Hunger for God

This is the single best contemporary work on Christian fasting I've found. Not to take away from the excellent chapter on fasting in Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline, or any number of other shorter works, but Piper does an excellent job of laying out an approach to fasting based on a desire for God. Excellent corrective for both the "fasting is too legalistic" error and the "fasting will convince God to help me" error - Piper presents fasting as a way to train our own hearts to enjoy God above all things.

This is an excellent book on christian fasting. Through careful and cogent analysis of the Bible, Piper shows: (1) fasting has a long and righteous history with Christians; (2) fasting can reveal things that are in our hearts and that control us; (3) fasting is an important spiritual discipline that draws us closer to God and glorifies Him; (4) fasting (along with prayer) is one of the most effective ways of showing God our "hunger" for Him; and (5) fasting for the right reasons will bring us immeasurable gifts from our Father. Piper explains that understanding the teachings of Isaiah 58 holds the key to fasting for the glory of God. We fast as an offering of emptiness to God in hope. It signifies our utter helplessness and total dependence on God. Read this book and add fasting to your arsenal of spiritual disciplines to live and grow in the kingdom of heaven.

I appreciate the forthrightness with which Piper divides the Word or Truth in each and every one of his works. "A Hunger for God" is no exception. In this book, which continues to build on Piper's idea that our "duty" as Christians is to delight ourselves in intimacy with our Heavenly Father, he speaks of the power of prayer and fasting-- and how these disciplines which seem to be so tedious, so difficult, so "duty" like actually release some of the greatest freedom and joy we can experience in this life.Read it along with Dallas Willard's "Spirit of the Disciplines" and/ or Richard Foster's "Celebration of Disciplines."

Clearly John Piper has more than a surface understanding of the Scriptures. He knows how to keep central ideas central - a rare gift today! Anyone who wants to fast in the Spirit of Christ would undoubtedly be helped by reading this book.

John Piper does a great job of describing what fasting is, and what it isn't. He is very encouraging in the way he draws us to want more of God - it's a heart issue, so much more than not eating. I heartily recommend this book.