Jesus Fasting
Get Thee Hence, Satan by Carl Bloch
Jesus Christ fasted during His time on earth. Through Jesus Christ, we can see the blessings that can come from fasting regularly. Jesus inspired many of His followers to participate in regular fasts. Even today, Mormons try to follow His example by diligently fasting in times of need or to give thanks.
Many people are familiar with Jesus’ fast that lasted forty days and forty nights in the desert soon after He was baptized. During His fast, Satan appeared to Him, mocking Him, asking Him to prove His divinity by using His God-given super power. Scholars have debated what exactly Satan was trying to get from Jesus. Some speculate that he wanted to tempt Jesus by offering Him power over certain kingdoms, or tempt Him to break His fast. Jesus refused to give into Satan’s temptations. After having failed, Satan gave up and angels came to feed and nourish Jesus, ending His fast.
In the Mormon Church, the first Sunday of the month is designated as a day of fasting. Church members are encouraged to forego two consecutive meals, attend fast and testimony meeting in a Mormon congregation, and give a fast offering to help care for the needy. In the fast offering, we are to offer up the amount of money that we would have spent on food that day. This money goes to help the poor.
Mormon families fast together and offer prayers on behalf of family members in crisis. Such family fasts are extremely powerful. Mormons partake of all the spiritual gifts through the power of the priesthood, and miracles of healing and comfort are common (but never commonplace).
From time to time, a special fast is scheduled by the Church. This happened once during a starvation in Africa. A fast was scheduled and participated in by members of the Church worldwide, with the understanding that the monetary value of the skipped meals would be donated to help these starving people. It should be remembered that many members of the Church are far from rich and themselves live in poorer countries. From that one fast, 6 million dollars were raised for this charitable act.
During our fast, we forego eating and drinking for a sustained period of time. Although this may seem like a sacrifice, the blessings received from fasting are immense. Jesus taught us how to fast and why we should fast. We fast during times of gratitude and during times that we need help. Mormons are encouraged to fast before making major decisions in their lives. We fast during times that we need to feel the spirit greater in our lives. Through sacrificing food, we, on a smaller scale, can empathize with Christ when He sacrificed His life. Through following His example, we can become more like Him. Fasting serves as a way for us to show our commitment to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. Fasting is a way of proving that we are willing to endure temporary pain for eternal happiness. Fasting humbles us. It can help us be more cognizant of our baptismal and temple covenants. We fast for the same reasons that Jesus fasted. Through fasting, we can become like Him.
Fasting and prayer go hand in hand. We are instructed to have a purpose for fasting. Throughout the day, as we feel a heightened sense of the spirit, we are to pray to our Heavenly Father for strength and help with whatever we are fasting for. It is through prayer and fasting that we will be helped and guided.
In the Book of Mormon, we read an account of the people of the Americas, who prayed and fasted to show gratitude. In Alma 45:1, we read, “They gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.”�
Jesus Christ lived a perfect life on the earth and we have been taught to follow His example in all things. Despite being a perfect man, He still needed the power of fasting in His life. Jesus Christ teaches us that when we approach fasting with the right attitude, it can bring joy and happiness into our lives. It is a celebration of our commitment and love for God. It is one more way we can show our commitment to building up the kingdom of God.