Do you have a dysfunctional relationship with food? Asheritah Ciuciu knows what it’s like to be a slave to food – sugar specifically. She shares how praying for a hunger for God is the first step to freedom from slavery to food.

“The cliché answer is always go to Jesus and pray, but this is truly a spiritual issue. If it were just physical we would probably have figured it out by now. We begin by being honest with God and praying for that hunger.”

The problem isn’t that we eat food, because God created us to eat food. The problem is that we seek fullness and satisfaction in food instead of in God.

“Food is something that can never truly satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies. We might know that mentally, but we must learn to hunger for Him. A lot of us have never experienced that spiritual hunger.”

Asheritah says that we can begin by asking God to stir up a holy hunger within us and then keep praying until we see change.

“For me, that was the first step. I begin by being honest with God saying, ‘I’ve been a Christian my whole life and I love you, but I don’t really hunger for you. Will you teach me how to hunger for you?’

This cry led Asheritah to take part in a sugar fast. She made the choice to intentionally give up sugar because she knew that she craved it more than God.

“Prayerfully talk to the Lord and ask Him, what is it that I’m running to. It might not be sugar, or it might not be food. Maybe there is something else in your life that you’re running to instead of Jesus. I would surrender that to the Lord.”

Asheritah says that if we ask God to show us what it looks like to find satisfaction in Him as opposed to our addictions, He will show us.

“Surrender it to Him and be obedient to what He shows you.”

What would God have you turn from so you can better focus on Him?


Asheritah Ciuciu is a writer, speaker, and recovered food addict. She grew up as a missionary kid in Romania and witnessed God change the lives of drunkards, gamblers, and swindlers, forever marking her with the power of the gospel.

Key Scripture: John 10:10

Featured Songs: Oh, My Soul – Casting Crowns; Ever Be – Aaron Shust; Desert Song – Hillsong

Turning from food to God