Important Health Note: Fasting requires reasonable precautions. If you have any health concerns, if you are taking any medication, have a chronic condition (i.e. diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease), or are pregnant or nursing, please consult your physician prior to beginning your fast.

WHAT IS FASTING?

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that we see modeled throughout Scripture in which we withhold or deny our physical bodies something that it craves or desires. We then turn to God in our longing and hunger so that He can sustain us and fill us. Fasting is not an end in itself. It is a way to focus submit our mind and body to God authority and plan.

(Matthew 4:2, 6:16-18, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2-3, 14:23)

WHY SHOULD I FAST?

Even though there isn’t a specific list of reasons, there are many different examples of fasting throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. These are just a few examples:

1. To seek God’s guidance.
2. To strengthen faith.
3. For deliverance from a stronghold.
4. For God’s healing.
5. To overcome temptation.
6. For wisdom to make an important decision.
7. In intersession for someone who needs Christ.
8. To intercede on behalf of a loved one.
9. To express love or worship God.
10. To seek God’s presence in a trial.

As you prepare to fast, it is important to choose a fasting plan that works for you. While this section provides some general information about different types of fasts, as well as some suggestions on how to create your own fasting plan, it is important to mention that there is nothing more inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. These are simply guidelines and suggestions on different ways to approach your fast.

Do not let what you eat or do not eat become the focus of your fast. Focus on what is most important, which is drawing closer to God. Remember, this is a time to disconnect enough from your regular patterns and habits in order to connect more closely to God.

HOW DO I START?

PRAYER

As you prepare for the next twenty-one days, you may be tempted to start thinking of a long list of prayers you’d like to see answered. But we really want to encourage you to keep it simple.

Think about the top two or three things most pressing on your heart and focus on those with God. Write these things down and be open to hearing what God wants to show you about those areas. The breakthroughs, miracles, and answers to your prayers will be byproducts of drawing closer to Jesus.

We encourage you to list five people whom you know need to be saved and pray for them daily over the next twenty-one days.

When praying, make your primary goal to know Jesus more and experience Him. Pray prayers of total surrender and aim to glorify God with your life. Focus first on Him, His goodness, and His greatness, and see everything else through that filter.

Be sure to make time to pray daily. Don’t over complicate it. Just talk to God. Have that place and time where you can seek Him every day. If you don’t plan to pray, you won’t. If you find it a challenge to disconnect from the busyness of your day, engaging in worship music is a great way to prepare your heart for prayer.

FAST

Start Where You Are.

We are all at different places in our walk with God. Likewise, our jobs, daily schedules, and health conditions are all different and place various levels of demands on our energy. Most importantly, whether you’ve fasted before or this is your first time, start where you are. Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it’s very important to know your own body, and know your options. So, seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Remember, the goal of fasting is not just to do without food. The goal is to draw near to God.

What should I expect?

When most people start fasting, there is typically some level of discomfort. However, it is possible to get used to the fasting routine pretty quickly. Quite simply, you must learn to fast in a way that works for you.

What about caffeine?

Should you completely cut out caffeine? It depends. The great thing is, when you fast, your body automatically craves less caffeine. If you can stay on your fast with less caffeine, that’s great. If you can stay on your fast with no caffeine, that’s also great. When it comes to substances that your body has grown accustomed to, cutting them out completely all at once can get your fast off to a bad start. It’s better to ease yourself off and make it your goal to be completely caffeine free about two-thirds of the way into your fast.

If you drink coffee regularly, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to cut caffeine out abruptly and completely. Please don’t do that or you will spend this time grumpy and in withdrawal instead of enjoying God’s presence.

Mixing things up a bit during a twenty-one day fast is what typically works best for people. For example, do a fruits and vegetables fast for a week, then do all liquids for a while. Maybe even mix in a few days of only water if you think you are ready for that. Then go back to fruits and vegetables for a few days.

There isn’t one approach that works the same for everyone. Follow the Holy Spirit, mix it up, find what works for you. The important thing is to not give up.

Is Fasting Only About Food?

