Any tips for going for a long fast?

[Joined2krist]

Perhaps you can start with fasting for 24hrs

 

[nolidad]

I've watched several testimonies of the powerful benefits of prolonged fasting. Jesus himself was led by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days, setting a clear precedent and example for future Christians.

One of the most astonishing testimonies about fasting I've ever watched is the following:

HOW FASTING BROKE A 22 YEAR DRUG ADDICTION OFF MY LIFE AND DREW ME CLOSER TO GOD

This guy was strongly addicted to drugs and alcohol for decades, had some powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit that led to his conversion and later on the HS led him to a 40 day fast without food, only water and juice. He had powerful experiences during the fast and at the end of the fast he was set completely free from all his addictions.

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Other powerful testimonies about fasting that I know of are unfortunately in Spanish, but I'm leaving a short summary below each one:

Te Sorprendera Lo Que Vio Yiye Avila en los 40 dias de Ayuno

This is the testimony of Yiye Avila's 41-day fast. He was basically deeply distressed with an issue, so he began a fast to seek God's intervention. He was many days into the fast when suddenly he heard God's voice telling him "go and lock yourself up in that room and don't get out until I tell you". When day 33 came, Yiye heard God's voice again telling him "the problem is under my control, you may stop the fast" but then Yiye said "Lord, I've been fasting for 33 days for a miserable problem. Please give 8 more days, so I can intercede for the lost souls and the ministry". Then he saw Jesus' face smiling to him in a vision, meaning that the request was approved. Everything was alright until day 40. However, when day 41 arrived, Yiye felt like all his energy and strength was drained out of him to the point that he couldn't even stand up, and he was not able to feel God's presence anymore. So he just kept praying on the floor with whatever strength was left. Then, at the end of day 41, God's power suddenly fell on him and he recovered all his strength. He was filled with energy and joy again. Then Yiye heard God's voice again, who said: "I allowed this to happen to teach you that the one who supported you throughout the fast was me. The one day I let you go you couldn't do anything."

Mi Ayuno de 31 Días en el Nombre de JESÚS

This is a quite long testimony, but in short, this woman (who by the way has a powerful conversion testimony from occult practices and new age to Christianity, you can check it out in the same channel if you understand Spanish) was led by God to initiate a 31 day-long fast, and experienced a lot of things, including: spiritual warfare, attacks from demons, deliverance from spiritual and emotional problems, among other things.

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After watching these and other testimonies, and considering all the scriptural evidence for the importance of fasting, I feel very compelled to believe that fasting is the key for spiritual breakthrough.

I'm eager to experience the benefits of fasting by myself. However, I have some issues that are a stumbling block in that pursuit:

1) I'm currently studying a PhD, which keeps me busy with stuff most of the time. Thus, I have serious issues finding enough free time to go for, say, a 1 week long fast.

2) Even if I manage to have the free time, I still face some privacy issues. Many times I'm not alone at home, so even if I somehow manage to get a decent amount of free time, if I lock myself up for praying and fasting full-time, then people at home would begin to ask me questions about it, making the whole experience uncomfortable and awkward, which brings me to the third issue:

3) I'm doing everything in secret. No one has the slightest clue about my spiritual interests. I never discuss spiritual matters with anyone. I would bet that most people see me as a very intellectual and academic person. If I disclose my spiritual interests, I'm pretty sure it would shock a lot of people.

Any tips to pull out a long fast given my circumstances? Have you managed to carry out a long fast yourself? Feel free to share your own experiences. I'll be happy to read.

Thank you very much.

My former Pastor went on several 40 day fasts and He gave us the following advice.

1. Make sure you are burdened by God to do a 40 day fast.
2. Make sure you have sepcific things in mind you wish to get clarity from god about (like deliverance from drugs etc., direction for your life specifically. etc.)
3. Devote as much time in the fast to prayer and Scripture.
4. Make sure their is not a secret agenda (losing weight, mens esteem etc)
5. Water, fruit juices and fresh vegetables boiled then blended to a high vitamin broth.

 

[URA]

The details of a good fast vary from person to person. Sometimes, fasting from dessert is a remarkable thing; self-denial of any sugary foods, the ones we know are unhealthy, can be a wonderful thing for a person. There are obvious physical benefits, and the spiritual benefits can be even more dramatic; "God, I'm going to deny the good things on the Earth so I can see more clearly the good things in Heaven." Of course, this could be done the other way; I save really good deserts for Sundays & celebrations, as a way of seeing the Divine through the Temporal. It only becomes an issue when the temporal takes the place of the divine.

You can also fast by delaying when you eat. Taking an extra half-hour of prayer & Scripture before lunch can be a very beneficial half-hour, without risking any long-term damage to your body.

A campus minister I knew went on a dramatic 40-day fast, only drinking water & 1 glass of juice a day. This was the hardest thing he'd ever done, but it made a wonderful transformation in him. A very important point: He was over 350 pounds when he did. His body had so much excess that this kind of a fast was possible & extremely helpful. When I first starting getting serious about my faith, and only ate 1 meal a day, I became concerned when my shorts sat lower on me than usual. I have a small frame, close to 6 feet tall & weighing around 135. This kind of fasting was not right for me.

