One night as I was trying to fall asleep I felt God leading me into a day of fast. He called to a day when I wouldn’t say a word. I think God heard my prayer where I was asking that He would use my words for the Kingdom.

I noticed there’s a lot of emptiness in my conversations. Most of the things I was saying weren’t bringing any benefit to the listener.

Many proverbs warn against a multitude of words and that wisdom is found in a man who doesn’t speak much. I was sure that I was the one who speaks a bit too much.

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Proverbs 10:19, ESV)

At that time I was living in a big community of young Christians. We had a lesson together about fasting that it’s not only absence from food. The topic of fasting was in the minds of many. Unfortunately, it didn’t make things less complicated and more comfortable.

Although I wasn’t comfortable I was curious to see the benefits and I was sure that God was leading me to this challenge. I made sure everyone knew my choice the day before.

My experiences through the day

8 am — 10 am

The first two hours of the morning were full of uncomfortable feelings. I felt ashamed to meet someone because I felt like I was doing something silly. It seemed like I was separated from my friends by an invisible wall. It felt like I didn’t really belong in the community or like everyone had turned their backs on me. However, I understood that this was only a feeling and everything would be back to normal the next day.

10 am — 1 pm

I was experiencing emptiness, boredom, and loneliness. I was close to people but at the same time, I felt very far. These hours were the most difficult.

1 pm – 3 pm

All the negativity turned into positive feelings. I felt happy, peaceful, and content. I don’t know what caused this turnaround. Perhaps I settled down and got used to the unusual circumstances.

3 pm – 5 pm

I spent this time in prayer and reflection. All of my problems had risen up. Fortunately, it was easy to hear God’s voice and receive His comfort.

5 pm — 9 pm

The last hours of the day were going slowly. I wanted this day to end soon; therefore I went to bed early.

My take-away

I was thinking that this abstaining from speaking was going to be much easier than fasting from food. I was wrong. The ability to talk is a big part of what it means to be human. I realized how powerful this gift of speaking is and how much it means when we communicate with another person.

1. I found different expression forms

It’s not true that I had no interaction at all. There were smiles, nods and others were speaking to me. Only I was abstaining from opening my mouth. I was blessed by every word that someone else told me without requiring me to give an answer. Every pat on the shoulder and smile meant a lot to me. This day told me that there are many ways to show appreciation, express love, and show acknowledgment.

2. My bad habits were broken

I no longer wanted to speak about irrelevant things as much as before. I understood that I can live without them. Since this day I have many more meaningful conversations.

3. I had a good lesson on listening

Throughout the day, it happened a lot and I wanted to comment, give advice, thank, or simply tell a joke. Although I couldn’t say something that day, I was able to the next one. I was surprised by how many things others said that I was able to remember. It showed me that during conversations I think too much about what I’m going to answer back that I forget to truly listen and pay attention to the person.

4. God speaks more than I thought

My prayer that day wasn’t about asking but being and listening. I was so encouraged by His still small, yet clear, voice. He didn’t use many words, just a few. They were direct and called to deep reflection.

Our words are a big gift. It can do so much to someone’s life — building or tearing apart. Our tongue is more powerful than arms or legs combined. Therefore, it’s important to use it for good and not let it run constantly. The less we speak, the more wisdom will come out.