FAM Club Qualified

A lot of you moms out there who are pregnant or nursing have written to ask about fasting in this season of motherhood. Of course you shouldn’t fast!  We’re not medical doctors here at girltalk, but this much we know: pregnant and nursing women shouldn’t be skipping meals. Growing babies need lots of yummies to stay healthy. That’s why I’ve temporarily resigned from the FAM club for a while.

Some of you may have a particular physical condition that would make it unwise to fast. Please—have a talk with your doc and get whatever info you need to make an informed decision. Sound like a plan? Good.

Even if you are unable to abstain from food because of a baby or a physical condition, this doesn’t mean you can’t fast at all. Listen to what Donald Whitney suggests:

“A biblical definition of fasting is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes….Fasting is more than just the ultimate crash diet for the body, it is abstinence from food for spiritual purposes….There is a broader view of fasting that is often overlooked. Fasting does not always deal with abstinence from food. Sometimes we may need to fast from involvement with other people, or from the media, from the telephone, from talking, from sleep, etc. in order to become more absorbed in a time of spiritual activity.”

So, if you can’t fast food in this season, maybe you can consider refraining from watching a particular TV show, or checking facebook or talking on the telephone for a set period of time in order to pray for your family members. See, we can all still be a part of the FAM club—fasting for the purpose of praying for our family.

Next week: testimonies from other women and more thoughts on praying for your loved ones. A “fasting” Friday Funny coming your way soon….