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“I humbled my soul with fasting” Psalm 35:13

Your motivation for fasting should always be to draw closer to the Lord.  In the same way we hunger for food, we should hunger for God and His Word even more!

What is Biblical fasting?

Biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose while focusing on prayer and studying scripture. This can mean refraining from snacks between meals, skipping one or two meals a day, abstaining from certain foods, or a total fast from all food for an entire day or longer.

Why fast?

Fasting has always been a normal part of the Christian life. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and consider yourself a disciple then fasting and prayer should be a normal part of your Christian walk. Jesus fasted therefore we fast as His disciples and we fast as we await His return (Matthew 9:14-17, Matthew 6:16-18).

How do I fast?

Choose the fast you are able to handle in faithfulness considering your health and circumstances (see below for types of fast).  During your time of fasting read scripture and pray.  Limit non-Christian electronic home entertainment (tv, computers, social media, etc.) to a maximum of 2-3 hours except for emergencies and special events. Programs with spiritual content are advisable.  Our goal is to remove distractions from our lives so we can connect with God and others, and build on things that have eternal value.

Types of fast:

Regular Fast - abstain from all food, both solid and liquid, except for water

Absolute Fast - no food or water is consumed

Daniel Fast - eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables

Partial Fast - any fast from above for only a portion of the day 

We conclude with this excerpt from John Piper's book "A Hunger for God"

“We fast because we’re hungry for God’s Word and God’s Spirit in our lives.

We fast because we long for God’s glory to resound in the church and God’s praise to resound among the nations.

We fast because we yearn for God’s Son to return and God’s kingdom to come.

Ultimately, we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us.”