Fasting is one of the greatest weapons we have for spiritual battle when teamed up with prayer. Here are 7 easy steps for beginners to fasted prayer. 
Throughout the entirety of the Bible, we see the power of fasted prayer. Fasting is still one of the greatest weapons we have for spiritual battle when properly paired with prayer.
Maybe you have thought about fasted prayer in the past but never got around to it. I just recently started taking my fasted prayer seriously and have already seen its effectiveness.
First of all, fasting may not be for everyone and if you have a medical condition of any kind or are at all concerned about the physical effects of fasting, please check with your doctor before doing so. Nowhere in the bible does it say that fasting is a required to live a fruitful life in Christ.
Although media fasts and fasting from material things we pay too much attention to can be extremely beneficial in its own right, the type of fasting I am discussing in this article is a fast from food.
For married couples who cannot do a fast from food, Paul does discuss a different kind of fast that can be done for a short time to devote yourselves to prayer. This is discussed in 1 Corinthians chapter 7.
For many, fasted prayer has probably been something that you have thought of doing at one point but never got around to because you were not sure where to begin. My prayer is that this article can get you started on a journey of powerful spiritual battle.
Here are 7 easy steps for fasted prayer for beginners!
7 Easy Steps For Fasted Prayer For Beginners
1. Start small
For those who have never fasted before, the idea of going for any period of time may seem daunting. But remember it’s not a race and it’s not about how long you fast, it all comes down to your motives behind the fast.
God doesn’t reward fasted prayer based off of how much you deprive your body, it’s all about the heart. So honestly examine what would be a good start for you, is it one meal? A day? A week? Make sure to pray about how you should begin your fasted prayer journey.
Over time, you can increase the length of your fasts if you feel the need or if something is pressing on your heart.
2. Plan The Fast
It is important to not just bring your food intake to a screeching halt. You also want to know how long you intend to fast for ahead of time. This is where planning comes in.
Remember first and foremost, fasted prayer is something that should be done for no other reason than to humble yourself before God and to take the focus off yourself and put it on your prayers. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16
After you pray about how long your first fast should be, you should begin to plan exactly when you will start your fast and exactly when you intend to finish. If you plan to just fast a meal at the beginning this may seem irrelevant but it’s good to put into practice for when you begin to fast for extended periods of time.
When you know exactly when you intend to end the fast, you can more easily turn your focus away from the next meal and aim it toward heaven as your lift your prayers to God.
3. Pre Fast Prayer
Before you begin your fast it is important that you first get your heart in the right place and to ask God to open the eyes of our heart to not only the areas of our own lives that need spiritual warfare but also the lives of others.
Recently I have been fasting for just 24 hours each week and it has really been transforming my prayer life. Before I fast each week, I pray the day before just asking God to show me what I should bring to Him in fasted prayer and to reveal those around me who need deliverance and healing. This allows me to go into my fasted prayer with even more intent and focus.
Not only does it give fasted prayer more direction, it also helps us to realize how important fasted prayer is and gives us even more motivation to do it. You can even keep a list of people and circumstances you want to pray for.
4. Preparation For The Fast
After planning out your fast and praying about it, it is time to prepare physically for it. I myself have been intermittent fasting for years a part of my diet regimen and follow a fairly strict diet as it is, but for most pre-fast diet preparation is extremely important.
Remember that fasted prayer is not about losing weight or depriving yourself of food, it’s about dedicating time and focus intently on prayer. Even with this in mind, it is still important to remember that it can be a big shock to the body, that is why step number one, start small, is so important.
No matter how long you intend to fast for, the safest way to start fasting is to clean up your diet a bit ahead of time. This doesn’t have to be a drastic diet change just simply being cautious of what you are eating the week prior and decreasing your intake slightly will be enough to help ease into the fast.
5. Fasted Prayer
When I first started fasting and praying, I was not sure if I should pray in the middle or at the end of my fast or if it even mattered at all. Initially, I set up an hour block near the end of my fast to dedicate to prayer.
This will be entirely up to what you feel God putting on your heart. Honestly, I ended up just praying continuously throughout the day because God kept putting people and circumstances on my heart.
This has become my favorite aspect of my fasted prayer journey, when I go into my fast I feel like I am going into battle, putting myself aside to pray for the needs of many. You will quickly find that your prayer will go far beyond the list you made from your pre-fast prayer time.
6. Drink Plenty of Water
This fast is from food only you still want to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. For some, this may take some getting used to since most people don’t drink nearly as much water on a daily basis as they should.
It is important to keep in mind that though you may not usually consume much water in general, without getting water from food and other sources, drinking water is crucial.
Though hydration is extremely important, don’t stress out about trying to find out exactly how much water your body needs. An easy way to stay hydrated is just to drink a large glass of water every time you would typically have a meal or whenever you feel hungry.
The best part about water intake is it is actually fairly hard to drink too much, so just go off of how your body feels and you shouldn’t have any issues.
