7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer

adapted from “Your Personal Guide to Fasting & Prayer”

By Dr. Bill Bright- Campus Crusade for Christ

“Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything — to sacrifice ourselves — to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.”

What is Fasting?

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that has its origins in the Old Testament. The first person who fasted in the Bible was Moses who, during a fast of 40 days, received the Law from God. (Exodus 34:27-28). Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) in preparation for being tempted by the devil. We learn of the widow Anna who dedicated herself to prayer and fasting (Luke 2:36-37). After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9), Paul fasted for three days and later wrote (2 Corinthians 11) that he fasted often.

The Greek word for fasting is nesteia which simply means “not to eat.” What does “not eating” mean? Why did people in the Bible fast? In Leviticus 16:29 we learn that fasting is synonymous with “afflicting one’s soul.” Fasting is something the soul participates in. It requires the denial of the self, the body, and our wants because they are secondary to God. So, Biblical fasting is deliberately abstaining from food for a spiritual goal, purpose, or reason.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that was practiced by Jesus, Moses, Paul, David, Hannah, Elijah, Esther, Daniel and the Christians of the early church, to name a few. Are you ready to begin?

How To Begin Your Fast

How you begin and conduct your fast will largely determine your success. By following these seven basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding.

STEP 1: Set Your Objective

Why are you fasting? What is your spiritual goal? Here are some of the most common objectives:

• • Atonement for sins
• • Spiritual renewal
• • Reconciliation of relationships
• • Guidance in life decisions
• • Healing
• • Resolution of problems
• • Special grace to handle a difficult situation

Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your time of prayer and fasting. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. Through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches, and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your fasting.

STEP 2: Make Your Commitment

Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14,15). For Him it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, decide the following up front:

• • How long you will fast – one meal, one day, a week, several weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts.)
• • The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only, or water and juices; what kinds of juices you will drink and how often)
• • What physical or social activities you will restrict
• • How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God’s Word

Making these commitments ahead of time will help you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it.

STEP 3: Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart:

• • Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins.
• • Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
• • Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3,4).
• • Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.
• • Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to His command in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14,15.
• • Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master; refuse to obey your worldly nature (Romans 12:1,2).
• • Meditate on the attributes of God, His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, compassion, and others (Psalm 48:9,10; 103:1-8, 11-13).
• • Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6).

Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16,17).

STEP 4: Prepare Yourself Physically

Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some persons should never fast without professional supervision. Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.

• • Do not rush into your fast.
• • Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
• • Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.

While You Fast

Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all solid foods and have begun to seek the Lord. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider:

• • Avoid drugs, even natural herbal drugs and homeopathic remedies.
• • Medication should be withdrawn only with your physician’s supervision.
• • Limit your activity.
• • Exercise only moderately. Walk one to three miles each day if convenient and comfortable.
• • Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
• • Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and anxiety.
• • Expect some physical discomforts, especially on the second day. You may have fleeting hunger pains, dizziness, or the “blahs.” Withdrawal from caffeine and sugar may cause headaches. Physical annoyances may also include weakness, tiredness, or sleeplessness.

As you continue to fast, you will likely experience a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually. However, should you feel hunger pains, increase your liquid intake.

STEP 5: Put Yourself on a Schedule

For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the Lord. Listen for His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more meaningful your fast will be.

Morning

• • Begin your day in praise and worship.
• • Read and meditate on God’s Word, preferably on your knees.
• • Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to will and to do His good pleasure according to Philippians 2:13.
• • Invite God to use you. Ask Him to show you how to influence your world, your family, your church, your community, your country, and beyond.
• • Pray for His vision for your life and empowerment to do His will.

Noon

• • Return to prayer and God’s Word.
• • Take a short prayer walk.
• • Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community’s and our nation’s leaders, for the world’s unreached millions, for your family or special needs.

Evening

• • Get alone for an unhurried time of “seeking His face.”
• • If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.
• • Avoid television or any other distraction that may dampen your spiritual focus.

When possible, begin and end each day on your knees, with your family if possible, for a brief time of praise and thanksgiving to God. Longer periods of time with our Lord in prayer and study of His Word are often better spent alone.

STEP 6: End Your Fast Gradually

Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods immediately after your fast. Suddenly reintroducing solid food to your stomach and digestive tract will likely have negative, even dangerous, consequences. Try several smaller meals or snacks each day. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in continued good health.

STEP 7: Expect Results

If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God’s face; if you consistently meditate on His Word:

• • You will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 4:21).
• • The Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights.
• • Your confidence and faith in God will be strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed.
• • You will see answers to your prayers.

A single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all. Just as we need fresh infillings of the Holy Spirit daily, we also need new times of fasting before God. A 24-hour fast each week has been greatly rewarding to many Christians. It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles. If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not be discouraged.

You may have tried to fast too long the first time out, or your may need to strengthen your understanding and resolve. As soon as possible, undertake another fast until you do succeed. God will honor you for your faithfulness.