At one point, I wrote this prayer in my journal:

“God, I know You have so much more for my life. Reveal to me the purpose You have for me.”

And over time, the answer became pretty clear.

Dream Root Wellness needed to serve Christians clearly.

Jesus needed to stop being someone I mentioned when talking about spiritual health and become the foundation of everything I was building.

I knew what needed to change.

But knowing what God was calling me to do meant I actually had to do it.

And that’s where things got uncomfortable.

Because I could’ve kept praying.

I could’ve filled another journal asking for direction.

I could’ve fasted for a day, hoping God would make things even clearer.

Then fasted again.

And again.

But at some point, asking God for more direction would’ve become a way of avoiding the direction He had already given me.

Ouch.

And here’s what makes that especially uncomfortable.

I could’ve looked incredibly spiritual while doing it.

Praying.

Journaling.

Fasting.

Seeking God’s will.

All while putting off the very thing I already knew I needed to do.

That’s the danger with fasting we don’t talk about enough.

You can go without food and still feed your ego.

You can finish a three-day fast and still refuse to forgive somebody.

You can ask God for His will while secretly hoping He’ll eventually approve yours.

And you can use something that looks like spiritual discipline to avoid actual obedience.

That’s one reason I recorded this week’s episode:

​[Biblical Fasting for Beginners: Purpose, Plan, and Safety — Watch Here]​

Because fasting can look incredibly spiritual while completely missing the point.

Jesus gives us a pretty uncomfortable picture of this in Luke 18.

A Pharisee fasted twice a week.

That’s disciplined.

That’s consistent.

If fasting were a competition, this guy looked like he was winning.

There was just one problem.

His fasting hadn’t humbled him.

Instead, he used his spiritual discipline as evidence that he was better than the tax collector standing nearby.

Meanwhile, the tax collector simply begged God for mercy.

And Jesus said the tax collector went home justified.

Not the guy bragging about how often he fasted.

That’s worth sitting with.

Because being hungry doesn’t automatically mean you’re being humble.

And skipping meals doesn’t guarantee you’re drawing closer to God.

Biblical fasting isn’t a hunger strike against God.

It’s not a Christian crash diet.

And it’s definitely not punishment because you ate like garbage all weekend.

It’s voluntarily setting food aside for a time so you can seek God with greater focus, humility, prayer, and dependence.

The food matters.

The hunger matters.

But God is the point.

And if you’ve been thinking about fasting but aren’t sure where to begin, that’s exactly what I walk through in this week’s episode.

We’ll look at why Christians fast, what Scripture actually teaches, how to prepare wisely, and what fasting should produce in our lives.

​[Watch the Episode: How to Begin Fasting Biblically and Safely]​

But before you decide to fast, I want you to consider something.

Don’t start with:

“How long should I fast?”

Start with:

“Why am I fasting?”

Try finishing this sentence:

I’m fasting from ______ to ______ so I can seek God about ______.

For example: "I'm fasting from sunrise to supper so I can seek God about my marriage."

Then ask yourself:

What Scripture will I spend time in?

What am I bringing before God in prayer?

Is there something He’s already made clear that I need to obey?

Because the goal isn’t to see how miserable you can make yourself.

And if going without food isn’t medically appropriate for you, don’t ignore that.

God doesn’t need you to damage the body He entrusted to you to prove you’re serious about seeking Him.

Remember:

Fasting doesn’t save you.

Jesus does.

Fasting doesn’t make you righteous.

Christ is our righteousness.

And fasting doesn’t earn you access to the Father.

If you belong to Christ, you’re not buying God’s attention by missing lunch.

You’re responding to grace by intentionally seeking the One who has already given you access through His Son.

So don’t fast to impress people.

Don’t fast to punish your body.

And don’t confuse religious activity with faithful obedience.

Seek God.

Listen to His Word.

And when the fast ends, get up and obey.

That’s what stewardship under Christ looks like.

​[Watch Biblical Fasting for Beginners: Purpose, Plan, and Safety]​

Rooted in Christ, Jonathon Ennis Founder

​

P.S. If you want some structure for the time you set aside, download the free PASTA Prayer Journal.

PASTA stands for Praise, Acknowledge, Supplication, Thanksgiving, and Amen. It gives you a Scripture-anchored way to pray, examine your heart, bring your requests before God, and identify your next faithful action.

​[GET THE FREE PASTA PRAYER JOURNAL]​

P.P.S. Have you ever caught yourself asking God for more direction when you already knew what you needed to do?

Hit reply with YES or NO. I’d love to hear from you.