Different Kinds of Fasts
Fasting means to abstain from food and/or drink. Biblical fasting is not just going without food, but it is taking the time normally spent preparing and eating food and using that time for spiritual purposes. The person fasting will set aside time to read and meditate on God’s Word, to pray and talk to God, and to worship and praise Him.
In both the Old and New Testaments we see several different kinds of fasts: (1) the total or absolute fast; (2) the normal fast; (3) the supernatural fast and (4) the partial fast.
1. The Total or Absolute Fast
The total or absolute fast is where you have no food or water for a short period of time, usually for no more than three days.
As you probably know from science class, the human body is made up of approximately eighty percent water. On a daily basis we can lose quarts of water through perspiration, evaporation and elimination. We need at least eight glasses of water a day to keep tissues healthy, for organs such as the kidneys and heart to function properly, for healthy blood flow, and for all other metabolic functions of the body.
People can typically go without food for extended periods of time. However, three days is generally the maximum period of time the human body can go without water.
Esther, her handmaidens, Mordecai and the children of Israel went on a total fast to save the Jewish people who were about to be exterminated because of an unrighteous decree. (Esther 4:1-16) For three days they abstained from food and water. Because of their fasting and seeking God, a nation was saved from annihilation, the evil Haman who was behind the hate-filled decree got his just due on the gallows, and Mordecai, Esther’s uncle and mentor, was rightly promoted and honored.
2. Normal Fast
A normal fast allows for water, but excludes all food. This makes it possible to fast up to forty days as Jesus did. The Scriptures tell us that immediately after He was baptized in the Jordan River and being full of the Holy Spirit, He was led (literally “driven”) by the Spirit into the wilderness where he fasted forty days and forty nights and “ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” (See Luke 4:1-2) The Scriptures say that Jesus did not eat any food but they do not say whether or not He drank any water.
A forty-day fast is sometimes called a complete fast because the body passes through three different stages during such a long fast. The first stage is a craving for food, which may last for two to three days. The second phase includes a feeling of weakness and faintness. The third phase is the easiest as the body grows in strength and there is little or no desire for food. This phase ends when hunger returns and the body draws on its own living tissue. This usually happens somewhere between twenty-one to forty days.
During the time that Jesus fasted the devil continually tried to entice Him to sin. However, Jesus, full of wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit, successfully resisted the devil by declaring the precise scripture to neutralize every one of the devil’s evil solicitations.
There were three different temptations. Jesus responded with three different passages of scriptures.
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:3-4)
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Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, ”‘It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” (Matthew 4:5-7)
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Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’" (Matthew 4:8-10)
At this point, the devil left Jesus (“until a more opportune time”) and angels came and ministered to Him. (Matthew 4:11; Luke 4:13)
James says, “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus submitted to God by obeying Him. He resisted the devil by declaring the precise Scripture to nullify each and every temptation.
You can be victorious on a normal fast (water only) up to forty days if you are full of the Holy Spirit and have a good measure of God’s Word stored in your heart. Then when the devil comes to tempt you, you can rely on the Holy Spirit to bring to your remembrance the precise scripture to oppose the devil so that he will flee from you.
3. Supernatural Fast
A Supernatural fast is where you have no food or water for an extended period of time. You don’t choose this fast. It chooses you, that is, the Holy Spirit leads you into it. During the fast, the person is supernaturally sustained.
Moses went on a supernatural fast:
So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)
Moses was caught up with and sustained by God for forty days and nights. When he came down from the mountain, his face was full of splendor and radiance from having been in the presence of God. The fast that Moses went on was a supernatural fast.
Elijah also went on a supernatural fast for forty days and nights. (1 Kings 19:7-8) The only way your body could be sustained in such a fast is if the Holy Spirit leads you into it and sustains you through it.
4. Partial Fast
Daniel was a man disciplined in the Scriptures and in his lifestyle. He was a man of prayer and fasting. He understood the power of fasting and what it meant from both a natural and a spiritual standpoint.
In Chapters 1, 9 and 10 of the Book of Daniel, we see Daniel praying and fasting. We will look at Daniel’s ten-day partial fast and his twenty-one day partial fast.
Ten-Day Partial Fast (Daniel 1)
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the children of Israel taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. They were captives, but they were privileged captives because they were descendants of kings, from the tribe of Judah. The king of Babylon chose them to be specially trained for three years to learn to serve him in his courts. (Daniel 1:3-4)
He also appointed them daily portions of food and drink from his table. (Daniel 1:5)
Daniel was faced with a problem. He did not want to defile himself by eating the king’s delicacies nor drinking the king’s wine which violated Jewish dietary laws. If Daniel ate of the king’s table he would defile himself spiritually.
