Saturday, January 3, 2026

Whether you’ve fasted before or are thinking about trying it for the first time, it’s easy to feel intimidated by the idea of fasting. After all, we aren’t wired to deny ourselves—to give up what we want. Jesus knew there would be times when we would want to intentionally align our hearts toward him, and he taught fasting as one way to do this (see Matthew 6:16), giving us both encouragement and example.

Right after Jesus began his public ministry and got baptized, he fasted in the wilderness—for forty days! As if that wasn’t hard enough, Satan tried to persuade Jesus to give in to his hunger. 

Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, 

‘People do not live by bread alone, 

    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

Now, we must be careful not to expect ourselves to literally follow Jesus’ example here. It’s not like fasting from food for exactly 40 days in the desert somewhere is the only way to fast just because Jesus did it that way. What we should focus on is Jesus’ priority as he fasted when he got tempted to quit. 

Jesus quoted the Old Testament to demonstrate that food alone isn’t enough to give us real, true life. We should depend on God’s word like our bodies depend on food. That was Jesus’ priority when he fasted—to fully depend on God for the strength he needed. 

God intends the same thing for us when we fast. It’s not checking a box, earning God’s favor, or reaching a spiritual “personal best.” Instead, it’s an expression of complete dependence on God’s strength. Our souls need God even more than we need food, and denying ourselves reminds us of our need for him. 

When fasting feels hard, remember Jesus. Read Matthew 4 to remind yourself that Jesus understands what desperate dependence on God is like. And never forget that he is with you every step of the way. 

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for your example of dependence on God. Please remind me that I only receive true life from you and your word. Lord, I need you more than my body needs food. Be with me as I deny myself and please align my heart with yours. I love you and trust you with all of who I am. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This post was written by Ashley Allen, a Content Development intern at CedarCreek and Findlay attendee.