How to Fast
As you prepare to fast, it is important to choose a fasting option that works for you. While this section provides some general information about different types of fasts, as well as some suggestions on how to create your fasting plan, it is important to mention that there is nothing more inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. These are simply guidelines on different things you can do. Do not let what you eat or don’t eat become the focus. Keep the main thing the main thing, which is drawing closer to Jesus. Remember, this is a time to disconnect enough from your regular patterns and habits to connect more closely to Him. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before getting started:
What is Fasting?
Fasting is voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose. It is markedly counter-cultural in our consumerist society. Jesus assumes his followers will fast, and even promises it will happen. He doesn’t say “if,” but “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). And he doesn’t say his followers might fast, but “they will” (Matthew 9:15). Fasting is for stretching our hearts to get fresh air beyond the pain and trouble around us. And it is for the battle against the sin and weakness inside us. We express our discontent with our sinful selves and our longing for more of Christ.
Have A Plan
Fasting isn’t merely an act of self-deprivation, but a spiritual discipline for seeking more of God’s fullness. We should have a plan for what positive pursuit to undertake in the time it normally takes to eat. We spend a good portion of our day with food in front of us. One significant part of fasting is the time it creates for prayer and meditation on God’s word or some act of love for others. Before diving headlong into a fast, craft a simple plan. Connect it to your purpose for the fast. Each fast should have a specific spiritual purpose. Identify what that is and design a focus to replace the time you would have spent eating. Without a purpose and plan, it’s not Christian fasting; it’s just going hungry. Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem. Whether it’s fighting against some sin, pleading for someone’s salvation, for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus.
Beginning & Breaking
Depending on the type of fast you choose, it is very important to prepare your body ahead of time before beginning the fast. Take some days to transition into your fast; otherwise, you could get sick. For example, if you would like to go on a fruit and vegetable or juice fast, start eliminating meat, white grains, and refined sugars from your diet the week before. Also, start to cut back quite a bit on dairy products and some of your caffeine intake. The same principle applies to breaking your fast. When your fast is over, add foods back in very gradually. Please don’t break your fast with a greasy cheeseburger! Because your body is so cleansed and detoxified, you will most likely get sick if you do that. There are also several supplements you can take that will help support the detox process during your fast. Your health-food store can give you recommendations.
Preparation
Make it a priority to participate in weekly worship gatherings. Being around other Christ-followers will encourage you to keep on going when fasting gets difficult. If you are fasting with others, you may want to set aside time for a weekly Group Gathering. As you select your type of fast, you may want to make a fasting calendar that fits your plan. Determining what each day and week will look like is wise. Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the items you need. Being unprepared to fast sets you up to give in to temptation. Choose well when selecting products, stick to raw food as much as you can, and limit artificial ingredients.
Water
Drink lots of water while fasting to support critical liver function. The liver is the filter for the body, so when you don’t drink enough water, the liver doesn’t function at its highest capacity. To keep your energy up throughout the day, it’s important to eat or drink every two and a half to three hours. Be careful not to over-stuff, even if you are only eating fruits and vegetables. If you slip up, don’t get discouraged. Just get right back on track and keep going. He wants you to finish, and He will give you the grace and strength to do it. Talk to God and give Him time and space to talk to you.
Caffeine
Should you completely cut it out? It depends. The great thing is, that when you fast, your body automatically craves less caffeine. If you can stay in your Fast Zone with a little caffeine, great. If you are going on a longer fast and want to cut it out of your diet completely, that’s great too. But ease yourself off and make it your goal to be completely caffeine-free about two-thirds of the way into your fast. If you regularly have a high caffeine intake, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to fast for one to three days, cutting caffeine out abruptly and completely. Please don’t do that or you will spend this time grumpy and in withdrawal instead of enjoying God’s presence.
Fasting & Eating Disorders
If you have struggled with an eating disorder then consider fasting from television, social media, shopping, or some other favorite activity.
Important Note: Fasting requires reasonable precautions. If you have any health concerns, please
consult your physician before beginning your fast, especially if you are taking any medication,
have a chronic condition, or are pregnant or nursing a baby.
Fasting Options
There isn’t one fasting option that works the same for everyone. Follow Jesus’ leading, mix it up, and find what works for you.
Skipping A Meal
One great way to do a fast is by selecting one meal you will skip each day for the 3 weeks. It is essential to plan this out though and decide in advance what meal it will be. While it is ok to choose a different meal on certain days it's crucial to not just approach it haphazardly and pick which meal is the easiest for you on that day.
Daniel Fast
The Daniel Fast is a great model to follow and one that is extremely effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline, and purification of the body and soul. It is probably one of the most commonly referred-to fasts; however, within the Daniel fast there is room for broad interpretation. In the book of Daniel, we find two different times when the prophet Daniel fasted. Daniel 1 states that he only ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these or combinations of the two, constitute a Daniel fast. Again, it is important to mention that there is nothing inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits and vegetables.
Specific Food Or Activity
In this type of fast, you omit a specific item(s) from your meal plans. For example, you may choose to eliminate all red meat, processed or fast food, or sweets. Most people can incorporate this type of fast relatively easily. It can also prove to be a great solution for people with specific dietary needs or medical conditions that may cause certain limitations. While fasting typically refers to refraining from specific food items, you may also find it extremely beneficial to fast from a regular activity or habit. This might include things such as television, social media, shopping, alcohol, and the like.
