What comes to mind when you think of fasting and prayer? Really, let’s do a gut check here… My first thoughts are ‘No Way, I can’t go all day without eating’. Can I be more honest? When I felt God prompting me to dig into How to fast and pray for God, I sort of freaked out.
Stay to the end to see a video where I go more in-depth about fasting and prayer!
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I imagined fasting would be hard and that the Bible would be filled with rules and regulations I could never follow. So imagine my shock when I began to search scripture for all the rules about how to fast for God -and found grace.
Today we will see how easy it is to begin fasting in a way that will please God, feed your soul, and lead to a Spiritual breakthrough!
Before Learning How to Fast and Pray for a Breakthrough God’s Way
Next, we saw that God has a lot to say about how NOT to fast. Honestly, I started there because God started there in Scripture.
What I expected was a list of acceptable practices on how to fast and pray– maybe in Leviticus – to study God’s Word and try out. In fact, most of the internet is obsessed with the logistics of fasting… while the Lord God is more concerned with our hearts during a fast. (It feels shocking, but it is true to His nature! God cares about the heart!)
The only hard and fast rule for fasting came from Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus told us how our behavior should be during a fast:
But He doesn’t say fast from meat or all food or from doing such and such…
Fasting As A Spiritual Discipline
Earlier I shared that my first time of fasting in the Christian faith was a complete fast or absolute fast with a small group of Believers in college. We learned that in early Christian history, people took on a weekly habit of fasting in Jesus’ name.
Fasting was why the history of the church was so filled with deep repentance and great reformation and why (in my humble opinion) our generation is missing those things.
Just like in the Old Testament, where people better understood that following after the things of God could lead to a great revival of hearts turned back to God, we need to heed God’s call to fast today to seek God’s guidance in our world.
The spiritual benefits of fasting include:
Humility
Which draws God’s mercy.
Powerful prayer
Which makes clear God’s purpose.
Growing Spiritual hunger
Which fuels intercessory prayer.
These are Biblical truths that we will explore further as we learn about the different types of fasts! I feel a growing sense of urgency to seek the will of God and the presence of God. Nothing does that as effectively as a habit of fasting and prayer.
What is the Purpose of a Fast or Fasting and Praying? (How To Fast For God)
What is the purpose of fast and prayer?
A fast is about humbling our hearts before God.
Fasting and praying are about giving up the thing you seek for satisfaction in order to draw near to God… allowing God to satisfy you. This prayer guide is filled with scriptural prayers to say while fasting (fasting prayers).
What Does the Bible Say About Fasting for God?
“I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (John 4:32 NASB)
Most Biblical fasting refers to food.
When you think about it, food gives us nourishment, and energy to get through the day. Food can reach a place of satisfaction for most of us.
In Biblical times, they would have spent a great deal of time preparing food. We don’t so much with our modern lifestyles. We can microwave a meal in 5 minutes that would have taken hours for them to make.
Biblical fasting was focused on giving that time back to God in prayer and worship. That would have been a lot of time for all of their meal prep and eating. They also would have allowed the hunger pangs to remind them of their dependency on God and drive them deeper into prayer. If you lived then and were learning how to fast and pray you would have given up food for a period of time.
Why Look at the Types of Fasting in the Bible?
There are many types of fasting in the Bible, types of spiritual fasting and praying.
Also, when God’s people were just following the “rules” they had set about a time of fasting (and their hearts were out of line) God did not honor it.
To fast and pray is about the heart, not the rules.
How to Fast and Pray for God in Today’s Culture
A fast that pleases God – God’s desire – places the heart before the rules. As you plan a time to explore the power of prayer and fasting, write down the purpose of your fast.
Do you need to fast and pray for a breakthrough?
Determine which type of spiritual fasting will work for you.
Below are 15 types of fasting that can help you get started:
15 ways to begin fasting and praying for God.
There are so many fasting and prayer scriptures but 5 main examples that you can use as a fasting and prayer guide are below. Within each type of fasting and prayer are subsets that can help you whether you are a beginner or are seasoned with prayer and fasting!
1. A 40-Day Complete Fast (No Food or Water):
A 40-day total fast is extreme and I would caution you against it as a first step. Examples of an absolute fast are Jesus and Moses who took things to the extreme. No food or water for 40 days. (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:2).
~> Be sure you talk to a doctor before giving up all types of food for this long.
2. The Complete Fast
A total fast or complete fast in general which could last from part of a day to an entire day to several days or weeks.
