Article of Faith
Inadvisability Of Embarking On A Prolonged Dry Fasting -By Isaiah Ogedegbe
Jesus who successfully completed a 40-day dry fasting was not only human but also divine. He had a special grace for such a prolonged dry fasting, which mere mortals like us may not have.
In 2019, a Zambian pastor Brighton Samajomba was reported by Sahara Reporters to have died of starvation 10 days before the end of his yearly 30-day fasting programme.
Early in 2023, the BBC reported that a Mozambican pastor Francisco Barajah also died the same way after a 25-day dry fasting.
Later in 2023, Premium Times reported that a Nigerian pastor Victor Great did a 21-day dry fasting in a bid to “shut the gates of death”, but in the end his followers had to carry him to his church because he could not walk.
Being a pastor myself, I do not intend to discourage my fellow pastors or even Christians from fasting as evidenced in the life of Christ in Matthew chapter 4. However, I urge them to apply wisdom when embarking on a prolonged dry fasting, because it could be detrimental to their health and even result in death.
Jesus who successfully completed a 40-day dry fasting was not only human but also divine. He had a special grace for such a prolonged dry fasting, which mere mortals like us may not have.
