I’ve been singing the praises of an intermittent fasting lifestyle for years now, long before it started trending in the fitness world. It has truly changed my health in such a significant way, and because of that I am committed to helping as many women as possible incorporate this strategy into their own lifestyles. I have never felt stronger, healthier, more athletic, or more energetic than I have since I started IF.

In the past, I’ve shared the countless benefits of fasting in terms of physical and emotional health, but today I wanted to touch on the benefits of fasting for spiritual health as well.

While I know some of you are not coming from a Christian background, I am writing from a truly authentic place and have to be true to my own beliefs. However, when you look across the history of most world religions, there is an element of fasting in each of them.

Why believers should fast:

For 40 days and 40 nights Jesus fasted in the wilderness. During that time, He was tempted to make bread from the stones, something He could have easily done. Yet, His response to this temptation was:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4

Jesus made a practice of fasting for several reasons, and as believers we are to follow his example and incorporate this spiritual discipline into our lifestyle.

Here are a few reasons believers should fast on a regular basis:

Fasting requires you to build dependence on God.

We live in a world that is constantly promising us fulfillment in things other than God. The practice of fasting requires you to rely on God’s strength when you are hungry. It requires you to rely on God to give you the energy and fuel you need to keep going. Fasting allows for more room in your day to spend time with God through His word and in prayer. While this is NOT a requirement of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, it is a benefit for those who are coming from a Christian faith. The daily time available because of fasting allows you to pour more into your relationship with God.

Fasting requires you to build self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit.

Fasting requires a significant amount of self control, especially when you are just starting out. The daily practice of fasting allows you to build those self-control muscles while relying on God to meet your physical need. Fasting has LONG been considered a spiritual discipline with both early and modern day believers incorporating regular days of prayer and fasting into their busy lives.

Fasting’s incredible health benefits help you care for your body.

As believers, we are to care for our bodies in a way that honors God. These bodies are truly temples and it is very much within our realm of responsibility to nourish, strengthen and care for these bodies in an excellent way. Fasting allows our bodies to rest, restore, and recover from the daily stressors of life. Fasting’s health benefits allow believers to rightly care for their bodies.

Whether you are a Christian or not, fasting will give you more time in your day while helping you to strengthen self-control. Ultimately, those are fantastic reasons to consider implementing IF into your life. As a believer, there is such a depth to being able to truly rely on God throughout your fasting periods. If you have not tapped into this particular spiritual discipline and used it to enhance your prayer life, you are truly missing out on an opportunity to grow closer in your relationship with God.

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FASTer Way to Fat Loss is not a faith-based program, but easily fits into any type of lifestyle. If you are interested in joining our next round, be sure to click here to sign up! Rounds fill up quickly, so if you’ve been considering this cutting-edge healthy lifestyle, don’t wait!

Jesus Fasted

Fasting requires you to build dependence on God.

Fasting requires you to build self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit.

Fasting’s incredible health benefits help you care for your body.