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Other Works by Bishop Charlie Berrian
● 6 Secrets of Successful People
● Unmasking the 7 Deadliest Relationships
● Keys of the Kingdom
● 9 Keys to Birthing Your Prophetic Word
● 9 Keys to Breaking the Chains of Generational Curses
● Breaking the Chains of Spiritual Strongholds
● 21 Promises of the Blood of Jesus
● Dealing with Evil Spiritual Gates
● Servanthood: Unleashing the Leader Within
● 10 Commandments for Women
● 10 Laws of Relationships
● Satan’s 10 Strategies Against You
● The Greatest Gift of All
● The 6 Secrets of Successful People
● 8 Prayer Watches
● Daily Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
● Breaking the Chains of Low Self-Esteem
● Deadly Effects of Bitterness
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● 6 Secrets of Successful People
● How to Become A Millionaire
● Master Manifestation
● Evil Altars and Faulty Foundations
● Understanding and Interpreting the Dreams You Dream
● Invoking God’s Angels
● Kingdom Miracle Manifestation System
● The Power of Love
● Success Workbook
● How to Overcome Fear with Faith
● Pregnant with A Promise
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Conference Call Schedule
Phone number of the Ministry:
404-380-1478
Mornings with the Holy Spirit
Monday to Sunday
6:00 AM- 7:00 AM EST
Prophetic Conference Call
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
7:00 PM EST
Dial 1-563-999-1344
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
21 DAYS OF FASTING 6
AVOID THE FOLLOWING 7
Scriptures To Read Daily 8
How to fast 12
Beginning and ending your fast well 12
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before getting started 14
Set Your Objective 14
Make your commitment 15
Prepare Yourself Spiritually 17
Prepare Yourself Physically 18
While You Fast 19
Put Yourself on a Schedule 20
Morning 20
Noon 21
Evening 21
Breaking Your Fast 22
End Your Fast Gradually 22
Expect Results 23
Fasting guide 25
Why fast? 25
Why you should fast 26
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS 28
FASTING IS FEASTING ON GOD 32
Types of Fasting 38
9 Different Types of Fasts in the bible: 40
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IF YOU HAVE ANY
MEDICAL ISSUES,
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR
DOCTOR
BEFORE GETTING ON A
FAST.
PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR
DOCTOR’S ADVICE!
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21 DAYS OF FASTING
1. We begin the fast at 6 A.M EST, praying on the Morning Prayer Call
(the number to dial in to join us is (563) 999-1344).
2. We fast until 6 P.M EST nightly
3. We read the scriptures provided during the course of the day
4. During the lunch hour prayer time
5. Our food consists of the following:
➢ White fish, turkey breast, or chicken breast
➢ Any kind of vegetables and salads (your vegetables can be eaten
raw if desired)
➢ Sweet potatoes (baked)
➢ Any kind of herbal tea/ Coconut Water with or without pulp/
Plenty of Water
➢ You may have eggs/omelets or egg whites with vegetables (onions,
spinach, green. Yellow or red peppers)
➢ Saute and cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Hemp
Oil- These are good oils for cooking with as well as making a salad
dressing
➢ Use Red Wine Vinegar, or Apple Cider Vinegar
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➢ You can use fresh herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf,
oregano, etc)
AVOID THE FOLLOWING:
➢ NO Sausage, Bacon, ham hocks or ham, salt pork, chitterlings, hog
maws, pigtails, etc)
➢ NO Beef, Lamb, Veal
➢ All sweet juices, non-herbal teas, sodas
➢ All caffeinated beverages
➢ ALL fried foods
➢ NO CARBS (potatoes-boiled, baked; white rice, white flour,
pastas-macaroni, spaghetti, ziti, etc.)
