Fasting is not an option but an assumed practice for the serious-minded follower of Jesus. Fastingis a spiritual discipline that believers have incorporated into their daily lives throughout history.Jesus did not say, “If you fast,” but, “When you fast.”Key Passage: Matthew 6Matthew 6:16-18 — “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they dis-figure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward infull. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obviousto others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, whosees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Fasting thought “Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exerciseof self-control is an essential feature of the Christian’s life. Such customs have only one purpose —to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would havedone.”Dietrich Bonhœffer

Prayer- Heavenly Father, thank You for this opportunity to draw closer to You through fasting. Grantme strength, discipline, and focus to seek You wholeheartedly. Fill my life with Your presence andguide my steps as I surrender to Your will. May this time deepen my faith and glorify Your name.Amen.

Fasting is a humbling experience that reveals who or what we really depend upon or are controlled by.

Key Passage: Psalm 69 Psalm 69:10 — “When I weep and fast…”

Fasting thought “More than any other single discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately — anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear. If they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first, we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger. Then we know we are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that healing is available through the power of Christ.” Richard Foster

DAY 3 – Spiritual inventory Prayer and fasting are holy pursuits in the eyes of God. They can be instrumental in conducting a thorough spiritual inventory of one’s soul and evaluating spiritual fruitfulness. Key Passage: Psalm 35 Psalm 35:13 — “I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered….” Fasting thought “Let us say something about fasting, because many, for want of knowing its usefulness, undervalue its necessity, and some reject it as almost superfluous; while, on the other hand where the use of it is not well understood, it easily degenerates into superstition. Holy and legitimate fasting is directed to three ends; for we practice it either as a restraint on the flesh, to preserve it from

Prayer – Father, I come to You, laying down my fears and burdens. Teach me to depend solely on You, trusting Your perfect plan and provision. Strengthen my faith and help me release control, knowing You are my refuge and strength. Guide my heart to rest fully in Your unfailing love. Amen

Prayer and fasting are holy pursuits in the eyes of God. They can be instrumental in conducting a thorough spiritual inventory of one’s soul and evaluating spiritual fruitfulness.

Key Passage: Psalm 35 Psalm 35:13 — “I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered….”

Fasting thought “Let us say something about fasting, because many, for want of knowing its usefulness, undervalue its necessity, and some reject it as almost superfluous; while, on the other hand where the use of it is not well understood, it easily degenerates into superstition. Holy and legitimate fasting is directed to three ends; for we practice it either as a restraint on the flesh, to preserve it from

licentiousness, or as a preparation for prayers and pious meditations, or as a testimony of our humiliation in the presence of God when we are desirous of confessing our guilt before him.” John Calvin

Prayer – Lord, search my heart and reveal anything that doesn’t honor You. Help me take a spiritual inventory, removing habits, thoughts, and actions that grieve You. Fill me with Your Spirit, renewing my mind and aligning my life with Your will. Purify me, Lord, and make me more like Jesus. Amen.

Fasting is a struggle against the flesh and is emotionally and physically demanding; in this, we discover what we really hunger for.

Key Passage: Deuteronomy 8 Deuteronomy 8:2-3 — “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Fasting thought “Do you have a hunger for God? If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul’s appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is the path of pleasant pain called ‘fasting.’” John Piper

Prayer – Father, create in me a hunger for what pleases You. Help me desire Your Word, presence, and righteousness above all else. Guard me from chasing fleeting desires of the flesh. Teach me to crave the eternal, aligning my heart with Yours. Satisfy me with Your goodness and transform my desires. Amen.

Remember to accompany your prayer & fasting with confession of sin. Confess your sin, your spiritual weaknesses, and your lack of dependence on God; through this, we can experience the cleansing forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Key Passage: I John 1-2 I Samuel 7:6 — “When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the LORD.’”

Fasting thought “Confession recognizes the absence of God’s presence in our lives through our own willfulness or indifference. Fasting is an act of craving more of God’s presence, power and purity in our lives and ministry. Confession is admitting there is something wrong between us and God. Fasting is longing for the fullness of God to flood our souls. When we practice confession in our fasting, our fasting becomes more than a tool to bring God back to us; it becomes an instrument moving us back to God because God never moves.” Gary Rohrmayer

Prayer – Lord, I come before You, confessing my sins and acknowledging my failures. I have fallen short of Your holiness. Forgive me, Father, and cleanse me through the blood of Jesus. Renew my heart and restore my relationship with You. Help me turn from sin and walk in Your righteousness. Amen.

Fasting is ultimately a yearning for something missing. Something was previously experienced but now is absent from our lives.

