Fasting Guide

We rejoice that you are considering a time of prayer, fasting, and personal devotion. Scripture calls us to seek God with our whole hearts (Matthew 6:16–18), and fasting can help us turn our attention more fully to Him. We are trusting that God blesses those whose hearts are set on Him (Matthew 5:6, 8). May this season, whether short or long, lead you into deeper fellowship with the Lord, as you humbly draw near and earnestly seek His will.

Fasting requires reasonable precautions. If you have any health concerns, please consult your physician prior to beginning your fast, especially if you are taking any medication, have a chronic condition, or are pregnant or nursing a baby. 

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 for different things you can do. 

Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it’s very important to know your own body, know your options, and most importantly, seek God in prayer following what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Remember, the goal of fasting is not just to do without food. The goal is to draw nearer to God.

Why fast?

We encourage each person to fast in a way that follows Jesus’ teaching and helps them focus on God’s presence. By setting aside meals or other comforts, we humble ourselves before the Lord, pleading with Him to work in our lives and communities (Esther 4:15).

Fasting is a gift from God that draws us closer to Him, shining a light on our true spiritual condition and inviting repentance and deeper trust. As we devote ourselves to prayer and immerse our hearts in God’s Word, we pray that the Holy Spirit will stir our affection for the Lord and increase our longing for His will.

The Goal of Haven’s
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Over the next 21 days, we aim to unite as one body, deepening our collective reliance on God, while also calling on Him to work within our community in ways that only He can.
For these 21 days, these areas are what we desire God to bring growth and conviction to:

Kingdom Progress Campaign
Prayer Prompt: Lord, stir a spirit of joyful generosity within our church. As we step forward in faith through the Kingdom Progress Campaign, would You provide abundantly through Your people so that the mission of the Gospel can continue to grow and flourish.

Our Gospel Witness
Prayer Prompt: Father, grow our witness as a church in Spokane. Help us to live boldly for Christ in our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces so that more people may come to know and follow Jesus.

Baptism Sunday
Prayer Prompt: Lord, we pray that our upcoming Baptism Sunday would be full of people declaring their faith in Jesus. Draw hearts to Yourself, bring new life through the Gospel, and give many the courage to publicly proclaim their trust in Christ.

Growth in Our Gatherings
Prayer Prompt: God, continue to grow our Sunday gatherings. Fill our seats with people who are hungry for Your Word and eager to worship You, and help us faithfully steward the opportunity to serve and disciple those You bring.

Strengthened Care for Our Church
Prayer Prompt: Lord, as You continue to bring people into our church, raise up the leaders and care structures needed to shepherd them well. Grow our elders, deacons, small group leaders, and ministry leaders so that every person in our church family is known, loved, and faithfully cared for.

* Feel free to pray as the Spirit guides you; however, leadership has identified these key areas as focal points for our collective prayers during the fast.
Below we have listed some options and variations of fasts from which you can choose that Haven will participate in. As you read over the information, please consider how it may or may not apply to your personal circumstances and convictions.

Some Types of Fasting

  • Traditional Water Fast

    The first type of fasting is a complete fast from food for 21 days where you are only drinking water. Of the fasting options, this one will be most like Jesus’ fast in the wilderness (Mark 1).  This fasting will take the most intentional preparation, both physically and spiritually. 

    All fasting is meant to direct your need for food to God in a deeper dependence than normally required day-to-day. The 21-day fast is gradually building dependence on God that is meant to break your reliance on food for peace and comfort. Three meals a day keeps a regular clock that our body responds to, but in this 21-day fast you will take yourself out of this normal rhythm and your body will revolt.  

    Your body, however, is not in control of you and this 21-day fast is meant to help your body know what your soul knows...God is in charge.  Prepare yourself to meet Jesus during your deep need for physical sustenance and let him overwhelm you with the goodness of spiritual sustenance.  

  • The Daniel Fast

    The second type of fasting is the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is an opportunity for you to draw closer to God through fervent, focused prayer. It involves a 21-day commitment to a partial fast, which means you restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to the Lord.

    “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” (Dan. 10:2-3).

    Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to hunger and thirst more and more for spiritual food than for physical food.

    The individual that chooses this fast will be able to eat, but the choice of food will be markedly different from what the 21st century had made the norm.  The Daniel fast is primarily a non-meat, non-alcohol fast.

    Each time you prepare a meal, you will have the opportunity to be reminded that God is asking you to do something different and pray that His glory would be made manifest in new ways through the ministry that He is doing at Haven.

    If you choose to do the Daniel Fast (fruits and vegetables or juice fast) start eliminating meat, white grains, and refined sugars from your diet the week before. Also, start to cut back quite a bit on dairy products and some of your caffeine intake to help keep from getting sick.

    More Info

  • Intermittent Fasting

    The third type of fasting is called intermittent fasting.  Within this concept, there are two standards of practice, either 16:8 or 20:4. That is, 16 hours of the day without food and 8 hours for meals or 20-hour window without food and 4-hour window with meals.

    For example, in this type of fasting, you will determine every day to only eat from 11 am-7 pm or 12 pm-4 pm. The goal is to be consistent each day in the hours of fasting and eating. Either of these adopted routines will interrupt your normal daily rhythm and remind you that you are teaching your heart to go after God rather than merely continue in your regular routine. 

    This third method creates a new rhythm for your life as it builds a 21-day habit of excluding the morning meal and even removing late-night eating in favor of prayer and solitude with God. 

  • 1 Day a Week

    The fourth type of fasting is to focus on one day every week to forgo food for 24 hours.  This is done by not eating after your evening meal and then fasting until your evening meal the next day. So for 24 straight hours, you turn your heart away from food and snacks. 

    When the hunger pangs come, or the habit of eating tells you it’s time to eat, you are able to remind yourself that God is in charge and not your stomach.  This becomes a reminder to pray, to enjoy solitude, and in this way, carve out more intimate time with God than usual.

    At Haven, we are encouraging all those who are committing to this fast to fast on Wednesdays during the week. This will help bring a greater unity into our fast as a Church body. This will start after your Tuesday night dinner, and go to your Wednesday night dinner. 

A Sample 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, listen to worship, and pray over the aims and commitments.

  • 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, family, church, and community.

  • Pray for freedom from sin in your day 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 those in your small group, people in your community and workplace

Evening

  • Get alone for an unhurried time of “seeking His face.”

  • If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.

  • Avoid television, other distractions, and late night snacking that may dampen your spiritual focus.

Fasting Tips

If you fall short of your fasting goal, don’t get discouraged. Just get right back on track and keep going. God’s mercies “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

Depending on the type of fast you choose, it is important to prepare your body ahead of time. Take a week to transition into your fast; otherwise, you could get sick. 

It is important to drink lots of water while fasting. Drinking about one hundred ounces of water per day will help to support your critical liver function. The liver is the filter for the body, so when you don’t drink enough water, the liver doesn’t function at its highest capacity. 

The same principle applies to breaking your fast. When your fast is over, add foods back in very gradually. Please don’t break your fast with a greasy cheeseburger! Because your body is so cleansed and detoxified, you will most likely get sick if you do that. 

To keep your energy up throughout the day when your fast is over, it’s important to eat or drink every two and a half to three hours. If you go longer than that, you can experience an energy lull and be tempted to overstuff yourself at your next meal.