While fasting typically refers to refraining from specific food items, you may also find it extremely beneficial to fast from other regular activities or habits instead. This might include things such as television, social media, and the like. Prayer and fasting are not just about connecting to God but also about disconnecting from the world. Try to tune out some of the regular distractions from your day as much as possible. Replace that time with things that will nourish you spiritually.

Types of Fasts

Daniel Fast

The Daniel fast is a great model to follow and one that is extremely effective for spiritual focus and bodily discipline. It is probably one of the most referred to fasts; however, within the Daniel fast there is room for broad interpretation.

In the book of Daniel, we find two different times where the prophet Daniel fasted. Daniel 1 states that he only ate vegetables and water. In Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these, or combinations of the two, constitute a Daniel fast.

Again, it is important to mention that there is nothing inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits and vegetables.

Some starchy vegetables and dairy could be included, but that depends on the individual. Your goal should be to seek God in prayer about this and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

Juice Fast

A juice fast is simply consuming vegetable and fruit juices and water instead of solid food. Many people include whey protein in their liquid plan as well. This is one of the most popular and effective fasts. Even if you choose not to make your entire fast liquids only, substituting one or two meals for liquids is a great alternative.

Water Fast

A water only fast is the normal fast referred to in the Bible. This is how Jesus and the New Testament church fasted. A water fast is just that — no eating of any food or drinking of any liquids except water.

Periodic water fasts can be very beneficial, but extreme precautions should be taken. For some people it is hard to perform effectively at their jobs and have energy for their families while drinking only water.

We recommend consulting your physician first, and water fasting only for a day or two unless you can get away or your job allows you to really disconnect so you can give your best energy to the fast. Remember, when Jesus went on His forty day fast, He went by Himself out into the wilderness.

Having said that, there are some people who can water fast and work, and they function fine without much fatigue and are able to work well. You are blessed if you are one of these people.

Total Fast

A total fast is where nothing — neither liquid, solid food, nor even water is consumed for a very short period. There are examples of this type of fast in the Bible. It was an Old Covenant type of fast associated with mourning, or deep grief, such as when David engaged in a total fast for a week, hoping that God would spare the child he had with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12).

Under the New Covenant, however we do not fast to mourn or to seek forgiveness. God has already forgiven us, and we are commanded to celebrate Jesus because He is alive.

Health Warning: Attempting to go without water for any period can be extremely harmful to the body. Complete abstinence of food and water can be very dangerous to our health, resulting in severe illness or even death.

We do not practice this type of fast and we strongly discourage anyone from 

attempting a total fast Unless you talked to your doctor.

Fasting While Nursing or Pregnant

Strict fasting while pregnant or nursing also is not recommended. If you are in this incredible season of life but would like to participate in the twenty-one-day plan, here are some great options for you to consider — with the approval of your physician:

• A modified Daniel fast including whole grains, legumes, whey protein, calcium, and iron supplements.

• Fasting sweets and desserts
• Fasting red meat

• Fasting certain activities (TV shows, movies, social media, video games, or shopping).

If you are a pregnant or nursing mother, your priority is the health, and the development of the baby God has entrusted you with. Make that your guideline and go from there.

Please consult your doctor before engaging in any part of the fast.

Fasting and Eating Disorders 

If you have struggled with an eating disorder, this situation is a battle of the mind you can win through Christ (Philippians4:13). Remember, fasting is a tool used to get closer to God, and it should keep us from being preoccupied with food. If your method of fasting is going to cause you to obsess about what you eat in anyway, you will need to change either your approach or your mindset.

If giving up food is a stumbling block to you, then consider fasting an activity (TV shows, movies, social media, video games, or shopping). There are many ways that we attempt to stay in control which we could eliminate from our daily routine. We do these things to distract ourselves from the real issues hurting us. If you can identify such other things, maybe you can give those up instead of food.

Remember that you are covered by God’s grace, and you are not alone. To get help or if you’d like to speak to someone, please contact us. CLICK HERE FOR HELP

LIFESTYLE

Just like reading your Bible, praying, and attending church, fasting is also a lifestyle. We encourage you to establish a frequency and consistency of fasting in your life. This is not a legalistic practice. 

Fasting allows us to draw closer to God and experience Him in a whole new way.