Fasting can be a little scary if you’ve never done it. What would be the purpose of starving yourself? Does God want you to suffer? Let me share some insights on why Christians should fast and how to do it safely and effectively.

Why Should We Fast?

No, He does not want you to starve yourself and suffer. That is not the purpose of fasting. Fasting is more about making a conscious effort to show God that you are willing to be obedient to His will, and that you are willing to make a sacrifice to Him. He does prefer obedience over sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:3). However, sometimes we don’t understand what obedience means. If you are unclear on what God wants for you, fasting may help you gain that clarity so that you can be obedient.

Fasting brings you closer to the spirit realm. Fasting is one of those actions that you can take in the physical world that has spiritual significance. Like water baptism, the confession of sins, communion, laying on of hands, sexual intimacy, and bringing cursed or blessed items into your home, or wearing one – these actions have influence, and sometimes consequences, in the spirit realm. When fasting, you are basically ignoring what your body wants, so it helps you to focus more on your spirit.

Remember, we are not supposed to sow in the flesh, as our flesh is corrupt and prone to sin (Romans 7:18 and Romans 8:5-8). A carnal mind is one focused only on pleasing the flesh – obsessed with food, sex, drugs, alcohol, and other physical pleasures. To carnal-minded people, spiritual work and concepts will sound foolish. They won’t understand why, and simply won’t do it. A carnal mind is in opposition to God (Romans 8:7, Galatians 5:17). So, we don’t want to entertain every whim that makes our physical bodies feel good. We want to ‘crucify’ our flesh, or put it in its’ place (Galatians 5:24-25). In a way, you are exercising the control you have over your body. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to live according to what the body wants. Instead, you want your mind and spirit to be in control of your body, and you want these to be directed by God. In other words, you want to “walk/live in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). Fasting will increase your spiritual awareness and sensitivity to the spirit world, which will help you understand how to do this.

The Purpose of Fasting

People in biblical times fasted at special times for specific reasons. Ezra, Esther, Joel, Daniel and many others fasted when they were dealing with specific problems, seeking favor or answers from God. See Ezra 8:21-23 (solutions, guidance), Esther 4:16 (favor, protection), Joel 2:13-14 (repentance), and Daniel 9:2-21 (mercy, forgiveness) and Daniel 10:2-12 (understanding). From these examples, we learn that fasting was an effective (and often rewarded) method of petitioning God for something. It is also a requirement in some circumstances. In Matthew 17:20-21, Jesus tells us that fasting is required to cast out specific types of demons. Isaiah 58:3-14 provides us with many insights in how not to fast, but also how and why to fast. He tells us that some of God’s chosen purposes for fasting are to make your voice heard on high, to loose the bands of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke. During your fast you’re supposed to ‘share your bread’ the hungry, and serve the poor, oppressed, and needful*. In return, He says He will (not only facilitate the above but also) answer your cry, make your light shine like the sun, bring healing and righteousness, and the “glory of the Lord shall embrace you” (58:8 Geneva Bible) or “shall be your rear guard” (most other translations)**.

So, fasting can be a very powerful asset in your spiritual toolbelt. It can help you get better at being led by the Holy Spirit, bring you closer to God, and grow spiritually. If you are experiencing some spiritual warfare, opposition, or resistance, fasting can help you break through it. Fasting can be a way to show repentance, and can help you break strongholds and habitual sinning (Isaiah 58:6). When you have a persistent problem that you need help in solving, when preparing for a big, life decision for which you need guidance, or when you have some pressing questions you would like answered; these are all great reasons to fast. If you have been praying about something like this already for some time, adding a fast to your prayer could be that extra boost you need to get it over the finish line or to get your breakthrough. It’s like using a loudspeaker. Finally, there will be times when God will call you to fast. When you feel drawn to fast, you may not know why, but you can trust God and begin a fast to find out. It’s probably an answer to one of your prayers.

