Investigating Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Does a fast have to be at least 24 hours?
Duncan Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 i've heard 2 suppers so I guess it depends when you eat your supper!
Paddy Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 As a general guideline yes 24 hours. However it comes down to age, health, general capacity and capability. It is not the length of time as much as the intent offered.
cinepro Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Does a fast have to be at least 24 hours? No, a fast does not "have to be at least 24 hours".
3DOP Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 (edited) No, a fast does not "have to be at least 24 hours". A "fast"? Cinepro, please. 24 hours except when changing to daylight time, or to standard time. These are critical distinctions. 23 hours when going to standard time is sweet. 24 hours and 59 minutes and 60 seconds when going to daylight time is just painful. When there are no time changes, at least 23 hours and 3,600 seconds or else it isn't really a fast. Right? Edited September 8, 2014 by 3DOP 1
Investigating Posted September 8, 2014 Author Posted September 8, 2014 A "fast"? Cinepro, please. 24 hours except when changing to daylight time, or to standard time. These are critical distinctions. 23 hours when going to standard time is sweet. 24 hours and 59 minutes and 60 seconds when going to daylight time is just painful. When there are no time changes, at least 23 hours and 3,600 seconds or else it isn't really a fast. Right? Are you serious?
Kenngo1969 Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 A "fast"? Cinepro, please. 24 hours except when changing to daylight time, or to standard time. These are critical distinctions. 23 hours when going to standard time is sweet. 24 hours and 59 minutes and 60 seconds when going to daylight time is just painful. When there are no time changes, at least 23 hours and 3,600 seconds or else it isn't really a fast. Right? Are you serious?I think our good Catholic friend, Rory, is yanking a few chains! (Noooo ... He would never do that! )
Storm Rider Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Does a fast have to be at least 24 hours? Hello Investigating, a fast is for as long as you desire. The standard fast, the monthly fast for members, in the Church is for two meals. For example, one would eat their lunch meal on Saturday and then no eat again until Sunday lunch. However, one may fast at other times for differing periods of time. There is a caution about excessive fasting or fasting for extended periods of time or days.
Robert F. Smith Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Does a fast have to be at least 24 hours?Mormons typically fast for two meals on Fast Sunday, and contribute the money saved (estimated) in their fast offering, which is money the ward bishop may use for those in need. Fasting is thought to enhance the witness of the Holy Spirit by putting aside the things of the world, and this is appropriate to the Fast & Testimony Meeting which accompanies it. https://www.lds.org/topics/fasting-and-fast-offerings?lang=eng . However, a fast may be of any length desired. A purpose driven fast, for example, may begin with prayer for a special blessing for oneself, or for someone else, and may be accompanied by an endowment session at the temple. It may go on for several days. Such a fast usually means no drinking of liquids and no food, but that depends on the health of the person fasting. The fast should be ended with a special prayer. Whole families or groups may fast for a specific purpose. Children are generally left out of the fasting process. During Ramadan, Muslims fast only during daylight. Orthodox Jews will fast for a full 24 hours (sundown to sundown) on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as well as on other special fast days (no food or water). Fasting is common in many religions.