➢ NO BREADS, Crackers
➢ NO junk foods (potato chips, ice cream, pretzels, cheese doodles,
corn chips, candy, chocolate in any form, etc)
➢ NO PIZZA
Scriptures To Read Daily
DAYS SCRIPTURE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Prayer For Ministry Partners
Day 01 Acts 13:2
Around the World
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Prayer For Bishop and
Day 02 Daniel 10:2-4
Ministry
Day 03 Esther 4:16 Prayer For World Leaders
Day 04 Exodus 34:28 Prayer For Unity and Peace
Day 05 Joel 2:12-13 Prayer for families & children
Day 06 Luke 2:37 Praying For Protection
Day 07 Nehemiah 1:4 Praying for Finances
Psalm
Day 08 Praying For Direction
35:13-14
Day 09 Acts 13:3-4 Praying for Healing,
Praying the Will Of God In
Day 10 Daniel 9:3-5
Our Lives
2 Samuel
Day 11 Praying For Nations
12:15-17
Day 12 Luke 4:2-4 Praying for America
Praying For Outpouring of the
Day 13 Ezra 8:21-23
Holy Spirit
Matthew
Day 14 Praying For Strength
6:16-18
Praying For Salvation of Loved
Day 15 Isaiah 58:1-14
Ones & Lost Souls
Praying For Debt
Day 16 Jonah 3:5-9
Cancellation/bondages
2 Chronicles Praying For Breaking Family
Day 17
20:3-4 Strongholds
Day 18 Matthew Praying To Break Generational
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17:14-21 Curses
1 Corinthians Praying For the Anointing to
Day 19
7:5 Destroy Yokes
2 Chronicles Praying for Restoration Of The
Day 20
20:14 Body of Christ
Day 21 Psalms 91 Praying in The Holy Spirit
Dear Friend,
We are so glad you have decided to participate in an extended time of
prayer, fasting and personal devotion. There really is no better way to
reset our spiritual compass and bring about refreshing in every area of
our lives than through prayer and fasting. Our hope is that this time of
prayer and fasting will refresh us personally but also our church as we
seek His blessing and direction.
Awakening was intentionally designed to be flexible so that you can
participate at any level. Whether you have done a 21-day season of
prayer and fasting before, or if this is your first time, you can start where
you are and experience what God has in store for you in a powerful way.
Daily devotions, scripture reading and suggested prayers are included in
this booklet.
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Please commit to reading them each day. The last week will focus on the
ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and the victory we have
through His resurrection.
We pray that you will experience the presence and power of God in an
extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next 21 days.
May you be closer to God than ever before as you seek Him first.
As you prepare for the next 21 days, think about why you are fasting. Is
it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution of
problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation, or for a major
decision? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for
your Awakening fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and
strategically. Think about the top two or three most pressing issues on
your heart and zone in on those with God. Write these down in the space
provided below, and be open to hearing what God wants to show you in
those areas.
When praying, make your primary goal to know Jesus more and
experience Him. Focus first on what’s right about Him, such as His
goodness and His greatness, and see everything else through that filter.
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Finally, make time to pray daily. Don’t overcomplicate this! Just talk to
God. Have that place and time where you can seek Him every day. If
you don’t plan to pray, you won’t.
During this fast, I am praying and believing
God for:
How to fast
Beginning and ending your fast well:
Depending on the type of fast you choose, it may be important to
prepare your body ahead of time before beginning the fast. Take a week
or so to transition into your fast; otherwise, it may be difficult on your
body. For example, if you would like to go on a fruits and vegetables or
juice fast, start eliminating meat, white grains, and refined sugars from
your diet the week before. Also, you may want to start to cut back on
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dairy products and some of your caffeine intake.
The same principle applies to breaking your fast. When your fast is over,
add foods back in very gradually. You won’t want to break your fast with
a greasy cheeseburger!
The goal for this 21-day fast is that you would experience a new
intimacy in your relationship with God. As you prepare to begin, we
encourage you to prepare your heart spiritually. The foundation for
fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin can hinder your
prayers.
As you prepare to fast, it is important to choose a fasting plan that works
for you. While this section provides some general information about
different types of fasts, as well as some suggestions on how to create
your own fasting plan, it is important to mention that there is nothing
more inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another.
These are simply guidelines and suggestions on different things you can
do.
Fasting can include food, social media and entertainment, among other
things. It should be something you are accustomed to so that it stretches
you to give it up. Giving it up for a period of time enables one to focus
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on God. For example, when those hunger pangs happen, turn to prayer.
When you usually watch your television shows, open your Bible to read
and pray instead. Fast from social media or watching sports so you can
focus on God.
Don’t let what you eat or do not eat become the focus of your fast. Our
focus should be on drawing closer to God. Remember, this is a time to
disconnect enough from your regular patterns and habits in order to
connect more closely to God.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before
getting started.
1. Set Your Objective
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for
healing, for the resolution of problems, for special grace to handle a
difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and
objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more
specifically and strategically.
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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 fasting.
Start where you are. We are all at different places in our walk with God.