*Isaiah 58:7: In addition to literally feeding the poor and helping the oppressed or needful with clothing, shelter, or other necessities – which would be an awesome and I expect greatly rewarded undertaking while fasting – I believe this verse could also relate to helping the spiritually needful with your extra ‘bread’. Bread is often symbolized in the Bible to mean life or nourishment for our souls through Christ. As you are fasting, you will become more aware of people’s spiritual needs around you, and you may even feel the presence and power of God more strongly within you – both of which create an opportunity for you to touch lives by sharing the Gospel, healing, joining in prayer, delivering demons, etc.  

** Isaiah 58:8: I use the word ‘sun’ here instead of ‘morning’ (which many translations use), only to clarify the meaning of this verse. What “breaks forth” in the morning that’s similar to light? The sun! I believe this verse refers to our inward light being an extension of God, as His presence lives within us and we are commissioned to share the light of God with others (His goodness, love and our knowledge of Him). Light often symbolizes God, His presence and His righteousness in the Bible. It is often contrasted with darkness (representing evil). Imagine the light of God, shining through you like the sun! Rear guard could mean protection and defense against enemies, as this was the purpose of a rear guard in Biblical times.

Is Fasting Safe?

Fasting obviously comes with some risk. I think it’s fairly common knowledge that not eating food for long enough and even improper feeding can both cause irreparable damage to your bodyand can kill you. Our bodies need certain nutrients to survive. So, if you’re thinking about fasting, it’s important to be aware of the risks and to do it safely. Some individuals may be at a higher risk than others, especially if you have certain health conditions. For some people, even adding or eliminating certain foods from their diet may create a personal risk that others would not experience. In this article, I am sharing my own opinions based on my own experiences and research, on how to fast for spiritual reasons. It is not meant to be a recommendation for any particular individual or an exhaustive list of all the risks. As with any guidance on a particular topic, I encourage you to supplement this information with your own research and experiences to gain a better understanding of any general risks as well as personal risk factors.

As I mentioned, when fasting, you are denying a very basic need of your body. In the western world, we can get so used to eating 3 square meals a day, and snacks in between, that we forget that food isn’t supposed to be a luxury or something to do when you’re bored. Nutritious food is a functional need for your body to make energy. Overeating and undereating are both unhealthy. My point is, that sadly, some of us forget what it really feels like to be hungry. And let’s be honest, most of us aren’t going to starve to death, or even suffer any negative side affects from missing a single meal, or even going an entire day without food.You may even lose a little weight.Intermittent fasting has even become popular recently for weight loss, and there is a specific method for doing that. Some people even do it accidentally, either for lack of food, lack of access to food, or a lack of time. So, I would say it is perfectly safe for a healthy person to start fast for up to 3 days. However, if you’ve never fasted before, you’ll want to start small until you train your body and mind to do it effectively. Then you can try more restrictive, longer fasts.

Of course, you should check with your doctor first, and if you have any medical conditions, you may have to modify your fasting to do it safely. I would not recommend going any longer than 3 days unless you are a seasoned faster and you’ve been divinely called to do it for a specific period that is longer than 3 days. For something like that, you should be very sure that this is what God is calling you to do because you will need divine intervention and strength in order to get through it safely.

Water is another story. Your body cannot survive for very long without water. General consensus seems to be 3 days max. So, going without water for even a short period of time can be dangerous and even deadly. I have no personal experience with any kind of water fast, also called a dry fast (abstaining from water), nor have I done any research on it so I don’t recommend it and I won’t speak to it in this article. If you are interested in that, please do some extensive research on it before trying it. In this article, I will cover food fasting (abstaining only from food) for beginners. In fact, when on a food fast, you need to make sure you are well hydrated and therefore drink lots of water. You’d be surprised how much water we actually get from food.

