Easter at Healing Place

Fasting Information

Fasting Information

As we take this spiritual journey as a church,

we encourage you to commit to a personal fast.

Check out the information below for tips on how to fast!

Helpful Steps for

Fasting

Below are some helpful steps to get you started on your fast.

Step 1

Set Your Objective

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 guide you in your fasting focus.

This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. 

Step 2

Make Your Commitment

Pray about the kind of fast you should do. Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast (Matthew 6:16-189:14,15). For Him, it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, decide the following upfront:

  • How long you will fast – one meal, one day, a week, several weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts)
  • The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only, or water and juices; 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 will help you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it!

Step 3

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

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

  • Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
  • Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you (Mark 11:25Luke 11:417:3,4).
  • Make peace with others as the Holy Spirit leads you.
  • Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master; 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 others (Psalm 48:9,10103:1-811-13).
  • 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 that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.

  • Do not rush into your fast.
  • Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast.
  • Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.

Your time of fasting and prayer has come. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider:

  • Medication should be withdrawn only with your physician’s supervision.
  • Limit your activity.
  • Exercise only moderately.
  • Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
  • Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and anxiety.
  • Expect some physical discomforts, especially on the second day. 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 to fast, you will likely experience a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually. However, should you feel hunger pains, increase your liquid intake. 

Step 5

Put Yourself on a 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.

 

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.

 

Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community’s and nation’s leaders, for the world’s unreached millions, for your family or special needs.

Evening

Get alone for an unhurried time of “seeking His face.”

 

Avoid distractions that may dampen your spiritual focus.

Tips on Juice Fasting

  • Drinking fruit juice will decrease your hunger pains and give you some natural sugar energy.
  • In cold weather, you may enjoy a warm vegetable broth.

Step 6

End Your Fast Gradually

When your designated time for fasting is finished, you will begin to eat again.

But how you break your fast is extremely important for your physical and spiritual well-being.

 

Begin eating gradually. Do not eat large meals immediately after your fast. Suddenly reintroducing solid food to your stomach and digestive tract will likely have negative, even dangerous, consequences. Try several smaller meals or snacks each day. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in continued good health.

 

Here are some suggestions to help you end your fast properly:

  • Break an extended water fast with fruit.
  • Gradually return to regular eating with several small snacks during the first few days. Start with a little soup and fresh fruit such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Advance to a few tablespoons of solid foods such as raw fruits and vegetables or a raw salad and baked potato.

Step 7

Expect Results

If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God’s face; if you consistently meditate on His Word, you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 14:21). The Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights. Your confidence and faith in God will be strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed. You will see answers to your prayers.