Key Passage: Matthew 9 Matthew 9:14-15 — “Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.’”

Fasting thought “Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger or a homesickness for God. It tells only half the story of Christian fasting. Half of Christian fasting is that our physical appetite is lost because our homesickness for God is so intense. The other half is that our homesickness for God is threatened because our physical appetites are so intense. In the first half, appetite is lost. In the second half, appetite is resisted. In the first, we yield to the higher hunger that is. In the second, we fight for the higher hunger that isn’t. Christian fasting is not only the spontaneous effect of a superior satisfaction in God; it is also a chosen weapon against every force in the world that would take that satisfaction away.” John Piper

Prayer – Lord, ignite a deep yearning in my heart for Your presence. Burden me with love for the lost and a passion for their salvation. Move mightily in my family, drawing hearts to You. Let my prayers and actions reflect Your grace, leading others to the hope and life found in You. Amen.

Fasting is a tool that aids in discerning the call of God in our lives. Fasting helps us slow down and hear God’s voice. Key Passages: Acts 9 Acts 9:3-6, 9 — “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you

persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’…. “So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.”

Fasting thought: A discerning fast “involves focusing on our choices instead of on our foods and praying our decisions through to successful conclusions…this type of fast helps us receive God’s wisdom to make our decisions. This type of fast is not for every minor decision in life, such as where to go for lunch or what minor purchase to make. A discerning fast offers help in weighty decisions such as choosing a mate, resigning from a job, and other life-changing choices. Fasting brings more light into the application of good decision-making skills.” Elmer Towns

Prayer – Father, I seek Your wisdom and guidance. Teach me to discern Your will and recognize Your voice amidst the noise. Quiet my heart to hear You clearly and trust Your leading. Grant me understanding through Your Word and Spirit, that I may walk faithfully in obedience to Your perfect plan. Amen.

Fasting is more about replacing than it is about abstaining — replacing normal daily activities with focused praying, confessing, feeding on the Word, and worshiping the Lord.

Key Passage: Nehemiah 9 Nehemiah 9:1-3 — “On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Isrælites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads….They stood at their places and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.”

Fasting thought: “We tend to think of fasting as going without food. But we can fast from anything. If we love music and decide to miss a concert in order to spend time with God, that is fasting. It is helpful to think of the parallel of human friendship. When friends need to be together, they will cancel all other activities in order to make that possible. There’s nothing magical about fasting. It’s just one way of telling God that your priority at that moment is to be alone with him, sorting out whatever is necessary, and you have cancelled the meal, party, concert or whatever else you had planned to do in order to fulfill that priority.” J. I. Packer

Prayer – Father, I surrender my bad habits to You, asking for Your strength to overcome them. Replace them with a hunger for prayer, worship, and activities that glorify You. Fill my time and heart with what honors You, drawing me closer to Your presence and transforming me into the likeness of Christ. Amen.

Key Passage: Psalm 63 Psalm 63:1 — “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Fasting thought “Prayer needs fasting for its full growth. Prayer is the one hand with which we grasp the invisible. Fasting is the other hand, the one with which we let go of the visible….Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.” Andrew Murray

Prayer – Father, let my thirst draw me closer to You, not to fleeting desires. Satisfy my soul with Your presence and love alone. Teach me to seek You as my ultimate joy and fulfillment, finding all I need in You. May my heart rest securely in Your grace and truth. Amen.

Fasting has a way of revealing what our hearts really crave. It can reveal what our soul needs and how we satisfy those deepest wants.

Key Passage: Matthew 4 Matthew 4:2-4 — “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Fasting thought “Fasting can be an expression of finding your greatest pleasure and enjoyment in life from God. That’s the case when disciplining yourself to fast means you love God more than food, that seeking him is more important to you than eating. This honors God and is a means of worshiping him as God.” Donald Whitney

Prayer – Lord, teach my soul to crave Your presence above all else. Ignite a deep hunger for Your Word, Your love, and Your truth. Help me desire You more than anything this world offers. Satisfy my heart with Your goodness, and draw me closer to You each day. Amen.

In fasting it is virtuous to conceal our suffering and discomfort with cheerfulness.

Key Passage: Matthew 6 Matthew 6:16-18 — “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.”

Fasting thought “Let us learn from our Lord’s instruction about fasting, the great importance of cheerfulness in our religion. Those words ‘anoint thy head and wash thy face’ are full of deep meaning. They should teach us to aim at letting men see we find that Christianity makes us happy. Never let us forget that there is not religion in looking melancholy and gloomy. Are we dissatisfied with Christ’s wages and Christ’s service? Surely not! Then let us not look as if we were.” J. C. Ryle

Prayer – Father, fill my heart with Your joy and grant me a cheerful spirit. Let Your peace overflow in my life, regardless of circumstances. Help me to reflect Your joy in all I do, trusting in Your goodness. May Your joy be my strength and guide each day. Amen.

