Prayer and Fasting

The purpose of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose. By intentionally giving up something that provides comfort, like food, for a specific period, we shift our focus to expressing our need for the ultimate source of comfort, whatever that might be for each individual.

However, fasting without prayer is essentially just a form of dietary restriction. When combined with prayer, fasting becomes a powerful discipline that nurtures our spirit and helps us draw close to God. The key in fasting is not just about abstaining from food but about what we gain from it — often a deeper understanding or connection with God.

It's important to note that a personal fast should present a challenge, but it's equally 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.

PRAYER WORKS

If you ever get to a place in your life where you feel like something is missing, it’s probably a connection problem: you are disconnected from God and too connected to the world. Prayer and fasting can have a powerful impact on setting your life back on track.

Prayer connects us to God.

As with anything or anyone, the more time you invest in it, the greater your confidence develops. This principle holds true for your relationship with God. The more time you dedicate to being in God's presence through prayer, the more your faith in Him will strengthen and deepen.

PRAYER REQUEST

PRAY FIRST GUIDE

Fasting

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.

COMPLETE FAST: In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
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SELECTIVE FAST: This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.
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PARTIAL FAST: This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food from sunup to sundown. This can also correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

SOUL FAST: This fast is a great option if you have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast. This is also a type of fast we encourage people to add on top of a food type fast.

Fasting Resources

7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer

Guide to Fasting and Prayer