Fasting with Purpose
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Fasting is one of the most powerful spiritual practices available to believers, yet it remains one of the most underutilized.
I’ve heard people say, “Fasting is an Old Testament practice, and that’s why so few people do it.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. In the passage above, Jesus doesn’t say if you fast—he says when you fast. In fact, fasting is mentioned multiple times throughout the New Testament.
If Jesus fasted and encouraged his disciples to do so, then you can bet it is just as important for His followers today. The problem is that fasting has lost its significance in modern culture. Rather than dwell on why that has happened, I want to focus on what fasting is, how you can do it, and why it’s worth it.
What is Fasting
At its core, fasting is the process of weakening your body to strengthen your soul through the Holy Spirit. When you sacrifice what you desire—such as food—you exchange the worldly for the spiritual. It’s a way of saying, Lord, I’m giving this up because I long for a deeper relationship with You. Fasting is an act of obedience and love.
How To Fast
There is more than one right way to fast. Your fast may look different depending on what God is putting on your heart. For me, the desire to fast usually comes from a nudge—a sense that I need to do something more than prayer to reach a breakthrough. When that happens, I follow these steps:
Ask God how long the fast should be - Sometimes, it’s one meal. Other times, it’s several days. Most recently, I felt God prompting me to fast for five days. That might sound extreme, but some people fast for 21 or even 40 days! When I first attempted fasting a few years ago, I could barely make it to 11 AM. Think of fasting like training for a marathon—you don’t lace up your running shoes and go 26 miles on day one. If you’ve never done it before, it is ok to start small.
Determine what you need to give up - Once I know the duration, I pray about what my fast should entail. If I’m fasting for a full day, I might consume only water. When I fasted for five days, I included juice and broth. If you have dietary restrictions, fasting from food entirely may not be an option—but I encourage you to seek alternatives that align with your health. Many people choose to fast from things like social media or sweets, and while those sacrifices have value, fasting from food is the most spiritually impactful.
Fast with purpose and prayer - Fasting isn’t about skipping meals because you’re busy or forgetful—that’s dieting. The key to fasting is intention. When you resist the urge to open the fridge, you’re making a sacrifice, and that’s where the reward begins. When you feel hunger pangs, take them as a prompt to pray.
Why it's Powerful
This brings me to the benefits of fasting. You might be wondering, what could possibly be beneficial about being hungry? I won’t deny that fasting is uncomfortable, but I have never fasted without reward. Here are three benefits of fasting:
Breakthroughs – Do you need to make a decision? Are you seeking affirmation about something weighing on your heart? Or maybe you just feel stuck in a fog, unable to think clearly. When your body isn’t expending energy to digest food, you may find that you have more energy overall (counterintuitive, I know). Fasting sharpens your mind, and God rewards your obedience with clarity.
Discipline – Fasting requires discipline, and that self-control often carries over into other areas of life. Once you prove to yourself that you can resist food, you’ll realize you have the strength to abstain from anything that isn’t serving you. If you’ve been struggling with bad habits, fasting is a powerful way to break them. Remember when Jesus said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Spiritual Awareness – Fasting heightens your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. When you remove distractions—even something as essential as food—you become more attuned to God’s presence. It’s as if your spirit becomes more alert, able to perceive things that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Fasting is a vast topic, and this blog barely scratches the surface. I felt compelled to write about it because it’s a recurring theme in conversations—many people feel called to fast but are unsure where to begin. If you’ve never fasted before or if it’s been on your heart, I encourage you to approach it with prayerful intention and trust that God will meet you in the process.
Godspeed, my friend.
“Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of chastity.”
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