Tired, grumpy and sick.

By Nic Dykes

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A Note of Sensitivity: For Those Affected by Eating Disorders

As we explore the topic of fasting in this post, we acknowledge that this may be a sensitive area for those who are journeying through or recovering from eating disorders or disordered eating. If you feel this content might be unhelpful for you, we encourage you to take care of yourself and seek support from trusted individuals or professionals.

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I should have the title World’s Worst Faster.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Honestly before this week, I’d completed one 24 hour fast for charity. We were allowed fruit juice and I drank bucket loads of it until the day was over and I heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Even the thought of doing another made me feel hangry! However, this week I reluctantly tried doing what’s called a Daniel fast for three days- no meat, no sweets, no yeast, no alcohol, no caffeine.

I learnt that my fasting should have had a whole host of benefits. One is that fasting can supercharge your prayers and help you to seek the Lord with all your heart.

Fail 1- I found it impossible to concentrate on prayer and the lack of sugar and salt made me feel so awful I gave up early on the first day and just went to bed.

Being tired, grumpy and sick is not what I was aiming for.

Fasting can also apparently help you have increased synaptic plasticity and to create new neurons and improve resilience against stress.

Fail 2- I had a huge brain fog for three days. I literally wandered off in the wrong direction one day and didn’t even notice until I was at the wrong set of parcel lockers wondering why the machine wouldn’t release my stuff.

Fail 3- I listened to a podcast about fasting and the preacher said that a Daniel fast doesn’t even count as fasting...

because I needed to be much stricter.

Despite feeling in many ways that my fast was an epic fail, I think I will give it another go sometime.

Jesus said that his followers would fast (Matt 9) and I want to be more like Jesus and do what he asked of his followers.

In Isaiah 58 it’s made clear that your heart is what’s important in fasting, so maybe I should persevere knowing that even an epic fail done with the right heart is good enough.

Also, if anything does change because of my prayers, I know that Jesus is gracious and it was His power working in me.

Try fasting - maybe just 12 hours or 24. Try a Daniel fast if you can’t do without any food.