Check Out This Simple Guide To 21-Days Of Fasting & Prayer

Introduction

So you’re interested in fasting? Maybe you’re brand new to prayer & fasting, or maybe you’re a seasoned veteran.

Regardless of where you’re at on the journey, this 21 days of prayer & fasting guide was created to help you understand how the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting can help you grow closer to God and experience breakthrough in critical areas of your life.

Why do Christians fast?

In Matthew 6:16, Jesus looks tells His followers, “When you fast” and proceeds to give specific instructions about how they are to fast and pray. It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t say ‘if’ you fast, He said ‘when’ you fast. This tells us that Jesus assumed His followers were going to fast. This means fasting is a spiritual discipline that every Christian must devote themselves to.

All throughout The Bible, God’s people consistently took time to fast and pray in order to grow closer to God and experience breakthroughs in specific areas. If you are wanting to deepen your relationship with God or see Him move supernaturally in a specific area, this is a great time to fast and pray.

What is fasting?

Fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline that aligns our hearts more closely with the heart of God and also empowers us to see breakthroughs in specific areas. Fasting is when we go without food (or specific types of food) for a period of time and instead direct our attention more fully to God. It helps us as believers to not be ruled by our physical desires but to grow in spiritual power and authority over the desires of our flesh.

How do I fast?

When you decide to fast, the first thing to do is make a plan. Start by choosing the amount of time and the type of fast you are going to do. Fasting can take place for any specific amount of time and can include a complete fast, partial fast, or selective fast (ex. Daniel Fast). More information on specific timeframes and types of fasts has been listed below in this 21-day fasting guide.

It’s important to note that fasting without prayer is simply not eating. Remember that the goal is to not eat (or only eat specific types of food) for a time so that you can redirect your focus, energy, and attention toward God. The goal is to replace consuming food with time reading God’s Word and in prayer.

How long should I fast?

You can fast for any specific period of time you would like. Examples of common fasts are the one-day fast, three-day fast, 7-day fast, 21-day fast, and 40-day fast. That said, you can pick any specific amount of time as the Holy Spirit leads you. For those who have more experience with fasting, you may want to challenge yourself for a longer time or with a more challenging fast (ex. water only). For those who are new to fasting, you may want to start small and work your way up.

Types of fasts

There are a wide variety of types of fasts, which we’ve simplified into three main categories:

1. Complete Fast

   • Also known as a full fast, a complete fast is when you do not eat any food (and consume liquids only) for a specific period of time. Please consult a medical professional in advance if you intend to do a complete fast for a prolonged period of time.

2. Partial Fast

   • A partial fast is when you fast all food for a set specific time throughout the day. For example, you may decide to fast from sunrise to sunset and eat food only in the evenings.

3. Selective Fast (ex. The ‘Daniel Diet’ or ‘Daniel Fast’)

   • A selective fast is when you fast only specific types of foods. The most popular selective fast is known as the Daniel Fast (more details below).

*As a side note, please be wise when it comes to fasting. If you have struggled with an eating disorder or serious medical condition in the past, please consult with a medical professional in advance of fasting.

What about fasting social media or other activities?

The Bible does encourage us to abstain from specific activities for periods of time to devote ourselves more fully to God (ex. 1 Corinthians 7:5). However, fasting in Scripture specifically refers to food. So while choosing to abstain from specific things (ex. social media, TV, etc.) can be helpful, the Bible does not use the word fasting to describe this.

Abstaining from certain activities to grow closer to God is great, and we would actively encourage you to do this, but why not fast and also choose to abstain from one or more specific activities during the period of time you are fasting?

The Daniel Fast

If you have not tried fasting before, the ‘Daniel Fast’ is a great place to start. The Daniel Fast is called this because it’s taken from the Bible in the book of Daniel (Daniel 10:3).

A Daniel Fast is where you avoid meats, sweets, and treats for a specific amount of time. During a Daniel Fast, you normally consume rice, beans & lentils, vegetables, and fruits, while avoiding bread, meats, dairy products, sugars/ sweeteners, and alcoholic beverages.

For a more in-depth list of foods that can, and cannot, be eaten during a Daniel Fast, check out the image below (or click HERE). You can also scan the QR code for a list of Daniel Fast-friendly recipes.

You can do this!

If you are new to fasting, please remember that this is a spiritual discipline that you can grow in over time. We encourage you to start small (ex. a 1-day fast or Daniel Fast) and then work your way up. Ask God what He wants you to fast, and for how long, over this next season, and step out in faith.

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We pray God’s blessing over you in this next season ahead of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.

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