By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
Senior pastor of Omega Fire Ministries International, Johnson Suleman, has clarified his position on fasting and intimacy, stating that sexual relations should be avoided during periods of spiritual consecration.
Speaking during a church service, the cleric addressed questions about what is permissible while observing a fast. According to him, fasting is a spiritual exercise that requires believers to deny themselves physical pleasures in order to focus entirely on God.
“It’s wrong. You don’t have sex during fasting. Fasting is denying your body pleasure,” he told the congregation.
Suleman explained that the essence of fasting goes beyond abstaining from food, describing it as a period of self-discipline that involves setting aside bodily comforts and desires. “Anything that would pleasure your body, you are denying yourself — food, sex, comfort,” he said.
However, he noted that normal marital relations can resume once the fasting period has ended. “After you break your fast, you can go do what you want to do,” he added.
The pastor also urged believers to be realistic about their spiritual capacity when undertaking extended fasts. He advised that individuals who struggle with maintaining focus during long fasts should consider shorter periods to avoid divided attention.
“Once you are fasting and thinking about intercourse, your heart is already divided,” Suleman said, stressing that such distractions undermine the purpose of the spiritual exercise.
He concluded by reiterating that fasting requires full spiritual concentration and intentional self-denial to achieve its intended purpose.