Likewise, our jobs, daily schedules and health conditions are all different
and place various levels of demand on our energy. So most importantly,
whether you’ve fasted before or this is your first time, start where you
are. Your personal fast should present a level of challenge to it, but it’s
very important to know your own body, know your options and, most
importantly, seek God in prayer and follow what that Holy Spirit leads
you to do.
Remember, the goal of fasting is not just to do without food or
Facebook. The goal is to draw nearer to God.
2. Make your commitment
Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus encouraged us to
fast (Matthew 6:16-18). For Him it was a matter of when believers fast,
not if they would do it. Before you fast, we encourage you to decide up
front the type of fast God wants you to undertake and how much time
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each day you will devote to prayer and reading God’s Word. Making
these commitments ahead of time will help sustain your fast when
physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it.
● How long you will fast—one meal, one day, a week, several
weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to
longer fasts.)
● The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water
only, or water and juices; what kinds of juices you will drink
and how often)
● What physical or social activities you will restrict
● How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God’s
Word
You may choose to fast all 21 days. Or you may choose to fast several
days out of the 21 days, such as three or four days a week throughout the
21-day period. Maybe you will do that and do three to seven consecutive
days at the end. This is your personal decision and should be prayerfully
considered as it applies to your circumstances.
It is important to fast in a way that works for you. The goal is that you
choose a fast that will be challenging for you but will work within your
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life. You should choose a plan that will cause you to rely on God and
will create space in your life for Him to work.
3. Prepare Yourself Spiritually
The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed
sin will hinder your prayers. Here are several things you can do to
prepare your heart:
● Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins.
● Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your
remembrance and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
● Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and
forgive all who have hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4;
17:3,4).
● Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.
● 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.
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● Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Master; refuse to obey your 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).
4. Prepare Yourself Physically
Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first,
especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment.
Some persons should never fast without professional supervision.
Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a
little easier so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
● Do not rush into your fast.
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● Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast.
Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
● Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.
While You Fast
Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all
solid foods and have begun to seek the Lord. Here are some helpful
suggestions to consider:
● Avoid drugs, even natural herbal drugs and homeopathic
remedies. Medication should be withdrawn only with your
physician’s supervision.
● Limit your activity.
● Exercise only moderately. Walk one to three miles each day if
convenient and comfortable.
● Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
● Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as
impatience, crankiness, and anxiety.
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● You may have some physical discomforts, especially on the
second day. You may have fleeting hunger pains, dizziness, or
the “blahs.” Withdrawal from caffeine and sugar may cause
headaches. Physical annoyances may also include weakness,
tiredness, or sleeplessness.
The first two or three days are usually the hardest. As you continue to
fast, you will likely experience a sense of well-being both physically and
spiritually. However, should you feel hunger pains, increase your liquid
intake.
5. Put Yourself on a Schedule
For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the
Lord. Listen for His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the
more meaningful your fast will be.
Morning
● Begin your day in praise and worship.
● Read and meditate on God’s Word, preferably on your knees.
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● Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to will and to do His
good pleasure according to Philippians 2:13.
● Invite God to use you. Ask Him to show you how to
influence your world, your family, your church, your
community, your country, and beyond.
● Pray for His vision for your life and empowerment to do His
will.
Noon
● Return to prayer and God’s Word.
● Take a short prayer walk.
● Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community’s and
nation’s leaders, for the world’s unreached millions, for your
family or special needs.
Evening
● Get alone for an unhurried time of “seeking His face.”
● If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.
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● Avoid television or any other distraction that may dampen
your spiritual focus.
When possible, begin and end each day on your knees with a brief time
of praise and thanksgiving to God. Longer periods of time with our Lord
in prayer and study of His Word are often better spent alone.
Breaking Your Fast
When your designated time for fasting is finished, you will begin to eat
again. But how you break your fast is extremely important for your
physical and spiritual well-being.
6. End Your Fast Gradually
Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods immediately after your
fast. Suddenly reintroducing solid food to your stomach and digestive
tract will likely have negative, even dangerous, consequences. Try
several smaller meals or snacks each day. If you end your fast gradually,
the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in continued good
health.
➢ Here are some suggestions to help you end your fast properly:
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● Break an extended water fast with fruit such as watermelon.
● While continuing to drink fruit or vegetable juices, add the
following:
● First day: Add a raw salad.
● Second day: Add baked or boiled potato, no butter or
seasoning.
● Third day: Add a steamed vegetable.
● Thereafter: Begin to reintroduce your normal diet.
● Gradually return to regular eating with several small snacks
during the first few days. Start with a little soup and fresh
fruit such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Advance to a few
tablespoons of solid foods such as raw fruits and vegetables
or a raw salad and baked potato.