Both of these examples, my campus minister & myself, are very compatible with the idea of the body as a temple. My campus minister had a temple that had a lot of excess; my temple doesn't have much at all. Feeding myself is a reminder of God providing for me; my campus minister's fast was a reminder that God is more important than his gluttony.

considering all the scriptural evidence for the importance of fasting

As long as you're considering Scripture (which is an excellent way to begin a spiritual exercise), Isaiah 58 is all about true fasting, with an ending few lines on the Sabbath:

"Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Proclaim to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the judgment of their God;
They ask of me just judgments,
they desire to draw near to God.
“Why do we fast, but you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, but you take no note?”
See, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
See, you fast only to quarrel and fight
and to strike with a wicked fist!
Do not fast as you do today
to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I would choose,
a day to afflict oneself?
To bow one’s head like a reed,
and lie upon sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?


Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke?
Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
Then the Lord will guide you always
and satisfy your thirst in parched places,
will give strength to your bones
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring whose waters never fail.
Your people shall rebuild the ancient ruins;
the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined dwellings.”

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
the Lord’s holy day glorious;
If you glorify it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs—
Then you shall delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
​

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

be careful if you have health issues...

there's a better fast with no bad side effects (only Good ones):

(Isa 58:5) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
(Isa 58:6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
(Isa 58:7) Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
(Isa 58:8) Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
(Isa 58:9) Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
(Isa 58:10) And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
(Isa 58:11) And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
(Isa 58:12) And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
(Isa 58:13) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
(Isa 58:14) Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

 

[Toro]

I would advise that you start slowly.

IF you feel drawn to fast, Id start slow at first and build up to wherever you feel led to fast.

You cant realisticly expect to go from zero fasting to days without and there not be consequences.

CAN God sustain? Absolutely.

But IF God provides stairs, its far more likely He wants you to use them.... as opposed to jumping off the roof.

There is no shame in starting small and working up to a goal. After all Philippians 1:6

 

[garee]

Do be careful. My body was severely depleted of magnesium due to chronic Lyme, and by day 25 of a "complete" fast I had severe intestinal pains and then kidney failure. Some take electrolytes during a long fast. Chances are you'll be fine, but be careful and know your exit strategy should anything go wrong (how you come off a fast is very important).

Its not a work we can do to confirm we have the Spirit of Christ as some sort of none eating experience as a sign gift .

Yes, fasting not eating weakens a person and can kill. Dangerous!

Fasting is mourning, sufferings. In that way we can suffer with Christ who works in us making our burden lighter

Believers humble their new born again soul with fasting which is sharing their substance (food shelter clothing) and the gospel as it is written. A picture of the work of Christ working in us ; and then our prayer can be heard on High .

Its why the disciples could not cast out the lying, opposing spirits of the father of lies. They thought by not eating (look at me I am not eating) they had the strength to be heard on high. . a vanity

Mark 9:28-29 King James Version (KJV) And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by "prayer and fasting".

The whole chapter of Isiah 58 is set aside as a parable to reveal the unseen things of God on high the eternal things .the gospel. The key that the gates of hell could never prevail against

Before a person does fast it is one of the must that must be studied .

Note highlighted in green to indicate a metaphor used in the parable (the whole chapter.)

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Loose the bonds. . . cast out lying spirits.

Isaiah 58: 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Isaiah 58:8-10 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

 

[marc b]

The worst part in fasting is your body begins to crave so much for food you can't think of anything but food. Some give up on account of that coz they can no longer concentrate on God. So do it gradually and build up. Start with 1 day, then 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, then 7. So you can learn what works best for you.

Disclaimer: I no longer go into fasting for spiritual gains. I just do it out of habit/lifestyle. I've done only a maximum of 7 days.

So here are my tips:

I've learnt water fast is easiest. I found trying to stave off hunger by taking in the least bit of something (nuts, juice, weak veggie soup, dry crackers etc.) only triggers your body to generate more stomach acid to digest what little food you take. Even taking in a lot of water to try to stave off hunger just makes you hungrier, and distracts you from prayer by having to get up every 15 minutes to pee. I've learned to accept that as part of my fasting my water intake would also go down. So I only take in water when I am thirsty. My lips crack and I feel lightheaded but I am less distracted and have more time to do what I need to do. With little to no intake your stomach starts to shrink and no longer produces stomach acid. So the hunger pangs subside a lot.

So, 1st day of fasting is barely noticeable, as you are still living off from yesterdays overfeeding (we all overfeed in todays economy). 2nd day starts to be bad, and 3rd day is a battle. If you can hang on and push thru your 3rd day, your stomach has shrunk and no longer produces much acid. So your 4th and 5th day is dreamlike and beautiful as your body starts using up your body reserves. You are strangely energetic and feel very much one with God. 6th day it starts again and 7th is another battle (I never have been able to push thru 7th yet).

One side effect of fasting is your body temp goes down. Winter is the worst time to fast (specially here in Canada). So I only fast during the warmest summer days when it is 28c or higher (82f). You can walk on such warm days without sweating and the sun is very comforting to the skin.

 

[Lukaris]

We are currently in the 40 day fast of the Lord’s Nativity in the Orthodox church. It is a moderated fast in the manner of the prophet Daniel ( Daniel 1) & we must also remember the fasting spoken of by Isaiah ( Isaiah 58).

Practical guidelines are indicated by Abba Moses:
The Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church

 

[NBB]

@truthseeker
You should ask Jesus so he fills you with the Holy spirit. Every christian should have this, would make your search for an encounter easier, and the bible says 'if you are evil and give good things to your childs, how much God is going to give the Holy spirit to who asks?'

 

[TruthSeek3r]

@truthseeker
You should ask Jesus so he fills you with the Holy spirit. Every christian should have this, would make your search for an encounter easier, and the bible says 'if you are evil and give good things to your childs, how much God is going to give the Holy spirit to who asks?'

What about seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit while fasting (both things at the same time)?