As I am a few days into my own fast, I wanted to share some tips on fasting.
Be organized! Make your fasting plan! Having a well defined plan can really help you succeed!Things to include:
- It may be as simple as wanting more of God! I know there have been seasons of my life where I just recognize my distracted heart and need to hit the RESET button.
- For me in relation to the Mission Trip, I am praying for the power of the Holy Spirit on every group member, to strengthen us, give us boldness, keep us in good health, and just trusting that God will keep us safe, and that He has and continues to prepare the way for us in the hearts of those people that need Him so desperately. I am praying for the transformative power of God to be shown to people like they have never seen!
- You can also fast and pray earnestly for different situations in your life, such as family problems, your marriage, your kids, direction in your life, etc.
Remember, fasting is about discipline, but not about legalism or condemnation! It isn’t about a list of do’s and dont’s, it is about our relationship with God. Remember that there is no condemnation for those of us in Christ!
-How long is the fast? Look at a calendar and make sure that there aren’t any huge roadblocks in the way of your fasting. For me, I am fasting for five days, taking a scheduled break for my wife’s birthday and a good friends’ wedding, and then coming back and doing five more days. It is ok to take a break, and it is a lot harder for the devil to make you feel condemned when you have been planning it from the beginning anyway!
-What are you avoiding?
- There are tons of good resources on fasting, one of which is here. The Daniel fast is one that is popular with many people!
- I suggest giving up most forms of media, including tv, movies, secular music and talk radio, all the way down to internet browsing and shopping. This helps to open up time for more prayer and study of the Word.
- I also suggest eliminating things that feel like “indulgences.” For me, this is all desserts. Sadly for me, it is also things like cheese. I LOVE cheese, and feel like I could live off of it at any point and be happy to do so. So many foods aren’t nearly as good without cheese though! :-) For me this also includes fast food and even french fries.
- Pray on what else you may need to eliminate! This time around, I am actually doing a 5 day fast, eating nothing but fruits, veggies, whole grains, and more natural nut mixes. I have a bunch of little squeezable fruit packs and fruit cups on hand to make sure I always have something available.
- Write out a list of things you are avoiding. The quickest way to start to slide out of a fast is not having been organized to start. For example: are you giving up all meat, or just red meat? Can you eat fish?
-What can you eat?
- Don’t eliminate foods if you have a medical condition that may be worsened by not having the right diet!
- Figure out what works for you! This may take a few days. Sometimes we start to ambitiously in a fast, and our bodies aren’t ready for it, and we can struggle with energy and productiveness in the workplace.
- GO SHOPPING- make sure you are stocked to get through your fast with everything you need! It is a huge stumbling block to run out of the foods you are eating and to have a tempting bag of the most amazing Kettle Cooked BBQ Lays chips in the cabinet calling your name. :-) Again- I am 4 days into this fast- so something like those chips would be pretty awesome right now! :-) I stocked up on frozen veggies, fruits, some whole grain pasta, and some good 100% juice products.
-What are you going to study during your fast?
- Know what book of the Bible you may want to read during your fast.
- Going on a Mission Trip? Consider reading the book of Acts.
- Going through hard times? Consider reading James or Job.
- Just wanting more of God? Read the Gospels (esp. John) and just spend the time with Jesus.
- I recommend making a time to read in the morning, and in the evening, but read the same thing both times. In the morning you may be rushing to get to work, so just read through it, devoting that time to God, and come back and study it more in depth later.
-Set aside dedicated time for prayer and study.
- With a baby on the way, and a nursery in progress, and several project around the house and yard going, it would be easy for me to distract myself from all the tv and stuff I gave up and just work my tail off, but I have already had to just stop myself and escape to a quiet room to pray. One day I stopped everything I was doing, went out and layed in the hammock to pray, which turned into ⅓ prayer, ⅔ nap, but it was the best nap ever, and I dedicated it to the glory of the Lord. I rested in the fact that I can’t do anything without Him.
-Journaling
- Writing down some of my thoughts and my prayers even in a notebook or someplace has always been something that has proved beneficial for me.
-Start smart, finish smart.
- Don’t let your last meal be a buffet trip to top of the tank to the fullest! Try to ease into it. Some people can’t cut caffeine cold turkey, but maybe need a few days to ease off of it or switch from coffee to tea or something like that.
- Don’t end your fast with a Triple Grand Slam at Denny’s. The grease and richness of that food is sure to upset you if you approach it that way!
- Don’t fast up until the day you leave for a mission trip! You don’t want the first solid food hitting your stomach to be in another country! That sounds like a recipe for disaster! Have a regular diet again by the time we leave!
Let me know if you have any questions or prayer needs!
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