Ultimately, you will need to learn to listen to your body, and use your own judgment and common sense. If you start to feel or see any red flags, you may need to stop and try again another time. For example, if you start to feel weak or dizzy, have mental fog or confusion, get stomach or muscle cramps, these are signs that it may not be the right time for you to fast, or that you are pushing yourself too hard. You may even get signals from God that it’s time to stop or it’s just not the right time. Understand that the first few times you try this, you may not reach your goal, and that’s ok. As you embark on fasting, remind yourself that you are learning to do something new. It may not go the way you expect, but don’t beat yourself up about it. The most important thing is that you learn from each experience. You can self-correct mid-fast and keep going, or you can quit altogether if you feel you need to. You can always try again. God will recognize that you are trying, and He doesn’t expect perfection. He also will never call you do something that is harmful, dangerous, or (physically) painful for you.

How To Spiritually Fast

Now, when you accidentally fast, there is typically no spiritual experience. Why is that? Simply because there is not focus or intention behind it, and you’re generally just focusing on the fact that you are hungry and when you can get food again. When you fast for spiritual reasons, you are not supposed to focus on food. You focus on God and the ways that you need Him to help you. So when your heart is set on starting a spiritual fast, first you are going to focus on your personal ‘why’. This is the time to get a laser focus on that question or problem that’s been on your mind. I wouldn’t try to cover everything you’re dealing with at once, but focus on your 1-2 top issues at hand. Even before you begin your fast, you should start praying to God about why you are feeling the need to fast and what you hope to accomplish. Ask Him about timing and how long to fast. When you begin your fast, pray and ask for strength and endurance to achieve your fast. If you feel tempted or like you can’t get through it, pray for strength, perseverance and/or guidance.

You will need to be spiritually mindful during your fast. Praying and reading Scripture are going to be your two most important tasks during the fast. One of the reasons why fasting is so effective is that by eliminating meals, you are freeing up more time to spend with God and these 2 activities are direct access. So don’t waste the fast by losing your focus and spend your free time watching TV or something. In fact, I would recommend limiting TV and social media (unless it is Christian content) during your fast because this will increase your focus and give you more time with God. Fill the remainder of your time with church, Bible study, Christian music, worship, listening to sermons, prayer, fellowship with believers, etc. All of these activities position you to hear from God. You need to go where He is, in a way. I recommend choosing some Scripture to study during your fast. It could be something you’ve seen recurring messages about, or you can research biblical guidance on your topic and come up with a Book or Chapter to focus on. If you don’t have a strong prayer life, try to pray every morning and every night for a few minutes (at the least) during your fast. You can gradually increase your prayer time. Also, don’t forget to listen during prayers and not just talk the whole time. Give Him a chance to answer you. Sometimes just going into a private, quiet place to quiet your mind, and focus on the Lord and just listen. It helps me to put on some instrumental music in the background. This is meditation.

Finally, while you are fasting, pay attention to what is happening around you. You may get the answer or solution you’re looking for in a way that you aren’t expecting. People will be drawn to you, so watch who reaches out to you and why. Watch for out-of-the-ordinary events and encounters. You may be surprised by something that seems very unusual. Go where He leads you. Things will happen in the natural world that could be clues for you. It can also be helpful to keep a journal of any messages you receive, events, patterns, and themes. If you don’t write them down, you might forget, and that journal can be a reminder in the future of a breakthrough that you may not realize right now.

Sometimes even negative experiences could be leading you to a solution, breakthrough, or another journey. One time when I was fasting with my husband, we got into a huge argument – but ultimately it helped us to resolve a conflict that we had struggled with for months. Afterward, we were closer than ever, with a new appreciation and understanding for each other and a stronger love and closeness. While this was sort of the subconscious, overall purpose and goal of that fast, it wasn’t the specific thing I was asking for, which wasn’t granted at the time.. Another time, someone I knew had a complete mental breakdown while I was fasting, but it alerted me to her need for prayer and friendship. So, be open to different possibilities and watch God work His magic. Trust His process and timing. Think about how God would want you to respond to every situation that arises.