7. Expect Results
If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek
God’s face; if you consistently meditate on His Word, you will
experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 14:21). The
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Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights. Your confidence and
faith in God will be strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually, and
physically refreshed. You will see answers to your prayers.
A single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all. Just as we need fresh
infillings of the Holy Spirit daily, we also need new times of fasting
before God. A 24-hour fast each week has been greatly rewarding to
many Christians.
It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles. If you fail to make it
through your first fast, do not be discouraged. You may have tried to fast
too long the first time out, or your may need to strengthen your
understanding and resolve. As soon as possible, undertake another fast
until you do succeed. God will honor you for your faithfulness.
I encourage you to join me in fasting and prayer again and again until
we truly experience revival in our homes, our churches, our beloved
nation, and throughout the world.
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Fasting guide
Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer:
Fasting Guide 2023, by Vessels of Oil Ministries.
Why fast?
Fasting has the potential for significant impact in our lives. Through
fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life personally and
God can speak to you in new and dynamic ways.
Fasting and prayer can also work on a much grander scale. According to
Scripture, personal experience and observation, we are convinced that
when God’s people fast with a proper Biblical motive – seeking God’s
face not His hand – with a broken, repentant, and contrite spirit, God
will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our
communities, our nation and world. Fasting and prayer can bring about
revival – a change in the direction of our nation, the nations of earth and
the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
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Biblical fasting is, very simply, denying oneself something for the sake
of seeking and honoring God.
“Prayer is connecting with God; fasting is disconnecting ourselves
from the world.” That’s a great way to describe the feeling. In addition
to food, you can also fast from other things that keep you connected to
the world. These may include television, social media, video games and
more.
Why you should fast
If you do not already know of the power and importance of fasting, here
are some very important facts:
• Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New
Testament eras. For example, Moses fasted at least two
recorded 40-day periods. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded
His followers to fast, “when you fast,” not if you fast.
• Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the “first
love” for your Lord and result in a more intimate
relationship with Christ.
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• Fasting is a Biblical way to truly humble yourself in the
sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said,
“I humble myself through fasting.”
• Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true
spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance
and a transformed life.
• The Holy Spirit will quicken the Word of God in your
heart and His truth will become more meaningful to you!
• Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more
personal experience.
• Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your
own life – and make you a channel of revival to others.
If you fast, you will find yourself being humbled. You will discover
more time to pray and seek God’s face. And as He leads you to
recognize and repent of unconfessed sin, you will experience special
blessings from God.
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PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
Begin to incorporate fasting into your daily prayer life. If you have never
practiced biblical fasting, begin at least occasionally to set apart some
hours, one half day, or longer for a personal prayer retreat and include
fasting.
1. Fast from a meal occasionally, and spend the mealtime (and, if
possible, additional time) in prayer. Sometimes God so burdens
your heart that you lose normal desires for food and sleep. At other
times, He wants you to fast by faith, rather than by feeling.
2. Pray about planning for fasting as a regular part of your
devotional life - once a month or perhaps one day a month. Or you
may want to plan to fast one to two meals each week. Remember
to get alone with God for the time that you spend in fasting so that
you will get the full spiritual benefit.
3. Spend the first part of your time fasting on God's Word,
worshiping, adoring, and praising the Lord. Then concentrate
on one or perhaps two major prayer concerns for your prayer and
fasting time.
4. Be flexible in your fasting. Avoid legalistic bondage, and don't
take a vow concerning fasting. Rather, set a fasting goal that you
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seek faithfully to fulfill by God's help. If circumstances make it
impossible to fast when you desire or plan, choose another time as
soon as possible. If for medical reasons it is inadvisable to have a
total fast, then, like Daniel, fast from "choice food."
5. Do not attempt long fasts (twenty or forty days) unless you have
been informed how to do it and how to break the fast properly.
Be sure to keep someone informed where you are in a longer fast. Keep
drinking liquids, for the body needs water. The longer fasts without food
or water in the Bible were special miracles. If you plan an especially
long total fast and you are an older or unwell person, be sure and check
out the plan with your doctor.
6. Keep a listening ear for the Lord's guidance when He calls you
to a special fast for a particular need.
7. Keep your fasting a matter between you and God alone. If
someone asks you, you may feel free to answer questions. If God
gives a tremendous victory as you fast alone or in unity with
others, you may feel God wants you to share the testimony of how
He has honored the fasting prayer. But be sure to give God all the
glory.
