3 Key Ingredients for a Successful Fast

Fasting.

What a strange concept to the world we live in — a world and culture of convenience and instant gratification where almost anything we want or need is within our reach.

Where gathering, gaining, and filling our lives with more is not just craved, but celebrated.

People often fast (juicing or some other sort of dietary fast) to jump-start their metabolism toward a weight loss goal or to cleanse their bodies.

Spiritual fasting, on the other hand, isn’t often discussed outside of the Lenten season in the Christian circles I’m a part of, and it may not be discussed (or practiced) on a regular basis in yours either.

With Lent quickly approaching, “what to give up” is on a lot of Christians minds right now. While you ponder this, I want to encourage you to consider giving Biblical fasting (deprivation of food) a shot… but not just during the Lenten season, but as a regular habit throughout your year.

I know, it sounds like a buzzkill. (My kids often call me “fun-sponge” for suggestions like this.😜)

Hear me out, because I have a confession to make…

Only in the past few years have I begun a regular habit of fasting. I couldn’t see the benefit of it, and wondered why anyone would ever want to deprive themselves if they didn’t have to. (Typical American response, am I right or amiright?)

However, I’ve come to learn if we are to believe the truth that God has more available for us on this side of heaven, as John 10:10 promises, fasting should become a regular practice for us. God has moved incredibly during seasons of fasting for me! Oh, the stories I could tell about my last move, my book launch season, changes in jobs and churches… God has honored every fast I’ve entered.

But don’t take just my word for it…

There is Biblical evidence for fasting. See Isaiah 58, Moses on Mt. Sinai (Debt. 9:9), the book of Esther, Jesus’ instruction in the book of Matthew, and others. It has the potential to catapult us into living living a more whole and holy life right here on Earth.

There is power in stripping away what holds us back from experiencing more of Him. 

Fasting was a regular spiritual practice of the Jews and early Christians, and I believe it can accelerate us into a deeper relationship with God, aligning us more closely with Christ. Fasting shifts focus from physical nourishment (food) to spiritual nourishment (Jesus).

Don’t misunderstand – fasting is NOT a strategy to get what we want from God. 

More-so, I say it’s a way for God to get what He wants from us.

Spiritual fasting is much the same as fasting for physical reasons. It is a complete reset of the mind and body to slingshot us into a more nourished spiritual life and relationship with our Creator.

However, let’s be real. It takes effort, planning, and sacrifice to deny ourselves. None of this is fun or easy when we have so much going on.

So to enter into a successful fast — whether it’s fasting from food or even something else — I urge you to incorporate these three key ingredients. 

Be sure to consult your doctor before entering into any sort of extended dietary fast.

---

1. Start Small

If you’re thinking of doing an epic fast like the biblical 40 days — let’s pump the brakes a bit first. It is best to ease into it, unless we want our bodies to go on strike. Maybe start with skipping just one meal a day for a week, then working our way up. But before jumping in, as I said above, let’s talk to doctors first for medical advice that is tailored to our individual needs.

Gradually working up to longer and more intense fasts will train our bodies and minds to resist what we are craving.

Starting small is a great way to ensure success. I mean, who wants to fail at fasting? I know I sure don’t. (Though I have before … feel free to reference my book More for Mom to read about my snickers addition.)

Starting with baby steps will set us up for victory.

One thing to keep in mind, breaking a fast should also be a slow process. Especially after an extended fast, the body may not be ready to dive into an entire pizza as its first meal. So it’s best to slowly integrate food back into our diet, rather than a drastic shift that our bodies can’t handle.

---

2. Plan Ahead

Before day one of the fast, we need to decide what to fast from and for how long. Is it only one meal a day? Is it a type of food? Is it all solid food? Maybe using a calendar, a journal, an app, or some other method will best help us set a goal and stick to it. (I have a suggestion for a journal below. Stay tuned…)

The number one thing to plan ahead for is temptation. 

We will get hungry and desire what we have given up. So let plan to be tempted.

If possible, plan the timing of the fast, too. It might be hard to fast during the week of a big benefit dinner the company is hosting or the week of our birthday. (Nom… cake.)

We need to plan ways to reroute our ordinary to experience the extraordinary benefits of the fast. 

By removing as much temptation as possible, there is a better chance we’ll be successful in the fast.

Plan on drinking plenty of water. Station water bottles stationed on a desk or counter ready to be refilled at any time. We can place a water bottle in the nursery or in the laundry room if we frequent those rooms most often. Water is a faster’s best friend. Broth also helps keep sodium and mineral levels up, helping our bodies to feel OK when it’s not being filled with solid food.

We will also need to plan ahead and schedule time for probably the most important aspect… prayer.

---

3. Pray

There’s something important to note about examples of fasting in the Bible. In every single fast mentioned in scripture, God showed up in one way or another when the fasting was accompanied by prayer.

It is biblical to combine fasting with prayer.

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:21 NKJV

Fasting without prayer is, quite simply, starvation.

It is the prayer aspect of fasting that unleashes God’s power in and around us. It’s the prayer accompanied by a spiritual, emotional, and physical hunger that feeds us.

If you aren’t sure what to pray, I recommend starting in Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus taught about giving, worry, and anxiety. He also taught how to pray with the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15).

I don’t believe it’s coincidence that immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples (and us!) how to fast. 

This assures us that with prayer, according to His will, there will also be fasting. It’s a natural combination. 

So scheduling a regular prayer time, or adding an additional one, into our regular schedules could be the breakthrough for our fast — where God shows up and blesses our deprivation.

Taking prayer walks or retreating to a solitary place during dinner time might be a great option. Or the last few minutes of the day when we normally scroll our social media feeds, maybe we hit our knees instead.

Let’s not get trapped into thinking that prayer should only be scheduled though. Anytime a hunger pain or temptation shows up, this is the perfect opportunity hit our knees (literally or figuratively) and to petition to God to fill us.

Even if we “mess up” our fast, we can still keep going, God has grace and mercy for those who whole-heartedly seek Him. So if we automatically snag the piece of chocolate we’re supposed to be fasting from, or if our thumb auto clicks to social media we planned to take a break from, or whatever it is, we can stop, ask forgiveness, and forge the fast.

---

Our time and efforts toward a successful fast of drawing near to God will be rewarded. He has promised. (James 4:8)

And may we receive more of God while eliminating what is not of God.

Need a fasting companion or two? See the below resources.