Family Guide: Fasting

Can you ever think of a time when you really wanted something? Maybe it was to win your soccer game, or play with a cool toy you saw at the store! What was it? How did wanting that thing make you feel? 

Give space for answers. 

Sometimes, we even want two things at the same time! Like on your birthday, you get the choice or ice cream or cake—but both sound good! Or you get to pick a sticker after your dentist appointment and can’t decide between the cat sticker and the princess sticker. When this happens, you have to make a choice. Has this ever happened to you? What two things did you want and what did you choose in the end? 

Give space for answers. 

Having to make a choice between two things happens a lot when we follow Jesus. When we say we want to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did, we are saying that we want to make the good choices Jesus made—like praying, helping people, and choosing God’s ways. But sometimes, we choose differently. While we want to do what Jesus did, sometimes we want to do other things more. In our heads, our own ideas might even feel louder, more exciting, or better than God’s ideas. 

For example, we might be playing with a friend and they ask to borrow one of our legos. We know we should share because Jesus was generous and shared with his friends. But, deep down, we don’t really want to share the lego. Or another example might be that when we’re supposed to be having our quiet time with God—praying or reading our bible—but we’d rather finish watching the episode of our favorite show that we had to pause. 

If we want to become more like Jesus, we can practice choosing to say “yes” to God’s love and God’s ways. One great way to learn to say “yes” to some things and no to others is through fasting. Have you ever heard of fasting? What do you think fasting is?  

Give space for answers. 

Fasting means choosing not to eat food for a little while so that we can grow to love God most. When we fast, it’s like praying with our bodies. Instead of just saying words or thinking our prayers, fasting is a way of saying with our whole bodies: “God, I want you more than anything in the whole wide world!” Every time we feel hungry while fasting, it’s like an alarm bell in our heads to remind us to think about God’s love and God’s ways. 

After hearing all this, we might be thinking: “Why should I give up food? Isn’t food good for me?” Yes, that’s true! Food is very important for our bodies. As we grow up, making sure to eat good meals is very important. But remember: fasting isn’t forever, and it isn’t just about food—it’s about our choices!

While our bodies are still growing, we don’t practice fasting by going without food completely. We can start small by skipping certain foods we really like and say yes to, like dessert or pizza. Or, if changing what food we eat isn’t possible, we can give up something other than food. We might give up our video game time and instead use that time to talk to God. Giving things up is a way we can learn and grow; no matter how we practice fasting, it helps us learn to say “yes” to God’s love and God’s ways instead of only saying “yes” to what we might want instead.

In the book of Psalms, King David writes about choosing God’s love and God’s ways. He even describes God’s love as better than the BEST food he can imagine. Let’s read it together.

Pull out a Bible and read Psalm 63v1–5

Work through these questions together: 

What does David think is better than everything in life? 

• What does David say he will do at the end of the Psalm?

• What do you think it means to “thirst” for God? How does your heart feel when you really want to be close to God? 

• How would it feel for your heart to be super full? 

• Can you think of a time when you felt really happy or full because of something God has done for you?

David sings about how God’s love is the best, most satisfying thing we could ever imagine. In fact, it’s so amazing that we can sometimes say “no” to good things so we can say “yes” to the best thing—God’s love! This can sound kind of hard, but Jesus promises that when we fast, God will give us the strength to live just as he did. How does the idea of fasting make you feel? Does it sound hard or easy?

Give space for answers.

It is okay if fasting makes us feel worried. It can be hard to say no to the things we want, which is why fasting takes practice. The point of fasting isn’t to be hungry or bored—it’s about celebrating and enjoying God’s amazing love! Jesus and other people who loved God throughout Scripture often ended (or “broke”) their fast by eating and drinking with their community, enjoying the good things God gives us and celebrating the ways God helps us.

Let’s end our time by talking about a couple of ways we can practice fasting.

Idea 2: Giving up sweets

For one week, we can choose to not eat sweets or dessert and choose one way to be with God each day as a family instead. This might be praying, reading our Bibles, or singing songs of worship. On Sabbath, we can celebrate the end of our fast with a special treat!

Idea 2: Saying “no” to something we want

For one whole day, we can all pick one thing we like to do—watching TV, playing video games, or playing with your favorite toy—and set it aside to instead spend our time together by playing a family game or some other family activity. What is an activity we can say “no” to and another we can say “yes” to as a family?

Idea 3: Giving before Eating

One day during the month, we can eat an inexpensive meal like rice and beans and then use the money we saved from dinner to help someone or a community of people we know or have seen in need. Throughout the week, we can be on the lookout for people we see who may need God’s love through our giving.

Write down the idea your family chooses and any specifics you decide on and put it up where the whole family can see it!

Remember, fasting isn’t just about not eating or having fun—it’s about choosing God’s love and God’s ways. Let’s end by praying together that God would help us to love him more as we fast.