStock)
Christians should apply these words to their own practices, said Biddle.
“Fasting is personal,” said Biddle. “It’s something between you and God.”
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While some churches can call for a certain type of fasting, Biddle noted that “there is no such thing as ‘team fasting.'”
“Only individuals fast. No one else will feel the rumble in your stomach as you give up your breakfast for 40 days. No one else will have to calm down an addiction to social media as your thumb settles from swiping for 40 days,” he said.
“You will be the one receiving the blessing by fasting, not someone else.”
It is important, said Biddle (shown above right), to replace what a person is fasting from with something related to God. “If you’re giving up social media, read the Bible during the time you were spending on your phone or iPad.” (iStock/Genesis Apologetics)
A person who is fasting should “keep it to yourself,” as noted in Matthew’s Gospel.
“Your Father, who sees what you have done in secret, will reward you.”
Additionally, there is another element to fasting, said Biddle.
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A person who is fasting should “replace what you are fasting from with God.”
“If you’re giving up one meal a day, let your hunger drive you to prayer and reflection,” he said.
“Your Father, who sees what you have done in secret, will reward you.”
“If you’re giving up social media, read the Bible during the time you were spending swiping on your phone or iPad.”
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These, he said, will help a person “get the most from your Lenten season.”
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