Fasting for our Children: Why it Matters.

Lately, I seem to be emphasizing fasting too much…lol. But sometimes the most meaningful beginnings don’t come wrapped in fireworks, but they come with intention.

Most of us are familiar with fasting in moments of desperation, or when we’re facing a big decision, or when we really want to hear God more clearly because the noise of life feels overwhelming. We fast when we need answers. We fast when we’re at the end of ourselves. We fast when something feels urgent.

But one morning, as I was reading Fasting by Jentezen Franklin, a thought hit me in a way that wouldn’t let go: When was the last time I fasted not for myself… but for my children?

Granted, I intentionally and often pray for my kids. I pray over their hearts, their friendships, their decisions, and the world they’re growing up in. Prayer is already a part of our rhythm. But fasting felt different. Fasting felt uncomfortable. It felt inconvenient. And maybe that’s why the question lingered.

When was the last time I actually set aside a day, or even just one meal, and said, “Lord, help my kids to understand Your path for their lives and equip them to walk in it.” It’s not the kind of question that brings excitement. After all, who wants to give up their coffee or favorite meal of the day?

Jesus didn’t frame fasting as optional for those who wanted to be extra spiritual. He talked about it the same way He spoke about giving and praying, when you do it, not if you ever get around to it. In Matthew 6, He says “when you give” (6:3–4), “when you pray” (6:5–6), and “when you fast” (6:16–18), treating all three as expected parts of a Christlike life.

Fasting for our children is an act of faith, love, and trust, and it might just be one of the most impactful ways we can stand in the gap for them. And yet, fasting is usually the discipline we quietly avoid, label as extreme, or assume is only for certain seasoned people of faith.

Scripture reminds us that there are moments and battles where prayer alone isn’t the full invitation. There’s a story in the Gospels where a father brings his son to the disciples, desperate for healing, and even though they pray, nothing happens. When Jesus steps in and heals the boy, the disciples later ask Him why they couldn’t do it. His answer is straightforward: “This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting.” (Matt 17:21)

And as a parent, that hits differently.

Because there are things our kids will face that we can’t fix, can’t control, and can’t always reach with words or wisdom alone. There are influences we’ll never fully see, decisions they’ll make on their own, and spiritual battles that feel far bigger than our ability to manage. Fasting becomes a way of standing in the gap for the places we can’t go with them.

It’s not about earning anything from God or about manipulating outcomes. Fasting doesn’t change God. It changes us. It quiets our own appetites, our need for control, our urge to fix everything, and it re-centers our hearts on trusting God with what matters most.

And maybe fasting for our children is really just another way of saying, “God, I love them so much that I’m willing to be uncomfortable for a moment if it means hearing You more clearly and trusting You more fully with their lives.”

So, I’m not talking about a long, dramatic fast or doing this perfectly. I’m talking about something small and intentional. One meal. One day. One quiet decision to pause, pray, and surrender your kids to the God who dearly loves them.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can do for our kids isn’t something we add to our parenting, but it’s something we’re willing to lay down.

Ezra 8:21 says it best:

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”

Ahava in the verse above means love, so this week, I invite you to ask yourself the question I asked myself: When was the last time I fasted seeking God’s will for my children? Not out of fear. Not out of pressure. But out of love. Out of trust. Out of the desire to hear God’s voice more clearly than any other. And as you ask, let God lead you. He honors parents who seek Him. He responds to anyone who takes the posture of humility. 

💎 At Gems for Generations, we believe that fasting for our children is an act of faith, love, and trust, and it might just be one of the most impactful ways we can stand in the gap for them.

 👉 Subscribe to the Gems for Generations Newsletter for more devotional reflections and practical faith tools for your family.