Fasting expresses and deepens our hunger for God. Fasting reminds us that we are sustained “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Food does not sustain us; God sustains us. In Christ, “He is before all things and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17). Therefore, in experiences of fasting, we are abstaining from food or other activities and feasting on God’s Word. Fasting must always, first and foremost, center on God. It must be about Him.

Step 1: Clarify the purpose of your fast.
Why are you fasting? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. Fasting is God-led and God-initiated. That means that He fuels a desire to fast and pray. He loves it when we fast.

Step 2: Specify the kind of fast you will do
Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all if His followers should fast. (Matthew 6:16- 18; 9:14-15) For Him it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, decide the following up front:
• How long you will fast – one meal, one day, one week, several weeks, certain days (beginners should start slowly, building up to a longer fasts)?
• The type of fast God wants you to undertake – discussed in the Types of Fasts section below.
• How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God’s Word. Making these commitments ahead of time will help you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it.

Step 3: Prepare your heart, mind, and body for fasting.
Fasting is not a spur-of-the-moment thing. It is planned. We must prepare. The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin can hinder your prayers.

There are several things you can do to prepare your heart.
• Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some people should never fast without professional supervision.
• Do not rush into your fast. Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high fat and sugary foods. Eating raw fruit and vegetables prior to your fast is helpful. Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
• Prepare your heart and mind: Remember that God is your Father and He loves you and is for you.
• Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended and forgive all who have hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4). Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.
• Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Meditate on the attributes of God, His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, compassion, and others. (Psalm 48:9-10, 103:1-8, 11-13)
• Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart. (Hebrews 11:6)
• Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit. (Galatians 5:16-17)
• Finally, and of deep importance, Jesus instructs us in Matthew (6:16-18) to not let others know about your fasting. The strict details of your fast should not be something you constantly talk about to others. It

Types of Fast:
Now that we have explored the Old and New Testament teaching and instruction on fasting, we can proceed to discuss specific kinds of fasts.

Biblical fasting almost always concerns food. Since the purpose of fasting, as we saw above, is to focus on God, to humble ourselves and to remind ourselves that we are sustained by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, then the task in fasting is connecting our going without to hunger for God. This takes time, focus and prayer. Please do not expect to be an expert at fasting right away. Fasting is a discipline that can take a very long time to understand well. Also, do not let this fact deter you or intimidate you. Fasting is not unlike a beautifully written masterpiece of literature. It is simple enough for a youth to understand and enjoy, and yet magnificently rich enough for the scholar to devote his/her entire life to.

Abstaining from certain types of foods: Daniel 10:3
This type is a good one for beginners to fasting or those with health needs and special or restrictive diets. Spend some time reading through Daniel’s fast in Daniel chapter 1 and chapter 10. Stick to only fruits and vegetables like he did or something similar. Determine the timing and duration of your fast and begin. You may choose to go without this specific type of food on only certain days like Fridays, or you may go without during the weekdays only or perhaps every day. Finally, choose the duration of your fast. This fast is 21 Days (January 6 – January 26) but that does not mean you must go without for all the 21 days. Determine the timing and duration ahead of time and stick to it. Rather, pray through it.

Abstaining from all food. Ester 4:16; Acts 9:9
This kind of fast is more difficult but can be broken up by timing and duration. This seems to be the most prevalent of the fasts we see in the Bible. It is also the most intimidating but refuse to let it scare you. Fasting from all food is not scary if you determine beforehand when you will do so and for how long. Here are some ideas.
• Start slowly. Begin with fasting for only part of the day (lunch, or lunch and dinner). Do this for one day and week, or perhaps three days a week. You determine the timing and duration. Take a step of faith.
• Next, try fasting from food but not beverages. This means that according to your timing and duration, you would not eat any solid foods but only water, juices, smoothies, or perhaps simple soup broths.
• Do this for the first one or two weeks. Devote the time that you normally would eat to Scripture reading and prayer. Focus on Jesus’ statements about food.
• Next, try a 24 – hour fast. This means that you get up and eat a good breakfast and drink only water or juice until the following breakfast the next day. Set aside specific time, during normal mealtimes, if possible, to pray and seek God.
• Finally, you may progress to a two or three day fast. For some, progression may lead to a multi-day, even multi-week fast. But remember the purpose of your fast.

If you do not choose to fast, or no matter what kind of fast you choose, seek God with us in prayer.