The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives.
1. COMPLETE FAST In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option for a period of time.
2. SELECTIVE FAST This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. A selective fast can be very simple such as the one outlined in Daniel Chapter 1 in which Daniel and the other Hebrew youths asked only for water to drink and vegetables to eat. Other examples of a Daniel Fast incorporate Daniel 10:2-3 in which Daniel states that “no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth,”. This second example of a selective fast is explained in more detail in the following booklet: Daniel Chapter 10 Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and light juices (mostly vegetable juice) for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.
3. PARTIAL FAST This fast involves abstaining from eating certain meals or during certain parts of the day.
4. SOUL FAST This fast is a great option for children and students, and for those with health issues that prevent you from fasting food. Choose to eliminate something other than food from your life for a time. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.
TIMING OF YOUR FAST At New Song, we encourage fasting for 14-21 days each year in the month of January. You may also choose to fast at other times during the year for your own spiritual development. It’s very typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more. The timing of your fast is not as important as the strength of your focus on God as you fast.Scripture References: Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 9:14-15; Luke 18:9-14; Acts 27:33-37; Nehemiah 9:1-3.