WHAT IS FASTING? 

Fasting is to voluntarily abstain from food, and sometimes other things, for an extended period to heighten our hunger for God. “Food” can represent anything that is holding you back. What do you “consume” in terms of social food, intellectual food, spiritual food, and emotional food? Are these things distracting you from your relationship with God? Are you relying on things that have nothing to do with God to get you through your day? 

FASTING GOAL: 

A Personal Encounter With The Living God “He must become greater; I must become less”. – John 3:30 “Be ye holy, for I am holy”. – 1 Peter 1:16 You may experience many benefits from fasting, such as cleansing your body, weight loss, daily discipline, and breaking addictions or habits, but the sole goal of fasting is to experience God and become more like Jesus. Right now your life may be all about you- what you want, when you want it, and how you want it. Imagine if you separate yourself from your perceived needs; you may recognize that you “need” those things less and hunger for God more. 

FASTING PREPARATION 

Prepare your heart: “When I wept and humbled myself with fasting, it became my reproach (rebuke)”. Ps 69:10 Be willing to hear what God says, and when He reveals what needs to change, be willing to change. Don’t continue to sin. What are the paths He wants you to walk? How much does He want you to pray and read His Word? Tell God that you surrender your life to Him and that you want more of Him and His way. Read Isaiah 58:6-12 to help identify why you are fasting & praying, and what you need God to do in your life. ( Verse 6: Deal with sin/heavy burden/oppression Verse 7: Need compassion for others/give Verse 8: To be encouraged Verse 9: Seek answer to prayer Verse 9b,10: Examine ourselves Verse 11a: Direction Verse 11b: Spiritual restoration Verse 12 : Revival)

Prepare your motives: Ephesians 1:3 says, “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”. There are spiritual blessings assigned to us. We can never exhaust them! Who knows what God wants to reveal to you, or give you? Maybe He wants to bestow gifts such as wisdom, anointing, healing power, joy, or encouragement. When you eliminate the things that are keeping you from focusing on God, you make room for His Spirit to move and He can show you things about your life that you never knew. Pray and determine what the focal point of your fast will be. What do you need from God? 

Prepare your schedule: Decide where you will meet with God, what and when you will eat, and how you will spend your time differently. Remember, the fast is about communing with God, so don’t fill your time with distractions that will keep you from feeling hungry. Create a plan and commit to spending more time with the Lord. Remember to journal. Write down what God is showing you throughout your 7-day Fasting and prayer journey. 

Prepare your body: Everyone doing a physical fast should consult a physician first, if necessary. If you have medical issues, consider fasting TV or media. The point is that there is something God wants you to separate yourself from for 7 days so that you can focus on Him and see Him more clearly. Don’t cheat yourself by removing yourself from the fast entirely. Once you determine what kind of fast you will be doing, prepare. If you decide to eat only fruits and vegetables for your fast, shop and organize a meal plan. In the beginning you may feel sick as your body detoxes, but you’ll make it! This isn’t a mind game to see if you can survive eating less or not watching ESPN, but about experiencing God. Some people ask, “What does not eating have to do with my relationship with God?” Stop eating, focus on Him, and let’s find out. 

TYPES OF FASTS 

Complete Fast : Drinking only liquids, typically water and/or light juices. Broth or soup may be included as options. 

Selective Fast : Removing certain elements from your diet, such as sweets, coffee, meat, etc. 

The Daniel Fast : abstaining from meat, sweets, or bread; drinking water and juice, and eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Partial Fast (a.k.a. The Jewish Fast) : Abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. Fast during specific times of the day, e.g. 6 AM-3 PM, or from sunup to sundown. 

Soul Fast : Common for those with health issues that prevent them from fasting food; and those wanting to refocus specific areas of life that are out of balance. Suggestions: abstain from social media, watching television, shopping, sweets, etc.