You may also be tempted to eat, so look out for that. Expect people to bring you food out of the blue, or someone to bring donuts into the office. Try to discern whether this is God telling you that it’s time to eat, or Satan trying to derail your fast. Always pray about it if you’re not sure.

When to Fast

Timing can be important. For example, starting on a particular day, or month, or near a specific event or holiday. So not only do you want to schedule it at a time that you feel you can be successful, but think logically about your timing. Again, clues in the natural may guiding you as to when to start, and if you feel it’s led by God, I would try not to push it out too far. Ladies, you may want to stick to certain times of the month when you’re less hungry and more energetic. Biologically speaking, based on my research, the proliferative and ovulatory phases are ideal for fasting, but there is no hard and fast rule. I don’t think there is any increased health risk in timing there, but there are definitely times that it will be easier to be successful. If this is a concern for you, there is information online so I’d encourage you to do some research on that.

Also, during your fast, you need to spend a lot of time with God, so it may make sense to schedule your fast when you’ll have that time. Schedule around things that might distract or set you up for failure, such as family or work events, or holidays. Now, you are going to have to still do life while you’re fasting unless you have the luxury of going on a solo retreat. You can still go to work, and take care of the family and other responsibilities. In fact, I find going to work to be a good distraction from food, so I’m not just home alone all day. As a mom, myself, and the primary family meal maker, I still have to make meals for my family when fasting. Sometimes if I’m not feeling too tempted I will still sit at the table and catch up and have some bonding time while they eat. Other times, I will go to another room and read or pray while they eat, as I know I won’t be interrupted. I don’t make extravagant or my own favorite meals during this time. 

How Long To Fast

Next, you’ll want to decide how long to fast. I think it’s generally best to decide the period of your fast before you begin, so you have a definite start and end date. That way you have a clear goal in mind and you won’t easily get side-tracked. Common timeframes are 1, 3, 7, 21 (for the Daniel fast) and 40 days. However, the length can be any number of days, or it  can be indefinite, where you simply start your fast and then let God lead you as to when to stop. However, again I must mention that I am not recommending an all-food fast that is any longer than a 3 day fast here. My longest fast thus far has been almost 4 days, so first of all, I don’t have any experience with longer fasts. Secondly, I don’t believe they can be safely done unless under the guidance and power of God, in which case you will have all the details you need from Him. Ultimately, you want direction from God before starting – and during – any fast. Don’t have your heart set on any specific rules as He may reveal something to you or change the goal post mid-course. Many of my fasts ended early because He told me to stop, or I got my answer before the end of the fast. Next, I’ll explain some different types of fasts. I would recommend starting with the easiest and gradually moving to the harder ones. So, for example when you are able to do a partial fast for several days, take a break and go back to your regular diet for a while. Next time, try the Daniel fast at least for a few days. Then try the 1 day fast. If you are able to do the 1 day fast successfully, do this a few times (going back to your regular diet for a period of time after each fast) before you try the 3 day fast.  

Partial Fast

I mentioned, you’ll want to start small. Think about what you can do safely and effectively. Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing a lofty goal that you can’t attain. You’ll need to start training your body to get used to fasting before you can successfully complete a highly restrictive, longer fast. Also, fasting requires a lot of discipline and self-control to stick to it and to do it in a way that doesn’t hurt you. So be patient with yourself.  The following are some general guidelines on the different kinds of fasts. You can certainly modify any of these to meet your personal needs. The most important thing is that it is some kind of sacrifice for you, it’s practical, and you are able to stick to it.

