Wondering how to fast for God? Here’s a helpful beginners guide to the spiritual discipline of fasting. The information is perfect for teens, youth groups, young adults, and any Christians interested in fasting.
To “fast” is to abstain from something—usually food and/or drink—for a period of time. For centuries, people of all religions have fasted for spiritual reasons. Christians have developed particular ways of fasting, and it’s appropriate to fast for certain days and seasons.
In addition, specific Christian purposes for fasting exist. Read on for beginners tips about how to fast for God.
“The main purpose of fasting involves the question: What I am desiring to be filled with?”
Why Fast? Emptying and Dependence
Throughout my life, I’ve engaged in fasting as a spiritual practice. Over the years, I’ve fasted for as short as one meal and as long as one week.
I first learned about fasting in 1976 in Tanzania from Edmund John. This faith healer had a three-day process, and day two was a full-day fast. In other words, before hands are laid on you for healing, you fast for a day. That was a profound message. You empty yourself of food before God fills you with the Holy Spirit and healing.
This idea of emptying has become, for me, a central part of how to fast for God. We might recall Philippians 2:7, how Jesus “emptied himself” (NRSV, ESV) in his Incarnation. So it is with fasting. I empty myself of something to receive something else. When I fast, I’m receptive to a closer relationship with God and open to the Holy Spirit filling me.
Related to this, fasting involves an attitude of trust and dependence. One depends on God to fill what’s empty. This is perhaps a succinct definition of faith: dependence on the Creator to fill and supply what we need.
How to Fast for God: 7 Tips for Beginners
1. Identify a Purpose
The first step for any fast is discerning your reason or purpose. Are you fasting to empty yourself? To strengthen your relationship with God? Are you fasting to be in solidarity with the poor? Or for a holy day such as Ash Wednesday or Good Friday? Clarifying the purpose of your fast is critical. It creates a frame for your experience.