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Full-souled seeking of God by prayer with fasting enables God to do
things in answer to prayer that He cannot do without the level of praying
that is reached by the added fasting. God has ordained that fasting helps
release His power to work in a more decisive and sometimes more
immediate way. We therefore have a very sacred responsibility to fast.
(REMEMBER TO GET AN OK FROM YOUR DOCTOR
BEFORE STARTING A FAST!)
"We owe it to God to fast, and to do it sincerely, faithfully, and regularly.
... God's people are responsible for all the divine power that He is able to
release because we fast ... for this responsibility and its dynamic
possibilities we must someday give an account personally to Jesus our
Lord."
"Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and
mourning.' ... Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred
assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the
elders, gather the children. ... Let the priests, who minister before the
LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say,
'Spare your people, O LORD. ... Why should they say among the
peoples; Where is their God?'" (Joel 2:12-17).
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Let me urge you to discover for yourself the joy, the special blessing,
and the special empowering in prayer from adding fasting to your
prayer. Do it!
*DO IT WISELY AND WITH AN OK FROM YOUR HEALTH
PROVIDER.
FASTING IS FEASTING ON GOD
If there is a single driving force in our society today it may well be what
I call instant self-gratification. It is into this mindset in our society that
the Bible speaks about fasting. Is it any wonder that few people are
listening? Nothing seems as silly to the natural mind or as repulsive to
the body as fasting, especially when you place our demand for instant
self-gratification in a consumer-oriented world where life is all about
seeking and obtaining whatever suits your fancy; even from a Christian
point of view, it seems a little odd.
If God has generously created food “to be gratefully shared in by those
who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3), what possible reason
could there be for abstinence? It seems like something reserved for
weird people, odd people, or at worst, the masochist who somehow
enjoys inflicting pain upon himself! So we need to take a moment and
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determine, as best we can, what the Bible says about fasting. Let me do
this by highlighting seven fundamental truths about fasting.
1. The key is to remember that fasting is always motivated by
deep desire. That is to say, fasting is not the suppression of desire
but the intense pursuit of it. We fast because we want something
more than food or more than whatever activity it is from which we
abstain. If one suppresses the desire for food it is only because he
or she has a greater and more intense desire for something more
precious. Something of eternal value.
That is why I say that fasting is feasting! The ironic thing about fasting
is that it really isn’t about not eating food. It’s about feeding on the
fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting
tenderizes our hearts to experience the presence of God. It expands the
capacity of our souls to hear his voice and be assured of his love and be
filled with the fullness of his joy.
Fasting is all about ingesting the Word of God, the beauty of God, the
presence of God, the blessings of God. Fasting is all about spiritual
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gluttony! It is not a giving up of food (or some activity) for its own sake.
It is about a giving up of food for Christ’s sake.
2. Fasting is not something you do for God. It is instead your
appeal that God in grace and power will do everything for
you. Thus, fasting is not an act of willpower but a declaration of
weakness. It is not a work of our hearts and bodies but a confession
of our utter depend on God and his grace.
3. Fasting is not a statement that food or other things are bad,
but that God is better! In other words, fasting is not a rejection of
the many blessings God has given to us, but an affirmation that in
the ultimate sense we prefer the Giver to his gifts. Fasting is a
declaration that God is enough.
4. Perhaps the most instructive insight about fasting is what we
learn when we compare it to the celebration of the Lord’s
Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a feasting that looks backward in
time, whereas fasting is a feasting that looks forward in time. The
breaking of bread and drinking the cup is done “in remembrance”
of our Lord’s historic, and therefore past, acts of sacrifice. Thus, by
eating and drinking we celebrate the finality and sufficiency of His
atoning death and His glorious resurrection.
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But when we fast, we look forward “in expectation” to the
consummation of Christ’s saving work and his personal presence
forever. When we sit at Christ’s table with other believers we gratefully,
fearfully, joyfully feast upon that food and drink that reminds us of what
has happened. And when we turn away from the table where otherwise
daily meals are served we declare our deep yearning for what has not yet
happened.
5. It is crucial that we understand the difference between being
seen fasting, and fasting to be seen, on the other.
To be seen fasting is not a sin. (Matt. 6:16). True, Godly fasting is
motivated by a heart for God, not human admiration. Being seen fasting
is merely an external, and often unavoidable, reality. But fasting to be
seen is a self-exalting motive of the heart.