Juice Fast
A juice fast is simply consuming vegetable and fruit juices and water instead of solid food. Many people include whey protein in their liquid plan as well. Even if you choose not to make your entire fast liquids only, substituting one or two meals for liquids is a great alternative. If you choose the juice-only fast, consider a shorter fast than 21 days.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose. It is markedly counter-cultural in our consumerist society. Jesus assumes his followers will fast, and even promises it will happen. He doesn’t say “if,” but “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). And he doesn’t say his followers might fast, but “they will” (Matthew 9:15). Fasting is for stretching our hearts to get fresh air beyond the pain and trouble around us. And it is for the battle against the sin and weakness inside us. We express our discontent with our sinful selves and our longing for more of Christ.
Have A Plan
Fasting isn’t merely an act of self-deprivation, but a spiritual discipline for seeking more of God’s fullness. We should have a plan for what positive pursuit to undertake in the time it normally takes to eat. We spend a good portion of our day with food in front of us. One significant part of fasting is the time it creates for prayer and meditation on God’s word or some act of love for others. Before diving headlong into a fast, craft a simple plan. Connect it to your purpose for the fast. Each fast should have a specific spiritual purpose. Identify what that is and design a focus to replace the time you would have spent eating. Without a purpose and plan, it’s not Christian fasting; it’s just going hungry. Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem. Whether it’s fighting against some sin, pleading for someone’s salvation, for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus.
Beginning & Breaking
Depending on the type of fast you choose, it is very important to prepare your body ahead of time before beginning the fast. Take some days to transition into your fast; otherwise, you could get sick. For example, if you would like to go on a fruit and vegetable or juice fast, start eliminating meat, white grains, and refined sugars from your diet the week before. Also, start to cut back quite a bit on dairy products and some of your caffeine intake. The same principle applies to breaking your fast. When your fast is over, add foods back in very gradually. Please don’t break your fast with a greasy cheeseburger! Because your body is so cleansed and detoxified, you will most likely get sick if you do that. There are also several supplements you can take that will help support the detox process during your fast. Your health-food store can give you recommendations.
Preparation
Make it a priority to participate in weekly worship gatherings. Being around other Christ-followers will encourage you to keep on going when fasting gets difficult. If you are fasting with others, you may want to set aside time for a weekly Group Gathering. As you select your type of fast, you may want to make a fasting calendar that fits your plan. Determining what each day and week will look like is wise. Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the items you need. Being unprepared to fast sets you up to give in to temptation. Choose well when selecting products, stick to raw food as much as you can, and limit artificial ingredients.
Water
Drink lots of water while fasting to support critical liver function. The liver is the filter for the body, so when you don’t drink enough water, the liver doesn’t function at its highest capacity. To keep your energy up throughout the day, it’s important to eat or drink every two and a half to three hours. Be careful not to over-stuff, even if you are only eating fruits and vegetables. If you slip up, don’t get discouraged. Just get right back on track and keep going. He wants you to finish, and He will give you the grace and strength to do it. Talk to God and give Him time and space to talk to you.
Caffeine
Should you completely cut it out? It depends. The great thing is, that when you fast, your body automatically craves less caffeine. If you can stay in your Fast Zone with a little caffeine, great. If you are going on a longer fast and want to cut it out of your diet completely, that’s great too. But ease yourself off and make it your goal to be completely caffeine-free about two-thirds of the way into your fast. If you regularly have a high caffeine intake, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to fast for one to three days, cutting caffeine out abruptly and completely. Please don’t do that or you will spend this time grumpy and in withdrawal instead of enjoying God’s presence.
Fasting & Eating Disorders
If you have struggled with an eating disorder then consider fasting from television, social media, shopping, or some other favorite activity.
Important Note: Fasting requires reasonable precautions. If you have any health concerns, please
consult your physician before beginning your fast, especially if you are taking any medication,
have a chronic condition, or are pregnant or nursing a baby.
Fasting Options
There isn’t one fasting option that works the same for everyone. Follow Jesus’ leading, mix it up, and find what works for you.
Skipping A Meal
One great way to do a fast is by selecting one meal you will skip each day for the 3 weeks. It is essential to plan this out though and decide in advance what meal it will be. While it is ok to choose a different meal on certain days it's crucial to not just approach it haphazardly and pick which meal is the easiest for you on that day.
Daniel Fast
The Daniel Fast is a great model to follow and one that is extremely effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline, and purification of the body and soul. It is probably one of the most commonly referred-to fasts; however, within the Daniel fast there is room for broad interpretation. In the book of Daniel, we find two different times when the prophet Daniel fasted. Daniel 1 states that he only ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these or combinations of the two, constitute a Daniel fast. Again, it is important to mention that there is nothing inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits and vegetables.
Specific Food Or Activity
In this type of fast, you omit a specific item(s) from your meal plans. For example, you may choose to eliminate all red meat, processed or fast food, or sweets. Most people can incorporate this type of fast relatively easily. It can also prove to be a great solution for people with specific dietary needs or medical conditions that may cause certain limitations. While fasting typically refers to refraining from specific food items, you may also find it extremely beneficial to fast from a regular activity or habit. This might include things such as television, social media, shopping, alcohol, and the like.
Juice Fast
A juice fast is simply consuming vegetable and fruit juices and water instead of solid food. Many people include whey protein in their liquid plan as well. Even if you choose not to make your entire fast liquids only, substituting one or two meals for liquids is a great alternative. If you choose the juice-only fast, consider a shorter fast than 21 days.