7. End the fast slowly
At the end of your first fast, you may be eager to head to your favorite fast food joint and order the entire menu. Bad idea.
It is really important, especially if you have fasted for more than 24 hours to ease back into food. Otherwise, you could end up making yourself sick or at the very least feel extremely uncomfortable.
I would say to keep it simple. Just start first by having a salad and a big glass of water. Then maybe some bread or a light snack. Remember that unless you have been fasting for weeks, you aren’t “starving” so just take it easy as you reintroduce the food to your body.
You may find that you want to extend your fast when you reach the end. If this is the case, don’t just keep going aimlessly. Take time to pray about extending the fast and then plan it out before you continue.
Fasted prayer can seem extremely intimidating at first and many people put the idea aside without even giving it a try. Maybe you are reading this article right now and you have thought about trying it yourself but never got around to it. Now is the time!
Just follow these simple steps and adjust them where needed. Remember, fasted prayer is a personal journey and it is just between you and God. The length of time or how hungry we feel isn’t going to “enhance” our prayers but as we humble ourselves and put aside our fleshly desires we can bring our focus to the heart of prayer and overcome spiritual barricades in Jesus name!
Also, check out our church’s most recent sermon below! For more sermons check out our church website: weareredefined.com!
Nick Lincoln
Hey Friends! I am Nick Lincoln a co-founder here at Abide and Seek. Besides writing articles to spread the light of Jesus throughout the world, I also enjoy playing music, working out, and spending quality time with my family and friends! My prayer is that by sharing my experiences and the struggles I have faced before coming to Christ, the world can see the life-changing power of a life lived in the light of Jesus Christ!
Comments 35
encouraging steps
Nick keep up the good articles! I’m choosing yours on fasting out of all of em
Thanks for this article. Easy to follow and very helpful!!
God bless you
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE IT IS VERY USEFUL.HAVE A NICE DAY.
Hey, thanks so much for this am really at my darkest moments but I this be part of my being and please continue publishing related articles Cos they’re so many people who are broken but no proper guide about fasting as we just bump into it and Starve ourselves in the name of repenting.thanks for this!
Thank you
Thank you! It’s my very first time fasting, so this was a very good guide, God bless!
Thank you for simplifying how to fast, and the importance of fasted prayer
Thank you very much for this article. Like you said fasting and praying has always been on my mind but I never did it because I didn’t know how. Your article has enlightened me and now I will be going into my fasted prayer sessions slowly but surely in the name of God Almighty.
Thank you once again and God bless.
Thanks for the info I will read it again and again and I guess it will change my fasting prayers
Thank you
Thank you very much for sharing this fasted prayer experience. It will definitely enhance my personal prayer life.
Thanks Bob, for this article, it is very helpful and incorraging.
1 Corinthians 5 doesn’t say anything about marriage and fasting. It is only about judgment on church immorality.
If you know the correct reference, I would be very grateful to hearing it please.
Author
sorry good catch! I was referring to 1 Corinthians 7! I’ll get that fixed!
Hi
POWERFUL
Hi my name is Elizabeth, my first time fasting, my goal is to be able to become one on one with God and move forward from there
Very encouraging and informational
Thank you for this informative steps. I was struggling a bit on how to start. God bless
Very helpful article .. thanks alot ..
Thank for your article. I have been wanting to fast for over 2 years now and I am taking it very seriously as in this time and season in my life I feel it is crucial to be close to my Father. I appreciate all the tips and encouragement and will be starting this time for real and with the knowledge. God Bless you and what your doing😇🙏
Thank you very much for your guidance it’s my first time to get into fasting my whole life I have been longing to go on fasting and I didn’t know exactly where to start from, now that I have come across this guide am very interested to go through.
God bless you thanks once again.
Thank you so much..
God bless you
Thank you the Lord has led me to your texts. Wow!!! I’m spiritually fulfilled. It’ll be my first time fasting. I’m diabetic and will be starting very slow. Taking three small portions strictly without any snacking in between. As I grow into it I’ll slowly get into real fasting. My reason for fasting is to pray to strengthen my faith and to thank God for all the wonderful Blessings He bestows in my life. My life is peaceful and content since I have known God and believe in Jesus!!! Amen
Thanks for sharing definitely will try these steps for the aim is to do fasting the right way so I can get results
Thank you! Very insightful.
Insightful and helpful. I am going to use this for my church leadrship’s upcoming fasting and prayer.
Thanks for the article I will Be using this for my upcoming fasting and prayer.
Keep me updated with prayer and fasting verses at least twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday. To build my spiritual life.
Thanks very much for this very useful tool when fasting.
God Bless You.
Hope i will make it, will be my first time to fast,,, will try this steps ,,,bless me GOD!!!!
Thank you so much this is very useful. God bless you.
More Grace my brother keep up the ministry
Abide has been my devotional partner and I am so grateful to be in touch of God when I wake up and when I go to sleep
Thank you