Daniel’s dilemma was: “If I don’t eat, I’m going to offend the king and he could kill me. On the other hand, if I do eat, I will offend the King of kings and be cut off from His favor. Which one do I prefer to offend, the king of Babylon, or the King of kings?”
How did Daniel deal with this situation?
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (Daniel 1:8)
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. Purposing in your heart to think, say and do the right thing is the first step to victory and favor with God.
Daniel knew the Law of Moses and the health and dietary laws set forth in Leviticus 11. He knew there were animals, insects, poultry and fish that were good to eat, and animals, insects, poultry and fish that were bad to eat. One reason for the exclusion of certain foods was to keep the children of Israel healthy. The Bible says of the children of Israel, “He also brought them out [of Egypt] with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.” (Psalm 105:37)
As Christians, we are not obligated to keep the dietary laws of the Old Covenant. Jesus said, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matthew 15:11) It is of interest, however, as many doctors and nutritionists will tell you that the foods set forth in Leviticus 11 as clean are best for your health, while the ones called unclean are the unhealthiest.
Look at what happened after Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself by eating any of the food considered unclean: Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. (Daniel 1:9)
God brought Daniel into favor with the chief of the eunuchs. I love that about God. He can bring you and me into favor with the right people in any situation. “When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7)
The chief of the eunuchs liked Daniel, but he was fearful that he could lose his own life if Daniel and his friends became gaunt and sickly as a result of not getting enough to eat.
And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."
So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants."
So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. (Daniel 1:10-14)
Daniel asked the chief of the eunuchs to give them vegetables and water for ten days, and his request was granted. And guess what happened at the end of the ten days?
And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. (Daniel 1:15)
The NIV says, “At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.”
One of the benefits of fasting is that it will make you healthier. You will get rid of toxins that have accumulated in your body as well as cravings for the wrong kinds of food.
Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (Daniel 1:16-17)
This ten-day selected fast proved that God’s way is better than man’s. Daniel and his friends found favor and increased in knowledge and influence because of this time of consecration.
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. (Daniel 1:20)
The king found Daniel and his friends ten times better, ten times wiser, ten times more knowledgeable, and ten times greater in understanding than everybody else. God gave them supernatural knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He gave them skill in all literature and gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams.
These are the last days. The Bible promises us:
And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions. (Joel 2:28)
God is revealing things through visions and dreams to His people in these last days. We are going to know about some events before they ever take place. Before the flood came, God divinely warned Noah.
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7)
God directed Noah to prepare an ark to save his life. God knows every tragedy that’s going to take place. He knows what business deals to get into and which ones to avoid. He knows how to get you out of a place so that you don’t get hurt. God will warn His people before bad things happen.
God divinely warned the wise men to go back to their countries by a different route than they came. (Matthew 2:12) He warned Joseph and Mary to flee out of their country and go to Egypt before Herod’s slaughter of the innocent Hebrew boys. (Matthew 2:13-16) God warned the apostle Paul of persecution to come. (Acts 18:9; 21:4) God will warn His people, but we must have spiritual ears attuned to hear.
The week before the December 26, 2004 tsunami caused devastation in eleven nations including Sri Lanka, my friend Mervyn Mediwake was standing on the beach in Sri Lanka and preaching to pastors. God had him in there before the tsunami hit and got him out of there before the devastation occurred.
God has warned me time and time again about different things, where I should be and where I shouldn’t be. He has frequently kept me out of harm’s way.
I assure you, if you make fasting and prayer a part of your life; you will hear God speaking to your heart. You will begin to understand His plan and His purpose for your life. He will guide you through the dark places in life and lead you away from bad situations. Like Daniel, you too can have supernatural knowledge and wisdom and understanding in visions and dreams.
Twenty-One Day Partial Fast (Daniel 10)
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food; no meat or wine came into my mouth till three full weeks were fulfilled. (Daniel 10:2-3)
Here, Daniel committed to an extended partial fast to seek God about His will and purpose.
Daniel ate no pleasant food, that is, no meats and no sweets. He had vegetables and water. We will see later what happened in Daniel’s life as a result of this fast.
For many years my wife Hazel and I have gone on a twenty-one day partial fast at the beginning of the year. We drink water and other liquids such as herb tea, and only eat fruits and vegetables. We have fasted for twenty-one days, as well as for shorter periods, such as ten days or seven days.
