Fasting involves abstaining from food or drink to draw closer to God.
The practice of fasting means that you abstain from food and/or drink for a specified time. "The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible" states that the word "fasting" means "to be empty." Fasting may seem like an old-fashioned activity that people did only in biblical times. People see it as something that has little relevance to Christians today. However, fasting offers the opportunity to deny your flesh and seek a closer relationship and fellowship with God. There are no strict rules on fasting. The most important thing is the desire to seek God and his will for your life.
Instructions
1. Determine what kind of fast you want to partake in. The Bible records several types of fasts. Choose to abstain from both food and liquid as Paul did in Acts 9:3-9. Select a fast where you allow yourself to drink liquids, or decide on a fast that limits only certain types of foods. Daniel participated in this kind of fast in Daniel 10:2-3, when he chose for three weeks to eat only fruits and vegetables.
2. Determine how long you want to fast. Fast for three days as Paul did in Acts 9:3-9. Follow the traditional fasting period, and fast until evening as they did in 2 Samuel 1:12 and Judges 20:26. The Bible also records men to whom God gave the supernatural ability to fast for 40 days, such as Moses in Exodus 34:28 and Jesus in Matthew 4:1-2.
3. Engage in spiritual activities. Don't fast just for the sake of fasting. Replace food with activities such as prayer, Bible study, meditation and repentance for sin. Some people choose to abstain from secular entertainment such as movies, television, music and the Internet.
4. Don't fast when it is not feasible to do so. Avoid fasting when you have the family over for major holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. Postpone fasting when you need extra energy to teach, run a marathon or give a speech.
5. Don't fast just to impress others with your spirituality. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus instructed believers not to let others know they are fasting by looking sad or downcast. Behave as you normally would, and don't draw undue attention to your fasting. Direct your fasting toward God, not toward others.
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