Introducing Your Kids to Fasting and Prayer
Once your child has made a personal decision to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, you can begin to introduce them to fasting and prayer in a small but powerful way.
Even before you want them to participate on any level, you can let your children know you are fasting and why. Include them by talking about it and leading by example. This, of course, is the best way to train your child up in the ways they should go!
There are some parents who will introduce their children to fasting by having them give up something they enjoy doing such as video games or TV. This is not a bad idea as long as you are replacing that time with prayer and reading the Bible and gradually move towards true fasting of physical sustenance.
However, a better way is to have your child fast from sweets or their favorite snacks for a period of time. Whenever they crave a sweet or treat of some kind or during their normal snack time, stop and pray with them, read the Bible, and draw closer to God. I would never advocate for a child to go without a meal, but we can introduce fasting this way. Later, the Holy Spirit will lead you both to know when its time to move forward and fast a meal.
Keep in mind, if you are just pushing the plate or the sweet away and not engaging God in some way through His Word or through prayer, there is no spiritual benefit at all. Think about the rich young ruler in Luke 18: though he did the right things including fasting twice a week, his heart was far from God. The fleshly desires of this world had a hold of his heart. In order to facilitate the spiritual growth of our children, we need to expose and talk about the things of God at all times and in every situation including the why behind all we do. Try finding a devotional for you and your children to go through together or a Bible reading plan for kids.
There are so many benefits to combining fasting with prayer, including many physical benefits! You will build up your Spirit man while you put your flesh (own desires) in control. It will help you and your child grow in your faith and relationship with God, help you hear God’s voice, resist temptation of every kind, and provide a means for breakthrough in every area of your life!
Simply put, it is our jobs as parents to lead by example and help our children grow in their walk with the Lord. Teaching them at a young age to fast and pray will equip them for whatever comes their way and to lead a victorious, joy-filled life in Christ!