Fast sunday "rules" (Jesus, ritual, pray, spiritual)

[Aqualung]

I was never clear about whether or not fast sunday was a genuine 24 hr fast, or a two meal fast. In other words, does the fast start right after dinner, or can I eat snacks after dinner, and perhaps drink water if I wake up really thirsty in the middle of the night, because the fast doesn't start until breakfast time?

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

I was never clear about whether or not fast sunday was a genuine 24 hr fast, or a two meal fast. In other words, does the fast start right after dinner, or can I eat snacks after dinner, and perhaps drink water if I wake up really thirsty in the middle of the night, because the fast doesn't start until dinner time?

As far as I know, it's up to you. It's between you and God. My family usually does the whole 2 meal thing - eat up until you go to bed and then not again until dinner time the next day. I'm not sure if this is right or not, but it is what we do. In Peru, the 2 meals that were usually skipped were dinner saturday night and breakfast sunday morning. This works much better for the 24 hour thing - from the end of lunch on saturday until lunch on sunday. I'm not a very good example of fasting though. I don't know why, but I always forget until sunday morning, often after I've already had breakfast.

[FFH]

The fast if done properly will begin with a prayer and end with a prayer, approximately 24 hours later. Beginning and ending with prayer will give you strength to make it the full 24 hours. I always get shakey towards the end of a fast. I have to rely on prayer to get me through. It helps me spiritually as well as physically. I tried to go on a 2 day fast once. I lasted about 36 hours and then felt like I was going to pass out. I was working a very physical job at the time. I didn't include prayer with my fast, a very important part of the fast. Without it you will have difficulty. Prayer helps strengthen you during your fast. How do you think Jesus lasted 40 days without food or water. He was miraculously kept alive. That was a miracle in itself.

[FFH]

If you try a fast this way you will be amazed at the clarity of purpose that comes to your mind. Your mind becomes more clear and you seem to gain strength to make it through whatever is challenging you. The fast that I attempted for 48 hours that only lasted for 36 hours, was just prior to marrying my wife in the temple. I was being attacked by thoughts of whether I had made the right decision as to whom I was marrying. The adversary did not want me to get married. He attacked me very hard. The fast calmed me down and helped me feel good about the person I was marrying and about the covenant I was making with her. I had also been worried about my finances and If I had enough for our needs. After fasting these concerns seemed insignificant. With a proper fast problems in your life seem to become very manageable. Physical things seem to become less important and you begin to focus on what is really important.

[jonny]

Originally Posted by FFH

If you try a fast this way you will be amazed at the clarity of purpose that comes to your mind. Your mind becomes more clear and you seem to gain strength to make it through whatever is challenging you. The fast that lasted for 36 hours was just prior to marrying my wife in the temple. I was being attacked by thoughts of whether I had made the right decision as to whom I was marrying. The adversary did not want me to get married. He attacked me very hard. The fast calmed me down and helped me feel good about the person I was marrying and about the covenant I was making with her. I had also been worryied about my finances and If I had enough for our needs. After fasting these concerns seemed insignificant. With a proper fast problems in your life seem to become very manageable. Physical things seem to become less important and you begin to focus on what is really important.

That's great advice! Thanks for sharing it.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

I was never clear about whether or not fast sunday was a genuine 24 hr fast, or a two meal fast. In other words, does the fast start right after dinner, or can I eat snacks after dinner, and perhaps drink water if I wake up really thirsty in the middle of the night, because the fast doesn't start until dinner time?

I see a 24-hour fast as a 2-meal fast. If you skip three meals and don't eat until time for the fourth one, you've gone a lot longer than 24 hours. If I ate dinner on Saturday night, I would skip Sunday's breakfast and lunch. I would then eat dinner on Sunday night -- at about the same time as I normally do. It would then have been 24 hours since I last ate. I have never avoided drinking water when I'm fasting. You can get dehydrated doing that and while I believe it was possible for Christ to have fasted for 40 days, I believe that if would not have survived 40 days without water. The human body is not designed to do that.

[Aqualung]

Do other people not drink water, or did I just make that up?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

Do other people not drink water, or did I just make that up?

Many don't. But you know me... I'm a little bit more liberal than some. I don't know that there any official statements on how to fast. It's kind of like tithing. You do what the Spirit tells you to do. The Spirit tells me not to make myself sick.

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

Do other people not drink water, or did I just make that up?

Not drinking water is the hardest part for me. I can go without food, no problem. But I get thirsty. I do abstain from water when I fast though.

[Aqualung]

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

Not drinking water is the hardest part for me. I can go without food, no problem. But I get thirsty. I do abstain from water when I fast though.

So do I. Even just thinking the word "fast" makes my mouth all dry. Seriously, like 2 minutes after I start my fast (ie, right after drinking), if I think the word, I get sooo thirsty.