A Quote by Francis Quarles

If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful soul, fasting and praying. Walking exercises the body; praying exercises the soul; fasting cleanses both.

Francis Quarles

Quote Topics

Body Both Exercises Fasting Praying Preserve Soul Sound Sound Body Thou Use Walking

Quote Author

Francis Quarles
English - Poet
May 8, 1592 - September 8, 1644

Fasting, as some people speculate, is not a bodily torture, martyrdom, or a cross, but it is a way to elevate the body to reach the level of cooperation with the soul. When we fast, our intention is not to torture the body but to shun its behaviour. Thus, one who fasts becomes a spiritual and not a physical person. Fasting is an ascetic soul which takes the body with it as its partner in asceticism.

Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria

Fasting is not bodily hunger but bodily elevation and purity. It is not a body that hungers and longs for food, but a body that rids itself of the desire to eat. Fasting is a time when the soul flourishes and lifts the body up with it. It rids the body of its loads and burdens and lifts it up so that God may work with it without impediment to the happiness of the spiritual entity.

Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria

Yes, fasting is not merely a commandment from God but a godly gift, a grace and a blessing. God the creator of our body and soul knows of our need to fast for its benefit for our spiritual life, development and our eternity. He granted us the knowledge and manner of fasting. As a kind Father and a wise Teacher, He has recommended fasting for us.

Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria

Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importance into our praying, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven. The man who prays with fasting is giving heaven notice that he is truly in earnest.

Arthur Wallis

Fasting with a pure heart and motives, I have discovered, brings personal revival and adds power to our prayers. Personal revival occurs because fasting is an act of humility. Fasting gives opportunity for deeper humility as we recognize our sins, repent, receive God's forgiveness, and experience His cleansing of our soul and spirit. Fasting also demonstrates our love for God and our full confidence in His faithfulness.

Bill Bright

Fasting of the body is food for the soul.

Saint John Chrysostom

We observe that in the scriptures, fasting almost always is linked with prayer. Without prayer, fasting is not complete fasting; it's simply going hungry.

Joseph B. Wirthlin

If you're having a difficult time making the best decision then consider fasting. Fasting is simply taking something you regularly do and replacing it with praying and seeking God. For example instead of eating a meal you can take that time to seek God and allow Him to speak to you about the decision.

Dan Black

Fasting blinds the body in order to open the eyes of your soul.

Rumi

Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear. Fasting is not a tool to pry wisdom out of God's hands or to force needed insight about a decision. Fasting is not a tool for gaining discipline or developing piety (whatever that might be). Instead, fasting is the bulimic act of ridding ourselves of our fullness to attune our senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around us."—Dan B. Allender, PhD

Dan B. Allender

Three duties of every Christian are giving, praying, and fasting.

Jentezen Franklin

Prayer can come in only when fasting has done its work. It can make fasting easy and bearable.

Mahatma Gandhi

Fasting, or intermittent fasting, gives us an opportunity to really get all the best cells all the time and that's what we all want.

Steven Gundry

If you study the Talmud you please God even more than you do by praying or fasting.

Abraham Cahan

Therapeutic fasting is not a mystical or magical cure. It works because the body has within it the capacity to heal when the obstacles to healing are removed. Health is the normal state. Most chronic disease is the inevitable consequence of living a life-style that places disease-causing stressors on the human organism. Fasting gives the body an interlude without those stressors so that it can speedily repair or accomplish healing that could not otherwise occur in the feeding state.