AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Fasting (Student Edition) by Jentezen Franklin

Fasting.  Probably the least popular of the so-called “spiritual disciplines.”  However, in his book Fasting (Student Edition) author Jentezen Franklin identifies fasting as the number one factor in increasing his intimacy with God and unleashing the power of God in his ministry.

Franklin shares stories of his experiences in fasting throughout his young adult years, and gives a ton of biblical examples of fasting.  When he was giving biblical examples, I thought multiple times, “How did I never notice before that fasting was involved in so many of these stories of God moving in powerful ways?”  It’s everywhere in scripture, and Franklin builds a convincing case for why fasting should no longer be placed on the back burner when it comes to spiritual disciplines.  He attributes “breakthroughs” (his word), in his own life and in the Bible, to the discipline of fasting.

This is an outstanding book, and some of the finer moments include Franklin’s description of “King Stomach” and his potential to undermine all things godly in our lives, as well as his exploration of the “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” statement by Jesus.  His convicting retelling of Esau selling his birthright for food is another great moment; as is his exposition of Isaiah 58 late in the book.

Kirby Heybone does a great job narrating and delivering the sense of conviction that Franklin must have felt while writing it.

There are only a couple missteps here, and they come in the form of awkward illustrations.  One involves the Yom Kippur War and one involves Dog the Bounty Hunter.  It felt like Franklin was trying to be culturally relevant, and was reaching too far for analogies that weren’t very apt.  Also, a casual listener may accuse Franklin of pushing a form of “health-and-wealth gospel” or “name-it-and-claim-it” theology, but his focus on Jesus and the true gospel convinced me that his actual message is much deeper and more biblical than that.

This book is written specifically for high school students and young adults, and as a youth minister I would recommend it to anyone of that age group in a second.  But I also would recommend it to anyone who is just getting started in fasting or someone who needs a reminder of its validly and power in the life of a Christian.

Please Note: This audiobook was gifted as a part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.  More information can be found about this and other Christian audiobooks at christianaudio.com.