Fasting Guidelines

FASTING GUIDELINES

Isaiah 58:5-12 - "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"

THE BIBLE DESCRIBES FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF FASTING:

Liquid Fast – 40 Days: Traditionally, a regular fast means refraining from eating all food. Most people still drink water or juice during a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says, “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” This verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty. 4:1, Luke 4:2
Partial Fast – 10 and 21 Days: This type of fast generally refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods. In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and water:
“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.”.
Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”
Absolute Fast – 3 Days: These fasts are complete – no food and no drink. Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: “For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” Esther also called for this type of fast in
4:15-16: “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king… And if I perish, I perish.'” It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time.
Intimacy Fast – 1 Corinthians 7:3-6 says, “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

FOOD AND LIQUID FASTING

Liquid Fast – Drinking only purified liquids for a period of 40 days.
Daniel Fast – Eat no meat, no dairy, no sweets, no bread, processed food, and drink purified liquids
water, juice, etc. Nuts, fruits, and vegetables; raw or cooked. 10-21 days
Indulgence Fast – A Fast that involves self-denial of a habit. (TV, Social Media, Shopping, Sweets…)
This is not technically a Biblical fast, but is often combined with a Biblical fast as the Holy Spirit leads.
Partial Fast – Fast until 6:00AM to 6:00PM or sun-up to sundown.
Fast of Sacrifice – Anything the Holy Spirit speaks to you about that would be a personal sacrifice.
Absolute Fast – No food or Liquids for 3 days. Not recommended unless the Holy Spirit leads.

**Any type of fasting that can alter prescribed medications should be cleared by a physician.

FASTING GUIDELINES

Isaiah 58:5-12 - "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"

THE BIBLE DESCRIBES FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF FASTING:

FOOD AND LIQUID FASTING

Tree of Life Ministries