This article highlights the habit of fasting for physicians. As a way for doctors to raise their healing arts.

Does Your Doctor Pray & Fast?

Jesus bestowed on his Apostles the ability to cure evils.

But in the case of one epileptic boy, the Apostles were unable to cure the boy of his evil. Hence, the father of the boy approached Jesus to request—in faith—that Jesus cure his son, because the Apostles failed to succeed. And when Jesus cured the boy, his Apostles came to him after to inquire on why they could not succeed in casting out the evil spirit. And Jesus replied to them, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Which means, if a doctor treats tough-to-treat cases, it’s helpful for the healer to make prayer and fasting a spiritual habit in order to gain an edge in their healing art.

Matthew Chapter 17 (KJV)

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

The Didache

Chapter 8 of The Didache reveals the normative fasting method taught:

8:1 But as for you fasts, let them not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week, but do you fast on the fourth and sixth days.

Note: The fourth day is Wednesday. And the sixth day is Friday.

• After the evening meal on Tuesday (when the sun set) would start the Wednesday fast. And at the end of the day Wednesday, after the sun set, marked the end.
• After the evening meal on Thursday (when the sun set) would start the Friday fast. And at the end of the day Friday (when the sun set) would mark the end.
• It was common in those days for the disciples of the church to not eat any food on fast days. Other forms of fasting were less strict, where food was eaten, except: no meat, no fish, no dairy, nothing which comes from a blood animal (the “Orthodox Fast”)
• Furthermore scripture teaches to approach fasting humbly and quietly.

Matthew Chapter 6 (KJV)

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Ancient Chinese Medicine

Interestingly, fasting was not only revered in Biblical scripture. In the ancient Chinese medicine classic Nei Jing Su Wen, there is evidence that emperor Huang Di would fast before he stored the medical teachings that were taught to him by his teacher Qi Bo.

One example is in the closing of Chapter 8 of the Nei Jing Su Wen, after Qi Bo ministered medical teachings, Huang Di replied:

8-60-2
Huang Di:
“Good!”
I have heard
‘the Way of the essence light,
this is the achievement of the great sages.’

But as far as [their] promulgation of the Great Way is concerned,
if it is not after [a period of] fasting and chastity and if [I] have not selected an auspicious day,
[I] do not dare to accept it.”

Huang Di thereupon, chose an auspicious day and a good omen,
and stored these [teachings] in the Numinous Orchid Chamber
to have them transmitted and treasured there.

Source
Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen
Unschuld translation

Fasting Warning

Fasting has become the new buzzword. Unfortunately, many are using it to meet lustful desires and vain health goals. Rather than for spiritual sanctification. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria wrote in his Festal Epistle Letter in 347 A.D. “For actions not done piously, are not of advantage…but they rather argue hypocrisy in those who venture upon them.”

Thus, be careful with how you approach fasting. If not done for righteousness (spiritual!) reasons, then you have the potential to cause great harm to your body. It would be wise to already have a balanced five (5) flavors diet, and daily prayer routine, before you try fasting.

Sanc·ti·fi·ca·tion (noun)

Definition: The ongoing process of being made righteous and progressively set free from the power of sin. 

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