Letting The Gospel Actually Heal You, Inside and Out

GROWING UP IN ZIMBABWE

Reward grew up in Zimbabwe, the eleventh of thirteen children. He is from the Ndebele tribe, an offshoot of the Zulu nation in South Africa. His childhood consisted of hand me downs in clothes and toys, but also belief systems and philosophies. His father was a farmer and a no-nonsense disciplinarian. Due to his authoritarian culture, Reward’s upbringing did not allow for understanding and questions, but rather blind obedience and duty. Fasting was a part of his culture whether you were religious or not. The practice was hardwired in his mother socially and she instilled this discipline in her children. Before she became a Christian, her purpose for this discipline was to help maintain connection to the spirit realm and keep her family healthy. 

As a young man, Reward began his American journey with a two-year stint at a Bible seminary in Dallas. The strict rules were something Reward thrived under. However, after graduation, he no longer had communal accountability or strict guidelines to follow. As a result, his faith imploded for a few years as he embraced the party scene. Although he didn’t drink, smoke, or take drugs…he attended those events with a girl he was dating until he became drained from the pointlessness of it all. When he hit rock bottom he was working construction for his uncle during the summer. One day, the song, In the Presence of Jehovah, came on his playlist. It reminded him of the peace and joy that he had previously found in the presence of God. Reward broke down in tears. After that, Reward reached out to a woman who had been praying for him. She introduced him to the pastor of a church who was of Nigerian descent. The pastor encouraged Reward to consecrate himself with a three day fast. The fast helped him to get back in a right relationship with the Lord.

POWER OF FASTING                                        

Many people in the Bible fasted: Moses fasted for forty days and nights twice; Elijah fasted for forty days and nights; the entire city of Nineveh fasted in repentance after Jonah’s preaching, and Jesus fasted for forty days 
and nights in the wilderness. Unfortunately, today many believers have lost touch with the power of fasting. Throughout history this practice has been central to Jewish life in times of crisis. Reward says it is time to return to this discipline. 

In 2019, the Lord called Reward to a twenty-one-day extended fast (usually he fasts for no more than 10 days at a time). Since he had fasted many times before he knew he could do it. He says, “It was an automatic, muscle-memory-induced yes even though I struggled with the inconvenience of it.” At the time, he was traveling a lot preaching and speaking, but God was with him and gave him strength. He thought the Lord was wanting to expand his speaking ministry, but he felt a gentle rebuke and redirection from the Holy Spirit. The Lord brought to his attention James 4:3 which says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” This experience sent Reward on a six-month journey of studying the art of fasting. One of the things he discovered as he researched this topic is how fasting pulls at the heart strings of God. 

In the Bible, Ahab’s sins angered the Lord. Elijah was sent to tell him that his entire bloodline would be annihilated. Ahab laid prostrate before the Lord and fasted. His fast was accepted and the Lord decided not to 

bring calamity on his family because Ahab humbled himself. “Fasting when used with prayer is unstoppable, but even the most ill-intentioned act of fasting from the most unworthy source garners the attention of heaven,” shares Reward. 

THE WHOLE BODY

“Fasting engages the soul, serves the spirit, and benefits the body all for the purpose of sanctification of the whole man in the process of our maturity and growth in conformity to the character of Christ,” reveals Reward. Even Paul references this in Thessalonians 5:23 when he says, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.    
The three-part makeup of the human being includes: (1) The spirit – God is spirit, and you are made in His image, therefore you are also spirit. All intimacy and communion (prayer) with God happens through the faculty of the spirit. (2) The soul – The center of our self-consciousness (heart, mind, will, emotions, conscience, and volition). Fasting humbles the soul and allows your spirit to connect with God and His Spirit. It helps to remove distractions that might hinder communion with God. He says, “Fasting negates the paralyzing power of our brains overriding what our spirits know to be true.” (3) The body – “Our bodies house our spirits and souls and give us agency in the natural realm,” says Reward.                                   

HOW TO FAST

Whenever the Bible mentions fasting, it is usually referring to not eating and only drinking water. Reward says, “Modified fasts can offer options for solidifying the practice of fasting, but they are not the model of fasting we find in Scripture and are not the fasting we see coupled with prayer.” As Reward points out, “Water fasts beyond a few days should ideally be undertaken with medical supervision to monitor for potential complications and ensure safety.”

When you fast, he suggests keeping the following things in mind:

•    Attitude – Begin your prayer time with Thanksgiving. Thank God for big and small things in your life. 

•    Consecration –Take time to pray and listen to what God is telling you. Fasting is more than abstinence from food, it is a time of setting apart. When you fast, your body is in observance of the Sabbath. 
Be careful not to fill your days with various forms of entertainment (movies, etc.) to distract you from the discomfort of the process…that is a diet, not a fast. “Fasting prepares us for worship, prayer, and drawing near to the presence of God,” reveals Reward. 

•    Contentment – Fasting quiets the soul so you can gain clarity. Reward shares, “When the Price of Peace inhabits the throne of your heart, you become a carrier and a creature of peace.” 

BENEFITS OF FASTING

When you abstain from food completely in a fast there are bodily benefits and regenerative processes that happen. For example, when you fast your body doesn’t get sugar from food, so your insulin level decreases. Fasting can have positive effects on brain health including the growth of new brain cells. With extended fasts, stem cell activity is stimulated and might have positive effects on immune system function. 

** Reward was the TV host of CBN’s Christian music show, One Cubed (English version) in 2008. He says, “That show reached so many people with such great testimonies, so this (being on the 700 Club) is definitely a beautiful full circle moment.” 

To find out more about Reward Sibanda and purchase book How to Fast click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Author, How to Fast, (Waterbrook Publishing, 2025); Teaching pastor at Saddleback Church in California; Senior director of national church engagement and ministry partnerships for one of the largest Christian humanitarian organizations in the world, World Vision; Married to Pam; One son, Silo