A good first fast, might be to just abstain from certain foods for a period of time. This can be a very effective option for people who are pregnant, nursing, or have medical conditions that prevent you from abstaining from all food. For example, if you cut out sweets, alcohol, processed, and fried foods. These are things your body doesn’t actually need anyway and would actually be good for you to avoid. At the same time, you are making a conscious sacrifice. You can even go on a longer fast with something like this as it won’t hurt you. Settle on a time frame and spend that time doing a lot of prayer and reading. It is also a good way for you to prepare your body for a more restrictive fast. Other options could be all bread/leavened bread, pasta, junk food, meat, dairy, or a favorite food. The next level up from this, would be skipping 1 meal and eating normally the rest of the day. You can do this for 1 day or several days. Just make sure that you are including the right foods, that will provide a variety of nutrients and vitamins so your body gets the nourishment it needs.

One thing to keep in mind with these easier fasts, however, is that your fast needs to be a sacrifice of some sort. It needs to be something you are giving up or denying yourself – something you normally would eat and enjoy. It should be a challenge, something that makes you at least a little bit uncomfortable. If it’s too easy for you, then it’s pretty much business as usual and your results might be limited.

When you can easily skip one meal, try skipping 2 meals. Fasting for most of the day, and then having a moderately sized, healthy meal in the evening. It takes some self-control not to overeat when it’s time for this meal. So, stay mindful of that. Make sure that you are staying well hydrated each day and if you’re missing more than 2 meals in a single day, I would recommend that you take a good well rounded multi-vitamin each day to make sure you’re getting your nutrients.

You generally won’t experience any side effects on these shorter fasts, but you may experience some stomach cramps or diarrhea, especially the first time you eat again after fasting. Overeating and eating the wrong foods will increase the risk of this. That’s why I say, eat healthy small to moderate meals until you’re ready to go back to your regular diet. It will be easier on your stomach and will help you avoid this unpleasant side effect. This risk also increases the longer you fast.

Daniel Fast

A Daniel fast is a partial fast based on the fast that Daniel describes in Daniel. He says that he avoided all “pleasant bread, meat, and wine”. There are many different interpretations of this. In the strictest sense, you could say any desserts, leavened bread, all meat and animal byproducts, and alcohol would be restricted. In a more liberal sense, you might include dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, leavened bread, but no cakes or sweetbreads (as well as the obvious restrictions). In my opinion, translating this to modern times, it should eliminate all sweets/desserts, dairy, meat, processed foods, bread and/or leavened bread, and alcohol. We know processed and fried foods didn’t exist back then, so naturally they would have been omitted. Daniel fasted for 21 days so that is the typical length. It might be considered a sort of all-natural diet. So, you are going to include foods like raw and/or non-seasoned (or lightly seasoned) cooked vegetables, fresh/dried fruits, nuts/seeds, beans, and whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa. You may want to include fish for protein. In fact, eating this way in general is really great for spiritual awareness. It just makes you feel good, and when your body is healthy, so is your mind and spirit. The most important thing is that it’s a fast that you can stay committed to.

1-Day Fast

Now you’re starting to get serious. When you feel ready you can try a full day fast for 1 day. The previous fasts don’t typically need a lot of preparation. You are just going to gradually eat les and less food. However, anytime you are doing a 24 hour (or longer) fast, you’ll need to do some prepping. You don’t want to shock your body by eating well or even overeating, and then just suddenly cutting out all food. So, there is a process to ramping up and ramping down for this one, and for longer fasts. This becomes crucially important the longer you fast because it will help you avoid those unpleasant side effects I just mentioned, and worst-case scenario you don’t get into the risk of re-feeding syndrome(ref).

So, the day before your fast, eat healthy, but cut your calories back. You may want to do only 1-2 small, healthy meals the day before your fast. Again, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, before and during your fast.

