One day during my career in healthcare, a patient came into my office to be processed for a lab procedure requiring some blood work.   I asked the patient if they had been fasting and their reply made me smile.  He looked at me and said "well, I know that the lab is busy so I got here as fast as I could this morning, is that what you mean?
Of course that was not what I was asking at all.   
What's the deal with fasting anyway??

You may have heard a number of times how someone fasted in order to grow closer to God. In most cases they are talking about the giving up of food or meals in order to spend time with God. There is debate among people as to whether fasts are warranted, and there is some concern as to whether or not Christian teens should be fasting at all.

What is Means to Fast?

The term "fast" is not biblical or religious in itself. It is defined as abstaining from food or other items. There are medical fasts, moral fasts, and religious fasts. However, there are many instances in the Bible where people fasted food. Most famously, Jesus abstained from eating for 40 days in the desert when he was tempted by Satan:

Luke 4:2 - "where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry." (NIV)Yet people do not always fast food or meals today. There are plenty of items we can fast that will help keep our minds and hearts focused on God. Fasting television or the Internet can also be good alternative items to fast, as fasting is very much about why you fast not necessarily what you fast.

Reasons for Fasting:

There are plenty of reasons to fast. Sometimes people fast to help them make a decision, and they want to make sure they hear God's direction. Other times they fast to help others, to grow closer to God, or to heal from some hurt. Isaiah 58:5-8 gives us some insight into some biblical reasons for fasting:

Isaiah 58:5-8 - "You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind." (NLT)When Fasting Won't Help No matter what the reason is for the fast, it important to understand that fasting is not about blackmail. If you are fasting because you think that God will give you what you want if you give something up, then you are basically trying to blackmail God. Fasting is very much about your intentions. It is also not something to do just for the sake of fasting. It is to be used to draw closer to God and focus on Him, not to get Him to do what you want. It is about you seeking His direction, not getting him to seek yours.

What Goes on During a Fast?
When you are fasting, you need to be praying at the same time. The point of a fast is to grow closer to God and get in touch with the Holy Spirit. It is a time to listen and pray. Every time you turn to do whatever it is you have given up, you remind yourself to spend time in prayer and focus on the Lord. It is important that your times away from whatever you gave up are focused on God. Otherwise, you are just going through period of deprivation, not a spiritual discipline.

When you break the fast you need to be careful. If you gave up something like television or Myspace, Facebook, etc. the transition back to those things may not be too difficult. However, if you gave up food of any sort, it is important that you take precautions to not overdo it when you return to normal.

Caution about Fasting 
If you do decide to fast meals or food items, the first thing you need to do is talk to your parents and even see a doctor. It is not always healthy for teenagers to fast, and you probably will not be able to fast all solid food. Your body is still developing, so you need nutrients. Therefore, you may want to see a doctor before you make a final decision to fast any type of food. Understand that you do not need to fast food items in order to fast, and you may want to focus your fast on other items. Or, if you do want to fast some sort of food, find something that will not jeopardize your health. Do you drink soda every day? Coffee? Maybe one of those items will work. Just be aware that there are health risks in fasting what you eat, and the longer you’re fast, the more risks involved.

Spiritual fasting is not just about giving up food or other items, but it is about feeding 
the spirit through our obedience to God. Here are some scripture versus that can 
inspire you or help you understand the act of fasting and how it can help you 
grow closer to God as you pray and focus:

Many Christians try to emulate Jesus and others in the Bible who fasted when faced 
with important decisions or tasks. However, not all teenagers can fast food. It 
is not necessarily what item you give up,` but it is more about what that item 
means to you and how it reminds you to stay focused on the Lord. If something on 
this list doesn't fit for you, then do some searching to find something you can 
give up that is challenging to you. 

Here are some alternative items you can fast 
besides what you eat:

Television
Most of us love to watch our favorite shows. However, sometimes TV can be a 
distraction. If you find television to be a challenge for you, then give up your 
favorite television shows.

Video Games
Like television, video games can be a great thing to fast. It may seem 
easy to many, but think about how many times each week you pick 
up that Wii or Xbox remote. That time 
can be your extra time to focus on God.

Weekends Out

If you are a total social butterfly, then maybe fasting one or both of 
your weekend nights out may be more of a sacrifice. You can spend that time in 
study and prayer, focusing on doing God's will or getting the direction you need 
from Him.

Cell Phone Text messaging and talking on the phone are a big deal to many teens 
today. Fasting your time on the cell phone or giving up text messaging may be a 
challenge, but every time you think about texting someone, you'll definitely 
remind yourself to focus on God.

MySpace or Facebook 

Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook take up a lot 
of time for many Christian teens. Taking a break from them may make you feel a 
little less social, but that time could be used to reach out to the Lord.

The Lunch Hour

Now, you don't have to fast what you eat to fast your lunch hour. 
Why not take your lunch away from the crowd and spend some time in prayer. If 
you have the opportunity to go off campus for lunch or have quiet places you can 
go, taking some lunches away from the group can keep you focused.

Secular Music
Not every Christian teen listens only to Christian music. If you are 
someone that loves mainstream rock or pop, then try turning the radio station to 
strictly Christian music or turning it off completely and spend time talking to 
God.

Here's some bites of scripture for you to chew on

 Exodus 34:28

Moses 
remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all 
that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of 
the covenant—the Ten Commandments —on the stone tablets
Deuteronomy 9:18

Then, 
as before, I threw myself down before the Lord for forty days and nights. I ate 
no bread and drank no water because of the great sin you had committed by doing 
what the Lord hated, provoking him to anger.
2 Samuel 12:16-17

David 
begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the 
bare ground. 17 The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat 
with them, but he refused. 
Nehemiah 1:4

When 
I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and 
prayed to the God of heaven. 
Ezra 8:21-23

And 
there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble 
ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and 
protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. For I was ashamed to ask 
the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies 
along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is 
on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon 
him.” So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and 
he heard our prayer.
Ezra 10:6

Then 
Ezra left the front of the Temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son 
of Eliashib. He spent the night there without eating or drinking anything. He 
was still in mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles. 
Esther 4:16

Go 
and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink 
for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though 
it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must 
die. 
Psalms 35:13

Yet 
when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but 
my prayers returned unanswered. 
Psalms 69:10

When 
I weep and fast, they scoff at me. 
Isaiah 58:6

No, 
this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; 
lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, 
and remove the chains that bind people.
Daniel 9:3

So 
I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore 
rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.
Daniel 10:3

All 
that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used 
no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Joel 2:15

Blow 
the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people 
together for a solemn meeting. 
Matthew 4:2

For 
forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 
Matthew 6:16

And 
when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look 
miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell 
you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 
Matthew 9:15

Jesus 
replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course 
not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will 
fast. 
Luke 2:37

Then 
she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but 
stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 
Acts 13:3

So 
after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on 
their way.
Acts 14:23

Paul 
and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, 
they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their 
trust.