How you start and carry out your fast will largely determine your success. By following these seven basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding Matses.
Step 1: Set the goal
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for direction, for healing, for problem solving, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify your goals for your prayer prompts and leaders. This will allow you to pray more specifically and strategically.
Through fasting and prayer, we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your fast.
Step 2: Make your commitment
Pray about the type of fast you should undertake. Jesus implies that all his followers must fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14, 15) for him it was a question of when believers would fast, not if they would. Before you quickly, decide the following front:
How long will it be fast – one meal, one day, one week, several weeks, forty days (beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts.)
The type of fast God wants to accomplish (like water, or water and juices; what types of juices will you drink and how often).
What physical or social activities are restricted.
How much time each day will you dedicate to prayer and the word of God.
These early commitments will help you keep your temptations fast when the physical and pressures of life tempt you to abandon you.
Step 3: Prepare yourself spiritually
The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. An unconfessed sin will make your prayers difficult. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart:
Ask God to make a complete list of your sins.
Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your memory and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Seek forgiveness from everyone you have offended and forgive everyone who has hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3, 4).
Restore as the Holy Spirit leads you.
I ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit according to his command in Ephesians 5:18 and his promise in 1 John 5:14, 15.
Surrender your life completely to Jesus Christ as your Lord and teacher; they refuse to obey his worldly nature (Romans 12:1, 2).
Meditate on the attributes of God, his love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, compassion and others (Psalm 48:9, 10; 103:1-8, 11-13).
Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6).
Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16, 17).
Step 4: Prepare yourself physically
Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your doctor first, especially if you take prescription medications or have a chronic illness. Some people should never fast without professional supervision.
Physical preparation makes it easier to drastically change your eating routine a little so that you can turn your attention to the Lord in prayer.
Don’t rush your fast.
Prepare the body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid foods high in fat and sugar.
Eat raw fruits and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.