One of the most important aspects of your time and fasting is choosing what type of fast you’ll do (or how you’ll fast). There are various ways, each of which has its unique benefits and drawbacks.
The most essential thing to remember is to choose the fasting method that works for you! Don’t attempt a type of fast only because your friends, family, or fellow congregation members are doing it. They may have more experience in fasting, be better equipped to do a different type, or may have been led by God to fast in a specific manner.
Attempting to live up to the fast of others could not only endanger you if you do it incorrectly and don’t listen to your body's basic needs, but it could also cause you to miss the entire point of prayer and fasting—spending more time in prayer to God.
As such, prayerfully consider the way in which you’ll fast in this upcoming season. The most common ways that most follow are:
Sunrise to Sunset
This fast is something of a hybrid (in that another type of fast often accompanies it). When choosing this way to fast, you only abstain from food from sunrise until sunset. During dark hours, you are able to continue eating as normal.
However, this is often considered a hybrid fast because it is commonly paired with a Daniel Fast. This means that, even after the sun has set and before it rises, the only foods consumed are those found in a Daniel Fast (see below).
Because of this, you continue fasting from things like sweets, chips, and cooldrink—all the things that are simply nice to have but not necessary for your well-being (except possibly mental if you’re a chocoholic!).
Daniel Fast
A Daniel Fast is based on the diet that Daniel followed in the Bible. It entails eating only unrefined (organic) fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains (such as wild rice). Essentially, it allows
you to eat anything naturally grown from the earth.
Dairy is excluded from this type of fast, meaning that you cannot have any milk, etc. Fruit juice, although it can give you a great boost in energy, should also be drunk as little as possible due to its high sugar content (even if it is 100% fruit juice).
Care should also be taken when doing a Daniel Fast to ensure it is a fast. Although it allows you to eat a wide variety of foodstuffs, moderation in how much of these you eat should be a focus point. At the end of the day, hunger pangs should remind you that you’re weakening your flesh.
Normal Fast
A normal (or standard) fast is one in which you try as hard as possible to avoid solid foodstuffs. This means eating nothing except soups or drinking fruit juices as a form of sustenance—made possible due to their high sugar.
When undertaking a normal fast, it is recommended not to enter straight into it. Instead, if 14 days of prayer and fasting are planned, it is recommended to spend four days doing a fast like the Daniel Fast, six days doing a normal fast, and the remaining four days back on the Daniel Fast.
Slowly transitioning between fasts like this helps place less strain on your body and reduces the shock of receiving less food. Because of this, sustaining a normal fast will be more achievable—something not entirely possible if you quit food cold turkey.
Total (Dry) Fast
A total (dry) fast is one in which you abstain from all food totally. The only thing you use to sustain yourself during this type of fast is water, with fruit juice and other liquids also being abstained from.
This fast should only be attempted if you’re being led to do it by God!
Like normal fasts, a dry fast should also be eased into using a combination of Daniel Fast, normal fast, and ultimately entering into a dry fast. Before the season of prayer and fasting is over, you should also work to slowly ease out of the fast by re-entering a normal and then Daniel Fast.
Media Fast
Another type of hybrid fast is a media fast. This is most commonly popular among church youth but is highly beneficial for anybody of any age. During this fast, all (or some) media is abstained from.
This includes social media platforms, general internet usage (unless for work or school), television (including streaming services like Netflix), and even music (Spotify). Of course, allowance should be made to contact people for pertinent matters, etc. However, there needs to be reasonable justification for these instances, and, where possible, a phone call should be made instead.
Although a media fast can help draw you away from tech and closer to God, it should be accompanied by a food fast. This way, you can focus better on your time of prayer and fasting without the distraction of technology but also feel the sacrifice that comes with fasting.
Fasting can be challenging on your body!
Therefore, if you’re taking medication or have underlying medical conditions, it is recommended you seek medical advice before entering a fast or adjusting to what will help maintain your health. Remember, your fast is between you and God! Putting your body in danger to live up to another’s fast is not worth it!
If you want more info, download our full Prayer and Fasting Manual here!
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