6. Fasting opens our spiritual eyes to see him more clearly in
Scripture and sensitizes our hearts to enjoy God’s presence.
Look closely at Acts 13:1-3. Their fasting became the occasion for the
Spirit's guidance to be communicated to them. Don't miss the obvious
causal link that Luke draws. It was while/when or even because they
were ministering to the Lord and fasting that the Holy Spirit spoke. I’m
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not suggesting that fasting puts God in our debt, as if it compels him to
respond to us. But God does promise to be found by those who
diligently seek him with their whole heart (Jer. 29:12-13); and what God
said to them in the course of their fasting changed history.
The results, both immediate and long-term, are stunning, for prior to this
incident the church had progressed little, if at all, beyond the eastern sea
coast of the Mediterranean. Paul had yet taken no missionary journeys
westward to Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, or Spain. Neither had he written
any of his epistles. All his letters were the result of the missionary
journeys he was to take and the churches he was to plant. This occasion
of prayer and fasting birthed Paul’s missionary journeys and led to the
writing of 13 of our NT books!
7. Fasting is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. Matthew
4:1-11 (Jesus fasted in preparation for resisting the temptations of
Satan); (Mark 9:29; Matthew 17:14-21). Fasting heightens our
complete dependence upon God and forces us to draw on him and
his power, and to believe fully in his strength. This explains why
Jesus fasted in preparation for facing the temptations of Satan in
the wilderness.
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Are we commanded to fast? Am I in sin if I choose not to? No. But the
Bible assumes we will fast. Jesus simply takes it for granted (Matt.
6:16-18) says “when you fast”...
In Mark 2 we see the same emphasis. When the Pharisees queried why
Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast, he explained it in terms of his own physical
presence on earth. “The days will come,” he said, “when the
bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that
day”.
The point here is that the Messiah has come like a bridegroom to a
wedding feast. Such a moment is too joyful and stunning and exciting to
mingle with fasting. Groomsmen don’t fast at the bachelor party! The
rehearsal dinner is no place to be sad. Jesus is present. The time for
celebration is upon us. When the wedding feast is over and the
bridegroom has departed, then it is appropriate to fast.
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Types of Fasting
QUESTION: Are there different types of fasting?
ANSWER: YES
The Bible describes four major types of fasting:
● A Regular Fast - Traditionally, a regular fast means refraining
from eating all foods. Most people still drink water or juice during
a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says,
"After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." This
verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty.
● A Partial Fast - This type of fast generally refers to omitting a
specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of
foods. Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for
three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my
lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were
over." In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and
water: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing
but vegetables to eat and water to drink."
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● A Full Fast - These fasts are complete - no food and no drink. Acts
9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days
following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: "For
three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything."
Esther also called for this type of fast in Esther 4:15-16: "Then
Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the
Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for
three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do.
When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is
against the law. And if I perish, I perish." It is recommended
that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for
extended periods of time.
Although not mentioned in the Bible, Christians today commit to fasting
from other activities as well. Some give up entertainment such as TV or
movies to concentrate on prayer. Others fast from sleep or another
activity for a specified period of time.
While you are fasting, what exactly are you believing God to do in,
for, or through you? Listed below are 9 different types of fasts found in
the bible and that you could model from…. Enjoy.
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9 Different Types of Fasts in the bible
• The Disciples Fast (Matthew 17:21): Deliverance from sin, addiction,
bondage
• The Ezra Fast (8:23): Help and divine protection from Satan. Ezra
said that they prayed and fasted and God answered their request.
• The Samuel Fast (1 Samuel 7:6): For revival – the people were bound
by idol worship and needed deliverance. Samuel called them back to
seeking the Lord and to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem.
• The Elijah Fast (1 Kings 19:4,8): mental freedom from emotional
problems or habits.
• The Widow’s Fast (1 Kings 17:16): She went without food To meet
the physical needs of someone else. – the prophet Elijah. Because she
sacrificed her food, God made sure that you would have more than
enough food.
• The Paul Fast (Acts 9:9): For physical healing of his eyes and to get
direction from God.
• The John the Baptist Fast (Luke 1:15): To enhance our walk with
God and witness
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• The Esther Fast (Esther 4:16, 5:2): Protection from the evil one.
• The Jesus Fast—For spiritual empowerment and victory over
temptation, the flesh and the devil.
• The Daniel Fast – The Seeking of God’s favor in His purpose and
vision for life.
Praying expectantly with you,
Bishop Charlie E. Berrian
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