3 & 4. A Partial Fast (also called a 3-day Spiritual Fast):
In one example we see that God’s people ate fruit, and veggies and drank water for 10 days of prayer and fasting. In modern times you might use vegetable juices supplemented with protein powder to keep your strength up while seeking God.
Daniel and the three used this fast to honor God while in captivity for 10 Days. (Daniel 1:12)
Others used this partial fast as a way to consecrate themselves for a day or a few days before feasts or holy days.
5. The Daniel Fast
No meat, no tasty bread, no wine, no oils for his skin (For 21 days) (Daniel 10:3; Daniel 9:3)
These types of food would have been things that satisfied Daniel, good food and relief from dried skin (Daniel was older by then and living in a hot dry land).
A word of caution. Most people seek out the Daniel fast about weight loss and good health benefits. However, for a time of successful fasting for your spiritual life, you must seek spiritual renewal from your Heavenly Father above physical change.
Does that make sense? The reward, the power of fasting for God is worth it but you will need God’s help to reach your goal!
6-15. Non-Food Fasts
In our culture, where food preparation takes far less time, it makes more sense to fast from non-food things to help create space in our schedule to humbly connect with the Lord.
Here are 10 ways to practice a non-food fast with God.
6. A fast from Sex
We are told husband and wife can decide together to give up sex for a time and reason, to begin fasting and praying (1 Corinthians 7:5).
7. A fast from Oils
Daniel is our example of this as well (Daniel 10:3; Daniel 9:3). He refrained from using oils. In our times it may be perfume or makeup or something else that you use on your body for pleasure.
8 – 15. A fast from things that satisfy you or entertain you
Fasting and prayer are about the posture of your heart seeking satisfaction from God alone. So, it makes sense that you could give up things that satisfy you like a Spiritual atomic bomb to cultivate humility!
In modern times this could be:
8. TV 9. Social media 10. Spending money 11. Dressing up or changing clothes 12. Swearing 13. Complaining 14. Reading 15. Going to certain places
The list could go on forever, etc.
To begin fasting, simply choose a fast for God and begin.
Please be advised: It is a good idea to discuss the practical side of your plans to fast and pray with your doctor. If you have a medical condition you will want to choose A Non-Food Fast for the day of your fast the first time.
Any drastic change to your diet will require much physical preparation in advance of the day of fasting to avoid medical harm or any other physically difficult situation.
Some people choose to follow a plan before beginning a period of fasting. I have laid out tips and the basic steps to safely begin using Biblical fasts to seek the presence of the Lord in this post ~> 3 Things to Expect in a Time of Fasting
What Biblical Fasting and Praying is Not
Biblical fasting is not all about food! Not all examples of a Biblical fast or spiritual fast are about food, remember, this is about Spiritual growth which can only happen through the power of the Holy Spirit within you!
The last two examples give me an understanding that to fast and pray is really about replacing things that satisfy us physically with God for a time and specific purpose.
In the past, I have fasted from food and found that to draw me nearer to God in deep ways.
The physical reminder of hunger is a prompt to pray, worship, and draw nearer to God. The emotional connection to food (believe me there is an emotional connection) can actually drive me to my knees very intensely!
There have also been times I chose social media fast – that was eye-opening!
Another time I set aside my phone for an entire day to fast and pray – wow was that humbling and revealing!
Beware A Common Danger: How To Fast for God
Fasting and prayer are about heart posture – not a diet.
The reason I chose to give up my phone in my list of time to fast and pray for God – instead of a meal – is my habit of turning a fast into a diet… weight loss is not the right heart posture.
If your heart is in the right place – and you truly are drawing near to God with a purpose, fasting in any form will quicken your soul for Him.
Will You Learn How to Fast and Pray Today In A Way That Pleases God?
Do you feel that deep need for breakthrough and spiritual food?
Do you need God to answer or act quickly in your life?
Join me on this journey to draw nearer to our Savior Christ Jesus. Learning how to fast and pray for God is more simple than most Christians realize. There is power in this lost spiritual discipline.
There is a sovereign call of God for the urgent need of renewal and humility that comes through fasting and prayer. That is what these Biblical truths about fasting have shown me.
To harness that power, you need only decide to begin.
Choose what you will give up while in your fast.
Pick a day to begin.
Select a topic or verse to meditate in prayer over.
Don’t get discouraged if the first fast isn’t perfect.
Keep practicing until you find the right rhythm and God moves.
Comment below “I’m in” and I’ll pray for you as we answer the call to fast and pray together!
In Him
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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