3DOP Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Are you serious? No. I do have in my possession however, a handbook for Catholics in the U.S. which, taking into consideration locations within times zones, one can precisely determine, for purpose of fasting for a day, that Friday does not begin most places exactly at midnight, but rather so many minutes before or after, again depending on the time zone as well as the consideration of standard time vs, daylight time. I could be wrong, but I tend to think such scrupulous care of such details might be unnecessary. If one is looking at their watch to decide when to start or stop eating, it would seem inappropriate to the spirit of the fast. I am not suggesting that you or my LDS friends are so scrupulous. 1
thesometimesaint Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 No. I do have in my possession however, a handbook for Catholics in the U.S. which, taking into consideration locations within times zones, one can precisely determine, for purpose of fasting for a day, that Friday does not begin most places exactly at midnight, but rather so many minutes before or after, again depending on the time zone as well as the consideration of standard time vs, daylight time. I could be wrong, but I tend to think such scrupulous care of such details might be unnecessary. If one is looking at their watch to decide when to start or stop eating, it would seem inappropriate to the spirit of the fast. I am not suggesting that you or my LDS friends are so scrupulous. That's why Fast Sunday is always so Slow,
JLHPROF Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 Hello Investigating, a fast is for as long as you desire. The standard fast, the monthly fast for members, in the Church is for two meals. For example, one would eat their lunch meal on Saturday and then no eat again until Sunday lunch. However, one may fast at other times for differing periods of time. There is a caution about excessive fasting or fasting for extended periods of time or days.This is true. However in the early days of the Church the "standard" fast was 3 days. They had fast days (Thursdays I believe they were) but the general practice among the saints trying to "fast and pray" for an answer was 3 days health permitting.I'm not sure where I read it, but it was in similitude of the Savior dying and rising a new being on the third day.I have done this on several occasions, but I believe this is for the BIG issues in our life and not to be entered into lightly. This is when you REALLY need to focus your mind and spirit on receiving a specific personal revelation and you want to be as close to the spirit as is possible. It is for the big decisions with big consequences where you need to be sure of God's will. The general principle behind fasting is one of overcoming our natural man and allowing our spiritual man to come more forward. If a person can do that in 24 hours then it is a sufficient fast. I personally doubt that the natural man has been suppressed very much by a shorter fast. I don't think skipping lunch does much to overcome our mortal weakness.
Hamba Tuhan Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 (edited) Interestingly, recent research indicates that 24 hours is the pefect length of time to fast if one is concerned about the health benefits: But Horne’s study showed the metabolic benefits don’t start kicking in until 12 hours into the fast, and they peak at 24 hours. "So the last 12 hours is where you see the most metabolic benefit, and eating negates that benefit," he said. Edited September 8, 2014 by Hamba Tuhan
strappinglad Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 I stayed with a couple who did a religious fast. The ate breakfast and then fasted until lunch. They considered it quite a sacrifice.
The Nehor Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 Hello Investigating, a fast is for as long as you desire. The standard fast, the monthly fast for members, in the Church is for two meals. For example, one would eat their lunch meal on Saturday and then no eat again until Sunday lunch. However, one may fast at other times for differing periods of time. There is a caution about excessive fasting or fasting for extended periods of time or days. That caution is for cowards. I fasted for four and a half days once and I am as sane and healthy as I ever was. Oh wait.........ohhh..... 1
JLHPROF Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 That caution is for cowards. I fasted for four and a half days once and I am as sane and healthy as I ever was. Oh wait.........ohhh..... But did you get any revelations...or visions...or visitations...hmmm?
The Nehor Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 But did you get any revelations...or visions...or visitations...hmmm? Yeah, I got some revelation. I have never to my knowledge had a physical visitation. I did have a kind of waking vision but it was not spectacular.
Robert F. Smith Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 I stayed with a couple who did a religious fast. The ate breakfast and then fasted until lunch. They considered it quite a sacrifice.So they broke their fast from the supper eaten the previous evening, by eating break-fast, and then broke their midmorning fast with lunch?
3DOP Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 So they broke their fast from the supper eaten the previous evening, by eating break-fast, and then broke their midmorning fast with lunch? It sounds like they sacrifice hobbit habits. "Second breakfast" anyone?
thesometimesaint Posted September 9, 2014 Posted September 9, 2014 (edited) It sounds like they sacrifice hobbit habits. "Second breakfast" anyone? J. R. R. Tolkien would have loved it. From Wiki.Second breakfast (or zweites Frühstück, drugie śniadanie, tízórai) is a meal eaten after breakfast, but before lunch. It is traditional in Bavaria, in Poland, and in Hungary. In Bavaria or Poland, special dishes are made exclusively to be eaten during second breakfast. In Vienna and most other parts of Austria the second breakfast is referred to as Jause.[1] It is typical to eat four to five meals a day in these locations. Edited September 9, 2014 by thesometimesaint
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