Fasting

The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, 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. God desires to bring into our lives.

Types Of Fasts

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.


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.


PARTIAL FAST

This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.


SOUL FAST

This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, 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.

Timing Of A Fast

At Coastline, we encourage fasting for 21 days each year in the month of January. This year, we're also including fasting during the month of August. This is part of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, a season of focused prayer as a church family. You may also choose to fast at other times during the year for your own spiritual development. It’s very typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more. The timing of your fast is not as important as the strength of your focus on God as you fast.


Scripture References

Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14, Acts 27:33-37, Nehemiah 9:1-3

RESOURCES ON FASTING

21 Days of Prayer is a time where we seek to know the Lord better in every way imaginable as we meet with Him face to face each day. As you prepare your heart and mind for this phenomenal season of prayer—or if you are seeking resources to help you in your own personal walk with God—the following resources on prayer and fasting will help equip you for this amazing journey.


7 BASIC STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FASTING AND PRAYER

Article by Bill Bright


AWAKENING

Book by Stovall Weems


GUIDE TO FASTING AND PRAYER

Article by Bill Bright


FASTING: OPENING THE DOOR TO A DEEPER, MORE INTIMATE,
MORE POWERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Jentezen Franklin


DANIEL FAST OVERVIEW

Coastline Resource