What Are the Rules for Fasting During Lent?
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting abstinence. The law of fast binds those who are from 18 to 59 years old, unless they are excused for a sufficient reason (e.g., pregnancy/breastfeeding or a medical condition that requires more frequent food, etc.) According to the Church’s official rules (as opposed to someone’s personal summary of them): The law of fasting allows only one full meal a day, but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening, observing-as far as quantity and quality are concerned- approved local custom [Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini, Norms, III:2].
The system of mitigated fasting that is required by law thus allows for “one full meal” and “some food” in the morning and evening. The Church’s official document governing the practice of fasting does not encourage scrupulous calculations about how much the two instances of “some food” add up to, though obviously each individually is less than a full meal, since only one of those is allowed.
Why do we Fast?
Fasting is laying down the pleasures of earth so that we can take up the pleasures of heaven. We fast to grow closer to God. Fasting increases our “spiritual senses,’ tunes us into God’s voice, deepens our intimacy
with Holy Spirit, and increases our awareness of His manifest presence and desire to partner with us.
Fasting increases levels of individual and corporate anointing. The Bible is clear that you gain power in the Holy Spirit through fasting. The Spirit of the Lord led Jesus into the desert to be tempted and to fast for 40 days. Luke 2:52 tells us that after this fast and time of temptation that Jesus returned *in the power of the Spirit.
Fasting is also a time to gain direction. I know in my own times for fasting that during a season of fasting the Lord allows me to operate in a greater clarity of his purposes. When you fast, be specific. Fasting without a clear purpose is a quick way to break your fast early and disappointed.
Fasting is an opportunity to grow in prayer and the word. If you’re not reading and praying, you’re just dieting. There is a clear spiritual element that is involved in fasting. Use the time you would be eating meals to eat the word. Be consistent and diligent to focus your mind on Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind in the word and guide your thoughts through the day. At no point in time will you get MORE from the word than when you are in a time of fasting.
Because Jesus told us to: The last reason we fast is this; we fast because Jesus told us to. Simple obedience and simple devotion is our practice. If we love Jesus and believe His heart holds good things for us, then our hearts should desire to simply be obedient to his teachings. Heartfelt Obedience to Jesus’ teaching and direction is worth it every time.