Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. There is no obligation. Everyone is free without any condemnation to choose if they participate or not.
Fasting has been a major emphasis in the lives of many of the great spiritual leaders throughout history, i.e. effective ministers of God, such as apostle Paul, made it a continual part of their walks with God. None of them had a formula for fasting that was the only “right” way. Fasting is about the condition of the heart, not the number of days etc.
1. DECIDE ON WHICH FAST
There are different types of fasting, often with different names. Some are absolute (you abstain totally from food) and some are partial (where you abstain from certain kinds of foods), so first decide which fast you are going to engage in.
- Whole day fast: abstaining from food and drink (except water) each day
- Half day fast: abstaining from food and drink (except water) for 12 hours each day
2. IMPORTANT PRACTICAL PRECAUTIONS
Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some persons should never fast without professional supervision. Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
- Do not rush into your fast.
- Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals in the days before starting a fast.
- Avoid high-fat and sugary foods in the days leading up to the fast.
3. PLAN TIMES AND PLACES
People plan their holidays, honeymoons and even the time they will spend with family during festive seasons so that the time spent will be effective. If you truly want the fasting to be as effective as possible in your life, then you must be practical and plan how your time with God will work. If you have a job that’s demanding or a family with children that require your attention at particular times of the morning or evening, then intentionally planning time with God in advance is even more of a necessity during your fast.
As you plan, questions to ask yourself are:
When
- during each day can I spend 10 or 15mins in prayer and peaceful mediation?
You could begin to answer this by planning three times each day, (perhaps morning, afternoon and evening) when you will give God 15 minutes of complete focus. It might mean getting up 15 minutes earlier each day before your children.
Where
- can I go to find a personal space to pray and meditate during each day?
If you have a very busy job it might mean thinking ahead of time about where you can go for 15 minutes of privacy during the day to pray and meditate. This might mean leaving the building and sitting in the corner of a café, perhaps going on a prayer walk or finding a local green, square or another place where you will be safe but can have personal space each day.
4. THE EXCHANGE
Remember that the routine unnecessary luxuries and practices that we abstain from while fasting are to be exchanged for our attention on God through regular prayer, mediation and study. We are also detoxing our spirits and minds during the fast, and so anything that hinders that spiritual detox should be avoided.
This practically means that perhaps some of the routine television programs that we so often indulge in are to be reduced. Many people choose to abstain completely from secular television; instead, they only intermittently watch news programs to remain updated on bulletins and current affairs and television programs that positively feed one's Spirit. It is hard to really claim that we are fasting and yet we are also comfortable watching programs that for the most part promote and/or glorify immorality. Instead, below are four bulleted tips on what you could exchange those routines with:
- Follow along with our daily reading that we will be doing. Mediate on the readings by asking yourself what is the scripture saying? How can I responsibly apply it to my life?
- Get hold of a teaching series perhaps and listen through each day in the car, or on your break at work to help you stay focused and continue to stay in mediation and a reflection mindset as you listen to teaching from God’s word.
- Pray along with the specific points highlighted for this fast. Also, pray for someone else (it’s always encouraging when you pray for others and see God work in their lives). Always pray for your church family.
- Be sure to attend the in-person prayer nights. Encourage each other, and also share thoughts from your readings or testimonies of experiences you have had with God while fasting.
- Keep a daily personal journal/diary of the thoughts and ideas that God gives to you, perhaps even write prayers of thanksgiving to God in it as you discover a stronger connection with him during the fast.