Another way you can partially fast is to eat no food, but drink water and/or other liquids. Fruit and vegetable juices in small quantities, along with lots of water, permit your system to get into a true state of fasting, while providing sufficient strength should you have to work while fasting.
I have personally attested to, experienced and seen amazing results during and after a Daniel fast. I have seen people with stomach problems totally healed, ulcers go away, and blood disorders are healed. I have even heard of people getting back their natural hair color.
Through such fasts, people can be loosed from the bondage of nicotine, alcohol and drug addiction. Sexual perversions go. Homosexuality can go, if one really wants to be delivered, because homosexuality is a work of the flesh. When you fast, you chasten your soul. Works of the flesh and strongholds can be broken, so that Christ can live through you.
Abstaining from Other Things
In addition to fasting pleasant food and meat, this is a good time to turn off the television and lay aside reading newspapers, and “surfing” the Internet. Simply shut down all the media voices so that you can spend as much time as possible in prayer, and in reading and meditating on God’s Word.
I’m reminded of a certain medical doctor. He was going through so much depression he couldn’t continue as a medical doctor; it was destroying his profession. He ended up flying all around the world to different clinics; all over the United States, across Canada and other countries trying to find help for this depression he was in. He couldn’t find help anywhere.
He came back to his hometown and remembered the people who had gone through his clinic. He gave them various prescriptions for their conditions. Many of his patients came to our Victory church. They would go back to his clinic a month or two later and would be healthier and stronger.
The Doctor would ask them, “What has happened to you, you look so much better?” And their response was, “Yes, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior and started going to the Victory church.”
Finally, after this doctor tried every institution, he came back to town and thought, “I’ll try that pastor from the Victory church.” I was the last resort. He phoned me and said, “Pastor, I’ve been having some problems, do you think you can help me?”
So I went over to see him, and listened to what his problems were. Then I began to share with him what the answer was, how he needed to make Jesus the Lord of his life, and that his depression will go if He receives Jesus into his heart and life. He kneeled down, received Christ and I broke the spirit of depression off his life. I began to pray for God to touch him and restore him, and minister to him. Then I gave him a prescription : Read Philippians 4:6-8:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
I said, “I want you to memorize this passage of scripture. I want you to get it into your heart. Not only that, I’m putting you on a “fast” from the media: No television, no news, and no newspapers. This is your prescription: Memorize these verses, switch off the television, and stop ordering the newspapers for at least a month.”
The next morning I received a phone call, just twenty-four hours later, this medical doctor, a brilliant man, says, “I’ve received a miracle. I received a miracle, and I don’t believe in miracles. It’s God. The depression is gone. I can think straight. I’m back to normal.” The following week he came to church and publicly received Christ as Lord and Savior.
Abstaining from the media and replacing that time with God’s Word gives God the opportunity to speak to your heart. Some people are simply addicted to all the bad news. We have to become addicted to the Good News. Take the Gos-pills of: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A Gos-pill a day will keep the doctor away.
Dr. Jesus’ prescription for life and health:
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22)
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. (Proverbs 12:25)
Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)
God’s words are “spirit” and they are “life.” They are “health” to all our flesh.
Give it a Rest
We all know that our stomachs need a rest. For some people their stomach is the most overworked part of their whole body.
The stomach is at work even when you sleep. If you eat a heavy meal before going to bed, your stomach will work all night trying to digest it. You wake up tired because your stomach has been in labor all night. It is time to give our stomachs a rest.
Set Time aside to Fast and Pray
The ideal would be for us to shut down everything, take off and go to a mountain retreat or some small island to fast, pray and spend time with the Lord. If you can do this, it is fantastic.
However, most people, especially those married with children, or single with children, are not able to get away from the responsibilities that accompany having a family. They have to rise early and go to bed late in order to spend quality time with the Lord. The Daniel fast is excellent, because it is the kind of fast that the whole family can participate in and benefit from.
You can read Bible stories to your little ones, or have a Bible study and prayer service together with your older children before your own consecrated time with the Lord. You will also be training them to eat healthy.
Press Toward the Goal
In the natural, we need to stop living to eat and learn to eat to live. Spiritually, we need to learn to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and grow up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and do the greater works He commissioned us to do. (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 4:15; John 14:12)
If you will make fasting and prayer a regular part of your lifestyle, you will make tremendous progress spiritually and will find that you are healthier in every respect.
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