Prayer and Fasting

Fasting has been an often-neglected spiritual discipline in our culture, but over the last several years, our church family has learned the power of seeking after God through the power prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting is not a means to manipulate God to do our bidding. It’s not a way to make God love us more. It’s not religious obligation, or a way to show offour spirituality. It’s about humbling ourselves, confessing our desperate need for him, and learning to let go of anything that keeps us from his presence.

Fasting is, according to Richard Foster, “abstaining from food for spiritual purpose.” It can also be defined as “the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.”

At its core, fasting is about letting go of physical things in order to create space that allows us to chase after spiritual things of God.

Fasting isn’t just about what you let go of, but what we grab hold of. It’s about combining intentionality and intensity to seek after God.

If you are new to fasting, or need a refresher, check out Revival Starts Here: A Short Conversation on Prayer, Fasting, and Revival for Beginners Like Me by Dave Clayton. It includes a very helpful section on how to choose your fast.

Download a PDF of  “How to Start Your Fast”  by clicking HERE.

Food Fast

There are several different types of food fasts.  Below are three that we have leaned into over the years.

  • Major Fast — abstaining from food and/or certain drinks for 24 hours or longer, continuing to drink water, juice, and broth throughout.

  • Minor Fast — abstaining from food and/or drinks for certain periods of time (i.e. sunup to sundown), continuing to drink water throughout.

  • Partial Fast — abstaining from certain foods (i.e. dessert, alcohol, meat)

Digital Fast

A Digital Fast as setting aside your phone, TV, tablets, gaming systems and computers, except for work purposes, to create more space for reading, praying, thinking and conversation (deeper connection with God and people!).

Check out this digital fast guide from Ethos Church.

Resources

Check out this collection of links from some of our friends to help resource and equip us for a great time of fasting.

Purchase Revival Starts Here by Dave Clayton (physical, e-book or audio versions)

Purchase Prayer and Fasting by David Roadmap and Michael Eagle

Some helpful blogs and resources