Helpful Tips on Fasting

In yesterday’s meditation, we discussed fasting and prayer as ways to increase God's presence and power in our lives and ministries. We also need to fast for personal and national revival. Today, I would like to share some practical advice on fasting and offer a personal testimony on the topic.

1)    Don't plan to fast for more than a day if you have never done it before. It's wise to build on success. Start by fasting for breakfast and lunch, and plan to eat in the evening. Lengthen the amount of time as God leads you.

2)    I would encourage you to drink only water during fasting. Water helps cleanse toxins from our bodies during fasting. If you usually drink tea or coffee, plan to kick the caffeine a day early so that you are not dealing with a headache on the first day of the fast. In one or two places in the Scriptures, a person fasted without water, but going longer than three days without water is dangerous. Moses was on a supernatural fast with the Lord, abstaining from food and water. A person can die if they go longer than three days without water.

3)    Keep track of what you are experiencing and the types of prayers you are bringing before God. Later, when you reflect on your time of fasting, you will be greatly encouraged by how God has answered prayer during that period.

4)    If you are taking medication, please check with your doctor and inform them of any actions you plan to take.

5)    Get some books on fasting to inspire you. One of the best I’ve read is God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis. I also recommend Mahesh Chavda's The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting and Derek Prince's Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting.

6)    Set aside regular mealtimes by going to your room and praying. Being around when food is cooking can be challenging, especially during the first three days of a fast.

7)    Beware of the TV. While fasting, one becomes aware of the numerous food commercials on TV.

8)    In the first three or four days of a fast, the body eliminates many toxins from the foods we eat in most Western countries. You might feel weakness from the end of the first day until around the fourth day. This detoxification process is beneficial for your health. During this time, your urine may turn yellow, your breath may smell bad, and your body can become cold quickly, especially if it's winter. If you fast for more than four days, your strength typically returns once the toxins are eliminated. Fasting then becomes easier.

9)    Fasting can help you gain greater mental clarity. Read the Scriptures regularly and draw closer to God while fasting.

10) Fasting is not harmful to your health—it's a normal part of the animal kingdom. The hunger pangs experienced toward the end of the first day are simply your body's way of signaling that it's time to eat. The cravings will fade away.

11) Read chapter 58 of the Book of Isaiah, the section on fasting, and stay alert to your motives.

12) Fasting frees you from sin's control and weakens the power of bad habits and their rule over your life.

13) During your fast, be attentive to God's voice to reveal anything that displeases Him and pray for the release of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fasting opens your life to new spiritual gifts because our spirit is humbled before the Lord, depending on how long we fast.

14) Fasting assists with weight loss. Be careful not to overeat when you start eating again. Your stomach will shrink during the fast, and overeating afterward could be dangerous. Any fast longer than six days should be broken with broth or easily digestible food.

15) There are different types of fasts. Daniel and his three friends went on a vegetable and water fast (Daniel 1:12). Later, he fasted for three weeks on nothing but vegetables and water, avoiding tasty foods, meat, and wine (Daniel 10:2-3). Decide for yourself how you will fast. Ask the Lord to show you which type of fast to undertake.

16) Try to avoid heavy exercise or long walks. It’s easy to get tired and want to break your fast early.

An average healthy person can fast on water for up to 40 days. Around the fortieth day, hunger pangs will return, and at that point, a person begins to starve, causing the body to start consuming living cells rather than fat. Jesus fasted for forty days, and at that point, the Bible tells us that He was hungry. When hunger pangs return, it is time to break the fast. Satan's temptation of Jesus likely began around the forty-day mark when hunger pangs started, tempting Him with bread (Matthew 4:2-3). In the Scriptures, all three temptations of Jesus possibly occurred on one day—the last day of His fast.

My Personal Experience of Fasting

Several years ago, the Lord led my wife and me to fast on water and pray for ten days for someone close to us. This person was under attack by the enemy to separate her not only from us but also from her newfound faith in Christ. After ten days of prayer and fasting for her, she arrived at our door in tears and brokenness. We prayed and talked. We did not contact her before her knock, choosing to leave the situation in the Lord's hands. The Lord prompted her to come to our home as an answer to prayer. Although she still faced some difficult years ahead, she returned to her faith in Christ and now has her own stories of answered prayer.

Fasting helps loosen the enemy's bonds on a person's life, allowing them to respond freely to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you have a loved one you've been praying for, and you desperately want to see a breakthrough. Is God asking you to fast and pray for them? There are stubborn situations in all our lives that refuse to change until we enter the wrestling arena with prayer and fasting. Fasting, along with fervent prayer, is a powerful combination. Keith Thomas

This short meditation is part of a series on Spiritual Warfare. If you’d like to read the entire study, it is available in part 10. Only By Prayer and Fasting.