Fasting

Fasting is a Biblical, spiritual practice where God’s people intentionally refrain from food for a set time in order to focus more fully on prayer, repentance, and seeking God’s presence and guidance.

Throughout Scripture, from Moses and David to Esther, Jesus, and the early church, fasting is connected with humility, dependence on God, and a deep desire to hear His voice and see His power at work.

Jesus assumed His followers would fast and taught that it should be done sincerely, not to impress others, but as an act of devotion to the Father.

We don’t simply want to fast for the sake of fasting. As we abstain from food, our aim is to turn instead to prayer and scripture, deepening our devotional lives and relying on God to sustain us.

See below for more resources on fasting, including information for those who are unable to fast for medical reasons.

  • Start where you’re at
    If you've never fasted before, don't feel you have to do a big chunk to begin with, however a longer and more regular fast may be right for others.

    Pick a regular & achievable period of time/day
    Traditionally Wednesdays and Fridays have been seen as days for Christians to fast. Maybe skip breakfast and/or lunch on one or both of these days, and break your fast at dinner as you feast and celebrate God’s goodness.

    Notice your emotions
    There may be uncomfortable things that come to the surface. Take note of what is coming to mind and bring it to God in prayer. It may be helpful to journal as you fast to track any themes and share them with a friend where appropriate.

    As we fast from food, we feast on God and open ourselves up to his presence in our lives, making space for him to do in us what we can’t do for ourselves.

  • There are various forms of fasting which vary from tradition to tradition, but we would differentiate between four main types:

    The Full Fast
    This is the elimination of all food for a period of time. Some might only drink water, others might drink fruit juices at standard mealtimes. Ordinarily this might be for a day or a number of days. This is the normal type of fast found in the Bible.

    The Partial Fast
    This is where food is eaten, but not at certain times – for example: forgoing breakfast and lunch, but eating in the evening.

    The Selective (or ‘Daniel’) Fast
    This is where particular foods are not eaten during a period of fasting. In Daniel 10, Daniel fasted from ‘choice foods, meat and wine’ for a period of 21 days and then he received a breakthrough. It would be common for people undertaking a ‘Daniel fast’ to eliminate snacks, sweet foods, treats, meats and alcohol. With this type of fast, it’s important to remember to prioritise prayer, as hunger won’t be so much of a prompt as with other kinds of fasting.

    Abstinence
    Whilst not strictly a ‘fast’ in the Biblical sense, this is where certain elements of distraction and/or entertainment are eliminated either entirely, or during certain periods of time. It could mean coming off all or various forms of social media and/or TV/Netflix altogether or during certain hours, in order to pray. It could mean limiting ‘screen time’ each day. This practice is encouraged for everyone, either alongside a food fast of some type, or in place of a food fast, for those who are unable to fast from food, or for whom it is unwise.

If you’d like further guidance we’d recommend the Practicing the Way material which includes a 4-part series on fasting.

There’s also a great chapter on fasting in Richard Foster’s book ‘Celebration of Discipline’.