A Practical Guide for those Preparing for a Fast
Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from all, or some kinds of, food for the purpose of focusing oneself on prayer. It is quite possible to fast from other things apart from food in order to focus on communion with the Lord, but for the purpose of this article, I will only be focusing on fasting as it relates to food and prayer, and especially on what is called a water fast.
The voluntary abstinence from food is not in itself spiritual; that is, it is not inherently spiritual to deprive oneself of something, nor is it inherently spiritual to discipline one’s appetites, though both of these activities are essential in order to fast successfully. It is, rather, the deliberate intention to make one’s focus during these times the Lord himself and to refocus the natural desire for food into interacting with God.
So, it is possible to abstain from food and not be fasting; for instance, one could fast for the purpose of some kind of cleansing, or to have the appearance of being spiritual. However, this is not what we are interested in dealing with here. The kind of fasting in mind here is what is commonly called a water fast: that is the complete restraint from eating food but with the continuation of drinking water only.
Prayer Tips
When we fast it is easy to neglect to focus on the Lord. It requires as much self-discipline to direct our attention towards the Lord as it does to direct our attention away from any cravings for food, or short-temperedness, so here are some suggestions that may help you as you prepare to fast:
- Know what you will be praying for when you fast. Be as specific as possible, even allocating specific time periods for specific focuses. Specific prayer helps to keep the mind focused.
- Every time that you feel a hunger pang, or any other kind of discomfort, pray; and remind both yourself and the Lord of what you are currently praying for.
- You can make use of the gift of tongues when you are not able to think of specific things to pray for, or when your environment makes it difficult to focus on prayer, such as when you are at work or at school.
Fasting Tips
Fasting is not naturally easy for most people, so feeling like you want to give in and eat something is what most normal people feel, at least for some of the time. There are also different kinds of fast; one can abstain from delicacies such as sweet things, or coffee; one can also abstain from all food and all liquids, but we are not talking about either of these kinds of fasts in these tips, but the water fast.
However, there are some people who should either not fast at all or should only perform a partial fast, cutting out certain foodstuffs, or supplementing a water-only fast with other beverages, for medical reasons. If you think that this might be you then you need to talk to your doctor before embarking on any kind of fast.
The same warning needs to be extended to younger people, as growing bodies have much greater needs than adult ones.
While it is not necessary to stop exercising while fasting, it is wise to realise that you are not taking in anything for the body to replenish itself with, so you should not attempt any extreme workouts and at least moderate your exercise for the duration of the fast.
Even if you aren’t working out during a fast you will still feel like you have less energy as you are not replacing any calories that your body is burning just to keep you alive.
With all of the above in mind, it can still be helpful to understand what is happening to your body when you fast. The following list will not be true for everyone but contains some common experiences of those who are fasting:
- Hunger pangs.
This is the most common experience for many people who fast. Sometimes it can happen even before we miss the first meal. These hunger pangs are not the first signs of starvation but our bodies responding to the change of routine that we have conditioned them to expect. Bottom line is that while it is uncomfortable it is not starvation.
- Headaches.
Depending on your normal diet it is quite common on the second and third days of a fast to experience headaches of varying severity. This is usually from the build-up of toxins in your body being processed out. It is especially important to make sure that you keep up with your liquid intake at this time.
- Bad Breath.
For many people, the result of an empty stomach after several meals is that the smell of their breath becomes unpleasant. Again, water intake helps with this, and possibly the use of breath mints.
- Light headedness .
Some people experience a sense of lightheadedness after fasting for a few meals. This is the body trying to conserve energy. It is important not to ignore these feelings and respond by sitting down if standing, or taking a short break from what you are doing if exerting yourself some other way.
- Irritability .
Because we have fewer general reserves this can often lead to an increase in irritability. The physical discipline of fasting can appear to sometimes bring the worst out of us! If we find this being true for us then we should take the opportunity to ask the Lord why we are battling with the self-control needed to manage ourselves well and prayerfully ask him to assist us to continue to show the character of Christ while we are fasting.
When breaking, or concluding a fast, it is important not to binge eat as this will have the opposite effect to what is desired, making you feel sick and over-full. Depending on the length of the fast your stomach capacity will have reduced, and having a large meal will overfill it, potentially making you feel sick.
Other Considerations
Jesus noted that the religious observers of his day made a big outward show of their fasting, and he warned us against such outward shows of external ‘virtue’. So, let’s be aware of the above challenges that can come from fasting and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus as the hearer and answerer of our prayers.
Always remember to keep your liquid intake up. Water can become tasteless and boring fairly quickly for some people, so making it cold or adding some lemon juice can help make it more palatable. Whatever you do, though, make sure to keep your fluid intake up. Fasting is not an ecstatic experience. That is, it isn’t usually something that makes us feel good! But it is a discipline that reminds us of our ongoing dependence on the Lord for all the good things in life.
– Francis Judge