Fasting Experiences & Poll

[JLHPROF]

I have a strong testimony of fasting.  I have received many answers after fasting that I have been unable to receive after praying alone.  I look forward to our monthly fast and testimony meetings.  When faced with a trial I will often fast.

 

I wanted to see what other board members experiences with fasting have been.  I also started a poll because I was curious about any variety of fasting that members may have experienced.

I also know that there are many people unable to fast for medical reasons, and was curious to get their perspectives on alternatives to fasting.

 

Anyway, I just thought an uplifting thread about people's experiences fasting might be a fun topic.

[Hamba Tuhan]

I love fasting!

 

Almost exactly six years ago, I was in the temple praying for my young me. (I was YMP at the time.) I told the Lord in prayer that I would do ANYTHING to help them if He would just guide me. The answer came clearly: fast for them.

 

Being who I am, I replied: I already fast for them every month.

 

To which the Spirit responded: You could do it every week.

 

That's asking too much, I quickly added.

 

I thought you said you would do anything?

 

So for the past six years I have fasted every single Sunday. At first I thought it was going to kill me. But it has blessed my life so much, and I know it has blessed the lives of those for whom I've fasted. In the beginning, I kept waiting for the Spirit to say, That's enough, but it hasn't happened, and now fasting is just what I do. Serving in the bishopric until one year ago, I extended my weekly fasting to my entire ward. Now as WML I fast for my ward, for our missionaries, for our investigators, friends, and new members.

 

This past Sunday I fasted specifically to know whom I could invite to our ward's missionary musical fireside this Sunday. Yesterday I felt impressed to speak to a visiting researcher from China. It didn't go so well; she had very little idea of what I was saying. So I got the Chinese-speaking Sisters from the other ward to ring her this morning. Now she's coming to the fireside this Sunday and also to church before that. Good stuff!

[Avatar4321]

I love fasting even though I don't see lots of results I know it is a blessing.

I have seen it heal people. Isaiah 58 is one of my favorite chapters.

[The Nehor]

I have a weird metabolism. Not eating for a day is easy for me. I can honestly forget to eat. My mother tells me I have the metabolism of a camel and always have. She says she is grateful as it meant as an infant I was sleeping through the night within a few days of being born. She did not understand what her friends were talking about regarding late night feedings and having to get up until her second child was born.

 

I regularly do extended fasts so I can feel genuine hunger. I usually start to feel hunger after 2-3 days and have never fasted for more then 5. I definitely do not go more then a day without fluids though and in some extended fasts I will take vitamins and I try to plan them around times of minimal physical activity. I learned this the hard way when I went to a strenuous Krav Maga conditioning class after not eating for over 2 days.

Edited November 7, 2014 by The Nehor

[JLHPROF]

I have a weird metabolism. Not eating for a day is easy for me. I can honestly forget to eat. My mother tells me I have the metabolism of a camel and always have. She says she is grateful as it meant as an infant I was sleeping through the night within a few days of being born. She did not understand what her friends were talking about regarding late night feedings and having to get up until her second child was born.

 

I regularly do extended fasts so I can feel genuine hunger. I usually start to feel hunger after 2-3 days and have never fasted for more then 5. I definitely do not go more then a day without fluids though and in some extended fasts I will take vitamins and I try to plan them around times of minimal physical activity. I learned this the hard day when I went to a strenuous Krav Maga conditioning class after not eating for over 2 days.

 

It's funny you say that.  I once made the mistake of doing a 3-day fast during a busy time at work.  The results at the end were not good.  I've learned my lesson and now only do three day fasts when I know I will have minimal physical activity.  But I find them so powerful.

[Calm]

I am the opposite. I get one result from fasting:  severe migraine.

 

i got great results from my mom's fasting though so I have a testimony of it even if I haven't experienced it directly.

[halconero]

I had a beautiful experience fasting last week. Once for personal reasons, and another as part of the communal fast at Church. It was great because we had a lesson on fasting in Elders' Quorum with a fabulous teacher. He broke down and taught deeply from Isaiah 58 on the law of the fast. It's a beautiful scripture that I suggest everyone read. It talks about how the fast offering and the fast go hand in hand with regards to revelation, thankfulness and righteousness.

[Avatar4321]

Funny because when I was fasting last week I was inspired to look little further past the Sunday school lesson and ended up in Isaiah 58. I learned some things I hadn't known about fasting.

it's funny because I was inspired to do more of a fast offering than I normally do too

[Doctrine 612]

I fast every Sunday, not because iam holyer then thou, but because I can't eat breakfast and I have long meetings after church that go until 3 pm, dinner is aways at 6 pm.

But I make it count.

Also from my back ground I was taught to fast from food and juice like drinks, but water is ok, because fasting is to help clean your body.

