4 Powerful Habits that Make Fasting More Effective (According to the Bible)
Fasting is one of the best methods to get away from everything and seek God's face and intimacy with Him. Great women and men of God have fasted throughout history, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, for a variety of causes, but each fast points back to God and His omnipotent power. In this blog post, we will explain how to improve your ability to fast and the habits you can use to do it. We will also detail all the habits one can practice while fasting that are taken directly from the Bible and have been proven to work when you want to take action.
Note: Seek God first for guidance always.
“FASTING CONFIRMS OUR UTTER DEPENDENCE UPON GOD BY FINDING IN HIM A SOURCE OF SUSTENANCE BEYOND FOOD.”
TYPES OF FASTS
1. COMPLETE FAST
The complete fast is a Christian water-only fast, abstaining from all food. This is a challenging undertaking, but it is very rewarding both physically and spiritually. No food, only water or liquids. In Matthew 4:2, we find Jesus being tempted in the wilderness while He fasted for 40 days with only water.
2. LIQUID FAST
Another option is a liquid fast, where you abstain from all food but allow liquids such as smoothies, fresh juices, and pureed soups. And of course, drink lots of water throughout the day!
3. PARTIAL FAST
A partial fast can involve when you eat or what you eat. In the first case, you restrict the times of day you eat. The more common interpretation of a Christian partial fast, however, is choosing what types of food to eat or abstain from, for example, no choice foods or meats. At their own requests, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo in Daniel 1:8-16 refrained from eating anything but vegetables and water.
4. SUPERNATURAL OR ABSOLUTE FAST
In an absolute fast, no food or water is consumed. This type of fast is rare and usually only lasts for a short period of time. Most would recommend that the vast majority should not abstain from water while fasting. In Exodus 34:28 and Acts 9:9, Moses and Paul didn't eat food or drink.
OTHER FASTS
CORPORATE FAST
A corporate fast is done together as a church or a group. They usually have a specific purpose or goal and last for a set period of time.
DANIEL FAST
This is a partial fast where you abstain from eating meats, sweets, and alcohol but can still consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
CONSECRATION FAST
Consecration fasts are usually done at the beginning of a new season in life or ministry. They are also called "dedication fasts."
THE PURPOSE OF THE FAST
BACKGROUND
Christian fasting involves abstaining from food or drink for a specific period of time while focusing on prayer and fellowship with God. Fasting is not a means of pressuring God into saying yes to our petitions, but rather a discipline that helps us draw closer to God and discern His divine and sovereign will. We should never fast in an attempt to force God to do our will, but rather to ensure that we are doing His will.
There is nothing wrong with bringing our petitions to God. He encourages us to do so and receives our requests with patience and compassion (Phil. 4:6). However, God loves us too much to surrender His will to ours. Through fasting, we draw near to God, surrender ourselves to His will, listen to His direction, and strengthen our resolve to do His will. This is the best outcome we could ever hope for, and it offers a real reward for a few days of sacrifice.
PURPOSES
1. TO STRENGTHEN PRAYER
Numerous incidents in the Old Testament connect fasting to prayer, especially intercessory prayer. Fasting does not change whether God hears our prayers, but it can change our praying. As Arthur Wallis says, "Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into our praying and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven."
2. TO SEEK GOD'S GUIDANCE
As with prayer, fasting to seek God's guidance isn't done to change God but to make us more receptive to his guidance.
3. TO SEEK DELIVERANCE OR PROTECTION
Another common reason for fasting in the Old Testament was to seek deliverance from enemies or circumstances. In Scripture, this type of fast is generally carried out with other believers.
4. TO EXPRESS REPENTANCE AND A RETURN TO GOD
This type of fasting helps us to express grief over our sins and shows our seriousness about returning to the path of godly obedience.
5. TO HUMBLE ONESELF BEFORE GOD
"Remember that fasting itself is not humility before God," reminds Donald Whitney, "but should be an expression of humility."
6. TO EXPRESS LOVE AND WORSHIP FOR GOD
Fasting can show, as John Piper says, that "what we hunger for most, we worship."
THINGS TO CONSIDER AS YOU PREPARE FOR FASTING:
Meditate on Scripture
Spend Time in Prayer
Spend Time in Devotion
Make Sure You Exercise
Prepare for Opposition
ALSO REMEMBER:
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.
KEY HABITS WHEN FASTING
Pray and Confess Your Sins A necessary step before fasting is to humble yourself before God (Psalm 35:13) and confess your sins (1 Samuel 7:6). Prayer should be our sustenance throughout the fast, but it is imperative we begin the fast with a contrite heart.
Turn to Scripture Spend additional time meditating on God's Word, before and during the fast.
Keep it Secret Fasting is unbiblical and even spiritually harmful when we do it to show off our spirituality (Matthew 6:16-18) or when we focus more on our own fasting than on the clear needs of others (Isaiah 58:1-11). Don't boast about your fast; tell people you won't be eating only if necessary. Fasting should not be done when imposed for false motives (1 Samuel 14:24-30).
Prepare Your Body Fasting, especially for days or weeks, can have unexpected and even detrimental effects on your health. There is no scriptural warrant for harming yourself to undergo a fast. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting any fasting regimen to make sure you can fast in a healthy manner.
EXAMPLES OF FASTING IN THE BIBLE
SOME EXAMPLES OF FASTING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Moses Fasted Before Receiving the Commandments (Deuteronomy 9:9-18)
Elijah Fasted While Escaping Jezebel (1 Kings 19:4-8)
Ezra Fasted While Mourning Over Sin (Ezra 10:6-17)
Esther Fasted for the Safety of the Jews (Esther 4:15-17)
SOME EXAMPLES OF FASTING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:
"And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry." Matthew 4:2
"But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face." Matthew 6:17
"Then, when they had fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Acts 13:3
CONCLUSION
Fasting has been crucial in aiding my efforts to grow closer to God. Three-day water fasts have been extremely beneficial to me. For me, fasting is all about building a closer relationship with God. I want to spend more time getting to know Him and spending time with Him because I adore Him. Fasting involves giving God my time and attention by putting everything else on hold.
As I scrolled through TikTok and watched Christian YouTube, I found individuals with very moving testimonies about fasting. I'll share the links below with you so that you can be encouraged. As I continue to grow, I am always learning and getting new information that helps me fast better. I hope we all continue to grow and learn as we desire to get closer to Yahweh.
Remember, fasting is not about the type of fast or the length of time we fast but rather about drawing closer to God and doing His will. We hope this blog post has motivated you to observe a fast at some point in the future and to share your experiences in the form of testimonials.
LINKS TO TESTIMONIES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lPlziFN6RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggyt0C9cbAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggyt0C9cbAM