Fasting is one of the best disciplines we have to reintegrate our mind to our body and offer our whole selves to God in surrender. Jesus began his life’s work with 40 days of fasting, a practice he continued throughout his lifetime. All throughout Scripture, fasting is a powerful aid and amplifier to prayer. When God’s people fast and pray, miracles happen.

Fasting and prayer go together. You can pray without fasting, and you can fast without praying, but when you combine the two, there’s a noticeable amplification of our prayer before God. Prayer involves both speaking and listening. And fasting is a key companion in both. Fasting is an aid in hearing God. It helps us to discern his voice through the noise and distraction of our lives. It sharpens our mind; in the fasting state, our mind is more alert, focused, and open. It makes it easier for us to hear how God is coming to us and to hear his will and direction for our lives. But fasting is also an aid to being heard by God. It helps us to break through the walls that stand between us and the release of God’s plans, purposes, and power. Story after story in Scripture attest to this reality: When prayer and fasting link arms, it’s often the tipping point in the struggle to release God’s Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.

If there is something you’ve been praying for, working to overcome, or seeking God’s wisdom on, fasting is a perfect way to quiet all the noise and tune in to what God has to say. The Bible is full of examples of the power of fasting and prayer. In Judges 20, after facing terrible defeat, the Israelites fasted and asked God for guidance ahead of their next battle—which they won! In Daniel 10, Daniel fasted before receiving a vision from God. And in Matthew 4, before Jesus began His ministry, He fasted 40 days.

How to Begin
Start with a clear goal. Be specific. Why are you fasting? Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Pray daily and read the Bible.

Preparing Spiritually
Confess your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness. Forgive all who have offended you and ask forgiveness from those you may have offended (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4). Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ and reject the worldly desires that try to hinder you (Romans 12:1-2).

Deciding What to Fast
The type of fasting you choose is up to you. You could go on a full fast in which you only drink liquids, or you may desire to fast like Daniel, who abstained from sweets and meats, and the only liquid he drank was water. Remember to replace that time with prayer and Bible study.

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.

Scripture References for Fasting:
Matthew 6:16-18
Matthew 9:14-15
Luke 18:9-14

Relation to Prayer and Reading of the Word:
1 Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18
Nehemiah 1:4
Daniel 9:3, 20
Joel 2:12
Luke 2:37
Acts 10:30
Acts 13:2

Corporate Fasting:
1 Samuel 7:5-6
Ezra 8:21-23
Nehemiah 9:1-3
Joel 2:15-16
Jonah 3:5-10
Acts 27:33-37

Over the next 21 days (7/20-8/10), Pillar’s auditorium will be open and available for prayer during select hours throughout the week.

Days & Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday – 11a-1p (Saturday, July 20 – Saturday, August 10)

Address: 15020 Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

*Please enter through the Cafe doors.

Each day over the next 21 days, on Pillar’s Instagram and Facebook page, we’ll release daily prayers and prayer focuses.

Have a testimony or story to share? We would love to hear from you about what God does in your life and says to you over these next few weeks.

Email us at [email protected].