[Buzzard]

Have had some great experiences fasting, but still maintain that it should be called Slow Sunday, because it seems to crawl by. 

[Kenngo1969]

I love fasting!

 

Almost exactly six years ago, I was in the temple praying for my young me. (I was YMP at the time.) I told the Lord in prayer that I would do ANYTHING to help them if He would just guide me. The answer came clearly: fast for them.

 

Being who I am, I replied: I already fast for them every month.

 

To which the Spirit responded: You could do it every week.

 

That's asking too much, I quickly added.

 

I thought you said you would do anything?

 

So for the past six years I have fasted every single Sunday. At first I thought it was going to kill me. But it has blessed my life so much, and I know it has blessed the lives of those for whom I've fasted. In the beginning, I kept waiting for the Spirit to say, That's enough, but it hasn't happened, and now fasting is just what I do. Serving in the bishopric until one year ago, I extended my weekly fasting to my entire ward. Now as WML I fast for my ward, for our missionaries, for our investigators, friends, and new members.

 

This past Sunday I fasted specifically to know whom I could invite to our ward's missionary musical fireside this Sunday. Yesterday I felt impressed to speak to a visiting researcher from China. It didn't go so well; she had very little idea of what I was saying. So I got the Chinese-speaking Sisters from the other ward to ring her this morning. Now she's coming to the fireside this Sunday and also to church before that. Good stuff!

If you say the Spirit moved you in that direction, although we have never met, I think I know the "Cyber-You" well enough to believe you when you testify of what you were moved upon to do, and of the results.  I doubt you're trying to hold yourself up as any kind of an example so as to say, "Others should do what I'm doing."  Unique circumstance, unique revelation, perhaps unique results.  I do think we need to be careful that we don't fall into a trap similar to the ones Elder Oaks describes here: 

 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1994/10/our-strengths-can-become-our-downfall?lang=eng

 

That said, as I hope I made clear above, I'm not saying that you are headed for (nor that you have fallen into) such a trap.  I do think we need to be careful though.

[Kenngo1969]

I am the opposite. I get one result from fasting:  severe migraine.

 

i got great results from my mom's fasting though so I have a testimony of it even if I haven't experienced it directly.

Mosiah 4:27.  God knows your heart.  (I believe I do, too, at least as much as one can with respect to a Cyber-acquaintance. )

[Kenngo1969]

It's funny you say that.  I once made the mistake of doing a 3-day fast during a busy time at work.  The results at the end were not good.  I've learned my lesson and now only do three day fasts when I know I will have minimal physical activity.  But I find them so powerful.

Well and good, but see my #11.

[Duncan]

the last time I fasted I got violently ill, so when it's fast day I don't fast BUT I heed the advice in the Doctrine and Covenants and bear my testimony to be forgiven for not fasting

[Hamba Tuhan]

I doubt you're trying to hold yourself up as any kind of an example so as to say, "Others should do what I'm doing."

 

Doubt verified. Revelation is a very personal -- and individualised -- thing.

[Hamba Tuhan]

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1994/10/our-strengths-can-become-our-downfall?lang=eng

 

Great talk, by the way! I'd not read it before. Thank for sharing.

[Calm]

the last time I fasted I got violently ill, so when it's fast day I don't fast BUT I heed the advice in the Doctrine and Covenants and bear my testimony to be forgiven for not fasting

Get your blood sugar tested....

Also try and remember if you were sleep deprived at the time which can apparently affect blood sugars.

[Avatar4321]

When I haven't felt well enough to fast from food I've fasted from tv or electronics or even just certain unhealthy foods

[ERayR]

I fast every Sunday, not because iam holyer then thou, but because I can't eat breakfast and I have long meetings after church that go until 3 pm, dinner is aways at 6 pm.

But I make it count.

Also from my back ground I was taught to fast from food and juice like drinks, but water is ok, because fasting is to help clean your body.

 

Just an observation isn't it funny that we can all hear the same teaching and interpret it so differently.  The teaching is to refrain from food or drink.

[JLHPROF]

Just for fun (because you know I support Brigham's teachings most of the time), here's a fun 19th century teaching:

 

It is a strange thought, but could you weigh the particles of life that you constantly receive from the water you drink and from the air you breathe, you would learn that you receive a greater proportion of nourishment from those sources than from the food you consume. Many are not aware of this, for they are not apt to reflect how much longer they can live when deprived of food than they can when deprived of air. When people are obliged to breathe confined air, they do not have that free, full flow of the purification and nourishment that is in the fresh air, and they begin to decay, and go into what we call consumption. - Brigham Young  JOD 4:92

[BCSpace]

 I went carb free perfectly for six months once and lost 70 lbs. Does that count?