What is Biblical Fasting?

• Fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us humble ourselves and center our attention on God alone.
• Fasting normally implies refraining from food for some set period of time, be it hourly, daily, or weekly. However, fasting may include abstaining from activities such as watching television, reading the news, shopping, checking social media, etc., in order to devote that time to God instead.

The Purpose of Fasting

• The main purpose of the fast is to devote time to God alone for prayer, scripture reading, and worship. It grows us in our knowledge of God and puts us in a ready position to respond to Him.
• Prayer is almost always part of the fast. Many times, it is a special time set aside to pray for spiritual awakening or healing of others. It can also be a time of personal prayer for God’s leadership in our own lives.
• Another purpose of fasting is to focus on God’s Word. It creates an opportunity to meditate on His Word and commit it to memory.
• A special time set aside for fasting also creates a window for worship. It creates the freedom to proclaim back to God what we already know to be true.

Types of Fasts

• The Daniel Fast, or partial fast – Rather than abstaining from all food, this fast focuses on eating nuts, fruits, and vegetables. It avoids foods from animals such as meat, eggs, and milk.
• The Normal Fast involves fasting from food and drinking only water or juice.
• The Total Fast is normally the first fast that comes to one’s mind. This fast centers around refraining from eating or drinking anything.
• Fasts can be done for an hour or hours, for days, or weeks. As a word of caution, your body needs preparation if you are planning a total or normal fast for more than a day. Make sure your body is ready for the fast you choose.

Beginning the Fast

• When fasting, it is important to choose a method that will not cause discouragement. Don’t try to do too much. The purpose is not the “doing” but growing nearer to the Lord through sacrifice and humility.
• Plan your fast before beginning. Decide whether you will fast from food, an item, or activity and determine the amount of time you will devote to prayer and fasting.