Prayer & Fasting

There is no greater way to start a New Year than by seeking God through a time of Prayer and Fasting. Join us for 7, 14, or 21 days as we disconnect from the things of this world and lean into God for 2024!

WHAT IS FASTING

SIMPLY STATED, BIBLICAL FASTING IS REFRAINING FROM FOOD FOR A SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.

As Christians, we grow closer to the Lord as we block out the everyday noise of the world and lean in closer to the voice of the Father. We block out these daily distractions by doing as Jesus called each of us to do in Luke 9:23: “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

By taking up our cross daily, we are putting down the heavy things of this world that act as distractions, picking up what God has actually called us to bear, and following where He leads. It can be easy to fall into the trap of daily distraction. Whether it’s work, school, kids, stress, social media, finances, relational challenges, or unexpected dilemmas that pop up throughout the day – it can all become so overwhelming and completely time and thought consuming.

Every now and then in our walk with Christ, we can greatly benefit from hitting the refresh button in our spiritual lives. The best way to reset and refresh our spiritual lives and relationship with God is through fasting and prayer.

Fasting is an INTEGRAL spiritual discipline that is meant to help us as believers take our focus off of something for a period of time and focus our time, attention, and hearts fully on Jesus.

By fasting, we are setting aside distractions, even necessities, such as food, in order to stir up a deeper hunger for the Lord. The purpose of fasting is not to lose something, but to gain something; a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.

HOW TO FAST

Pray.
Be expectant for God move, speak to you and bring breakthrough in your life! Fasting is more than simply going without something. It is supplementing the absence of something that feeds your flesh with prayer in order to feed your spirit.

Commit.
Commit to a type of fast. Do not decide on a day-to-day basis. Commit before your fast begins and stay determined. Fasting options may include:

Water only
Liquid only
The Daniel Fast (Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables.)
One meal only per day
Traditional fasts (sun-up to sun-down, Monday through Friday)
Other kinds of fasts (i.e. no TV, no social media, no discretionary spending)

Prepare.
Prepare your body gradually for the fast. Start eating smaller portions and meals made of raw fruits and vegetables two days before you begin. Avoid food that is high in sugar and fat.

Spend time in the Bible.
Lean into God intentionally by reading the Word. Follow along with our Wellspring Bible Reading Plan for scriptures focused on Prayer & Fasting!

Plan Your Calendar.
Limit physical and social activities during the fast, conserve energy, and spend more time in prayer, worship, and reading the Bible.

Partner with Others.
Join your Wellspring family and embrace community during your fast! Join our Facebook Group for weekly discussion and encouragement!

Decide How Long.
You may fast as long as you like. Some may choose to fast for 21 days, beginning and ending with our Revival Nights, but you may feel the grace to only fast 14 days or 7. Use wisdom and pray for guidance. Beginners are advised to start slow.

Remember.
For 7-21 days only we are denying ourselves the comforts of some foods so that our flesh takes the back seat and our spirit is in the driver’s seat. Remember that it is the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking Him, not just obedience, to which God responds with a blessing (Isaiah 58, Jeremiah 14:12, 1 Corinthians 8:8). May God richly bless you as you fast!

SCRIPTURE ABOUT FASTING

Matthew 6:16-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 9:14-15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

Acts 27:33-37

New International Version (NIV)

³³ Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. ³⁴ Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” ³⁵ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ Altogether there were 276 of us on board.

Nehemiah 9:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

¹On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. ² Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ³ They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

TYPES OF FASTS

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.

Complete Fast

In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.

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.