The Practice of Fasting: A Beginner's Guide to Prayer and Fasting

What fasting is - and what it is not

Fasting is voluntarily abstaining from food (or, in some cases, another good thing) for a spiritual purpose. It is not a hunger strike to twist God's arm. It is not a way to earn favor or impress others. It is a way of saying with our bodies what our lips confess: that we hunger for God more than we hunger for anything else.

Jesus assumed His disciples would fast. He did not say 'if you fast' but 'when you fast' (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is not an advanced discipline for spiritual elites; it is a normal part of following Him.

Why God's people fast

Throughout Scripture, God's people fasted in seasons of repentance (Joel 2:12), seeking direction (Acts 13:2-3), grief (2 Samuel 1:12), concentrated prayer for hard cases (Mark 9:29), and intensified prayer (Ezra 8:23). Fasting sharpens prayer, humbles the heart, and exposes what quietly controls us. When the usual comforts are set aside, our true appetites rise to the surface where they can be honestly named and surrendered.

Fasting also trains us to say no to the body's cravings so that we can more freely say yes to the Spirit's leading. It is embodied worship - an insistence, from stomach to soul, that man does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4).

How to begin

Start small and grow. A first fast might be one meal or one day, with the time normally spent eating given to prayer, Scripture, and quiet. Drink water throughout. Plan a prayer focus in advance so hunger becomes a prompt to turn to God rather than to the fridge.

Do not broadcast it (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is for the Father who sees in secret. If you must explain to family or coworkers, do so simply and move on.

• Choose a clear purpose and a specific length before you begin.
• Replace mealtimes with prayer, Scripture, and worship.
• Break the fast gently with light food - soup, fruit, small portions.
• Guard your motives; fasting is for God, not for show or for weight loss.
• If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, or struggle with an eating disorder, speak with a doctor and pastor first, and consider a non-food fast (media, sugar, entertainment).

Kinds of fasts in Scripture

The Bible describes several patterns. A normal fast abstains from food but not water (Matthew 4:2). A partial fast abstains from certain foods, as Daniel did (Daniel 10:3). A full fast abstains from food and drink for a short, specified time (Esther 4:16) and should be undertaken only with prayerful care. Corporate fasts, called by leaders for a congregation or nation, appear throughout the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 20:3) and the early church (Acts 14:23).

Your first fast

Set a date this week for a first fast - perhaps skipping lunch and using the hour to pray for something specific: a wandering loved one, a decision you face, a sin you want freedom from. Write your prayer focus down. When hunger comes, let it become a bell that calls you back to prayer rather than a signal to complain.

Consider joining others. A monthly congregational or small-group fast weaves the discipline into ordinary rhythms and lets you learn from more experienced brothers and sisters.

Questions to consider

• What appetite in my life would be exposed if I set aside food, media, or another comfort for a day?
• What is one specific thing I long to bring before God with concentrated prayer and fasting?
• How can I fast in a way that is hidden from people but honest before God?
• Who in my church or family might join me in a first, gentle fast?

A prayer before you fast

Father, You are better than any meal, and You alone satisfy the deepest hunger of my soul. Teach me to fast - not to impress You or anyone else, but to say with my body what my heart confesses: that I need You more than food. Meet me in the emptiness. Purify my motives. Sharpen my prayers. And let this discipline grow in me a freer, gladder love for Jesus. In His name, amen.

Continue reading

• How to Pray
• Praying Through Anxiety
• Building a Daily Quiet Time
• Esther — fasting in a moment of crisis
• Joel — the prophet's call to fast and return

A note on Scripture references

Scripture references throughout this article use standard chapter-and-verse notation and, where a phrase is quoted, follow a widely used modern English translation. Open your preferred translation alongside this article — the World English Bible (WEB) is a public-domain option available in the Rhema Study Bible reader — and read each cited passage in its own context.