HOW TO BEGIN YOUR FAST

 Step 1: Set an Objective for Your Fast
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal? For guidance? For healing? For the resolution of problems? For special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify what He wants you to take away from this time. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically.
Through fasting and prayer, we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your fasting.

Step 2: Commit to Your Fast
Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14-15). For Him, it was a matter of when, not if, believers would fast. Before you fast, decide the following:

• How long you will fast — one meal, one day, a week, several weeks, forty days? (Start slowly and build up to longer fasts.)
• The type of fast God wants you to undertake, such as water only or water and juices, as well as what kinds of juices you will drink and how often.
• What physical or social activities you will restrict.
• How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God’s Word.

Making these commitments ahead of time, write them down and share them with someone you trust. This helps you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it.

Step 3: Prepare Yourself Spiritually
The foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart:

• Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins.
• Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit reminds you of and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
• Seek forgiveness from anyone you have offended and forgive anyone who has hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4).
• Make amends with people as the Holy Spirit leads you.
• Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to His command in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14-15.
• Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master and refuse to obey your worldly nature (Romans 12:1-2).
• Meditate on the attributes of God — His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, compassion and other qualities (Psalm 48:9-10; 103:1-8, 11-13).
• Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6).
• Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16-17).

Step 4: Prepare Yourself Physically
Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some people should never fast without professional supervision.
Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer. Remember the following:

• Do not rush into your fast.
• Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
• Eat raw fruits and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.

Step 5: Put Yourself on a Schedule 
Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all solid foods and have begun to seek the Lord. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider:

• Limit your physical activity.
• Exercise only moderately. Walk one to three miles each day if convenient and comfortable.
• Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness and anxiety.
• Expect some physical discomforts, especially on the second day. You may have fleeting hunger pains or dizziness. Withdrawal from caffeine and sugar may cause headaches. Physical annoyances may also include weakness, tiredness or sleeplessness.

The first two or three days are usually the hardest. As you continue fasting, you are likely to experience a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually. However, should you feel hunger pains, increase your liquid intake.
A Sample Schedule
For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the Lord. Listen for His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more meaningful your fast will be.
Morning

• Begin your day in praise and worship.
• Read and meditate on God’s Word, preferably on your knees.
• Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to will and to do His good pleasure according to Philippians 2:13.
• Invite God to use you. Ask Him to show you how to influence your world, your family, your church, your community, your country and beyond.
• Pray for His vision for your life and empowerment to do His will.

Noon

• Return to prayer and God’s Word.
• Take a short prayer walk.
• Spend time in intercessory prayer for leaders in your community and nation, for the world’s unreached millions, for your family or for special needs.

Evening

• Get alone for an unhurried time of “seeking His face.”
• If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.
• Avoid television or any other distraction that may dampen your spiritual focus.

When possible, begin and end each day on your knees with a brief time of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Dr. Bill Bright

Dr. Bill Bright