Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food (or something else) in order to focus on God. We set aside a meal (or other normal activities) for a portion of the day (e.g. six or twelve hours), a full day (twenty-four hours), or even several days. When we fast, what we’re saying is, “There’s something more important in my life than physical nourishment. More than I need food, I need God.” Fasting is a physical reminder of that spiritual reality. As you prepare to fast, here are a few types of fast to consider.
Complete Fast
In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
Partial Fast
This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a partial fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.
Soul Fast
This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.
HOW DO YOU FAST?
F – Focus on God
Based on what Jesus taught us in Matthew 6, we don’t fast so that others will think we’re spiritual. We do this to honor God. Sometimes we fast with others, but the reason for fasting is to focus on God, not to draw attention to ourselves. It’s also feasting on God. More than we long for anything in this world, even the basic daily necessity of food, we need and long for God.
A – Abstain from food.
Food is actually a God-given addiction. So He’s given us a spiritual practice that involves taking something we actually must have—at some point our bodies are going to need food—and we put even this basic daily necessity aside in order to seek Him instead. Feel free to fast from other things, but when you think of fasting, think primarily of food.
S — Substitute eating time with praying and meditating on Scripture.
Fasting is not just physically starving yourself. Fasting is spiritually feasting on God. So, make sure to spend concentrated times in prayer and the Word in ways that fuel a continual focus on God throughout the day. Then, whenever you feel a hunger pang, that can trigger you to say, “I want food, but God, I want You more.” That’s a good discipline to build into your life. It fuels continual praying all day long, because the hungrier you get, the more you’ll pray.
T – Taste and see that God is good.
This is a direct quote from Psalm 34:8-10: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” So, when you’re tempted to give up, hang in there and trust that God will show Himself sufficient to us as we fast—and not just sufficient but satisfying!
NOTE: If you are fasting from food for an extensive amount of time, eat smaller meals before starting the fast. Limit exercise and activity, rest more, drink more, and focus your thoughts. Avoid caffeinated drinks and limit acidic juices (e.g. orange, tomato). When you end a fast from food, begin eating gradually with small light portions.