The 1 day fast is basically 24 hours, from sun up to sun down, nothing but liquids. You won’t be eating anything for the entire day. Drink water primarily, but if you choose, you can also have 1-2 cups of juice, coffee, tea or other low sugar drinks. You don’t want to overload yourself with sugar, but sometimes including other liquids can help you continue with the food fast. I love coffee and I have never skipped it on a fast. Some people say to cut out caffeine as well, but I found it hasn’t had any affect on my results. In fact, I think it helps to curb my appetite. I generally only drink 1 cup of black coffee per day though. So, I think this is fine. If you use a lot of cream and sugar, I would recommend you cut way back on the cream and sugar if you are going to keep drinking your coffee. Or maybe even try it black during the fast. A protein drink during the day may help persevere through it and stave off hunger as well. I wouldn’t recommend including smoothies because they are really just pureed food, so I wouldn’t include those and I would also avoid any drinks that would be considered a treat for you. If you do include smoothies, limit it to 1 per day. Remember, this is supposed to be a period of sacrifice.

The day after your fast is your ramp down. Same as the ramp up. Stick to 1-2 small, healthy meals the day after your fast. The following day you can go back to your regular diet. It’s generally recommended that these ramping stages should last as long as the fast. If you fast for 2 days, you need to ramp up for 2 days, and ramp down for 2 days, and so on. Messing up the ramp up, ramp down will most certainly lead to diarrhea or constipation.

3-Day Fast

Congratulations if you’re ready for the 3 day fast! The 3 day fast incorporates all the prior principles and a few more. You’ll want to cut even further back on the non-water drinks. Again, you don’t want to overload on sugar when you are fasting. A 3 day fast is tough and you are going to get hungry. So, you need some serious self-discipline to keep going. Read ‘When You Get Hungry’ at the end of this article. You are going to feel the difference on day 2 and it will probably be the most difficult day. DO NOT – I repeat, do not eat any dairy products or Ensure/Boost drinks after Day 1 of the fast until you are back on your regular diet.  

I would say you can get away with a 2 day ramp up, ramp down. On the first ramp-up day, eat 3 smaller, healthy meals, but stick to the things you might eat on a Daniel fast. On the day directly before and after the fast, stick to a soft, healthy diet. So you could have 2-3 small meal consisting of boiled vegetables, soft/pureed fruits, applesauce, smoothies, mashed potatoes, minute oatmeal (I actually grind it up in the vendor to make it very fine) or shredded wheat, and vegetable soups. You’ll want to stock up on some of those items. I also have used bone broth during the fast. It’s good for protein and kind of makes you feel like you’re having soup for dinner. One serving per day. You also need to stay hydrated, so in addition to drinking a lot of water, get an electrolyte supplement. There are many out there now, usually in the health/workout food aisle, that you can just add to water. Find a low sugar one. Just follow the directions. I drank 1-2 servings per day, along with plenty of water. You might start to experience a dry mouth or throat. When this happens, the electrolyte drinks or chewing gum can help with this. Watch yourself for signs of dehydration which might include: feeling thirsty, dark yellow, strong-smelling urine, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, a dry mouth, lips and tongue, and sunken eyes. If you experience any of these symptoms, ensure your drinking enough water, and getting enough electrolytes. Pedialyte can be another good option. If you don’t seem to be getting enough hydration, see a doctor.

After the fast, your body has to get used to processing food again, so you have to be careful and take it easy. Again, you’ve got to exercise some self-discipline here. Remember to keep praying to get through it and stay on track. You will still be enjoying the spiritual benefits of the fast on ramp days. You’ll need to ramp down in reverse of how you ramped up. As you continue with your regular diet, gradually add in meats and more complex foods as your body alloAfter the fast, your body has to get used to processing food again, so you have to be careful and take it easy. Again, you’ve got to exercise some self-discipline here. Remember to keep praying to get through it and stay on track. You will still be enjoying the spiritual benefits of the fast on ramp days. You’ll need to ramp down in reverse of how you ramped up. As you continue with your regular diet, gradually add in meats and more complex foods as your body allows.

A 3-Day fast Schedule might look something like this:
Note: This table displays best in landscape/desktop mode or on a desktop computer.