Fasting is rewarded because it is a cry from the heart of those who find their ultimate satisfaction in God and in God alone.

Key Passage: Psalm 73 Psalm 73:25-26 —“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Fasting thought “When God sees the confession of need and this expression of trust, he acts, because the glory of his all-sufficient grace is at stake. The final answer is that God rewards fasting because fasting expresses the cry of the heart that nothing on earth can satisfy our souls besides God. God must reward this cry because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” John Piper

Prayer – Lord, teach me to find my deepest satisfaction in You alone. Remove any desire for things that distract me from Your presence. Fill my heart with Your peace and contentment, that I may live fully dependent on You. Help me to rest in Your love and trust in Your provision. Amen.

Are you tired of fasting? Fasting is a sacrificial act that realigns our affections, moving them from the temporal to the eternal. It turns each moment of craving into a prayer of intense dependence.

Key Passage: Psalm 109 Psalm 109:24 — “My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.”

Fasting thought “If religion requires us to sometimes fast and deny our natural appetites, it is to lessen that struggle and war that is in our nature; it is to render our bodies fitter instruments of purity, and more obedient to the good motions of divine grace; it is to dry up the springs of our passions that war against the soul, to cool the flame of our blood, and render the mind more capable of divine meditations. So that although these abstinences give some pain to the body, yet they so lessen the power of bodily appetites and passions, and so increase our taste of spiritual joys, that even these severities of religion, when practiced with discretion, add much to the comfortable enjoyment of our lives.” William Law

Prayer – Father, teach me to offer my worship and sacrifices to You, even when my heart is heavy or my spirit reluctant. Strengthen my will to honor You through every circumstance. May my obedience, regardless of feelings, be a sweet offering to You, reflecting my trust and love. Amen.

Fasting must be accompanied with goodwill and good works toward others to be effective and pleasing to God.

Key Passage: Isaiah 58 Isaiah 58:3-4 — “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.”

Fasting thought “Why is this fasting unacceptable to God? What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with it is that it left the sin in their lives untouched. The only authentic fasting is fasting that includes a spiritual attack against our own sin. Whatever else we fast for, we must fast for our own holiness. We cannot fast for anything with authenticity while living in known sin.” John Piper

Prayer – Lord, help my fasting to be authentic, driven by a sincere desire to draw closer to You. May it be accompanied by good works that reflect Your love and honor You. Guide my actions and heart during this time, that all I do may bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Fasting is a means of seeing a spiritual breakthrough for a physical or emotional problem as well as finding freedom from the besetting sins that affect our relationship with God. Today focus your prayers on those hurts, habits, and hangups you need spiritual healing to overcome.

Key Passage: Isaiah 58 Isaiah 58:6 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”

Fasting thought “The Elijah Fast is not a common corrective device to be used for freeing yourself from minor habits. It is called for in severely negative cases of mental and emotional response. It often works because it is a discipline that builds self-discipline and self-esteem. But more important than psychological esteem, the Elijah Fast invites God into the problem. Then, in the strength of God, victory is possible.” Elmer Towns

Prayer – Father, I ask for a spiritual breakthrough during this time of fasting. Release me from the strongholds of sin that have held me captive. Cleanse my heart and renew my mind. Help me find true freedom in You, and may this time of surrender lead to deeper intimacy with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our fasting may be rewarded in the experience not only of spiritual replenishment but also of physical refreshment.

Key Passage: Isaiah 58 Isaiah 58:6,8,11 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: …and your healing will quickly appear…and will strengthen your frame.”

Fasting thought “Of fasting I say this: It is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, for studying or for doing anything else that is good. Under such circumstances God’s Word cannot remain. But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.” Martin Luther

Prayer – Lord, refresh and replenish me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Restore my strength and energy, renewing my heart and mind. Fill me with Your peace and presence, so I can walk in Your fullness each day. Help me to rely on You for all I need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Approached properly, fasting can bring light into our darkness and clarity to our confusion.

Key Passages: Isaiah 58 & Psalm 112 Isaiah 58:8,10 — “Then your light will break forth like the dawn…then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

Fasting thought “By aligning our hearts with God through fasting, we find ourselves consumed by his resplendent nature. This is like the sun breaking forth through the early morning darkness. This breakthrough comes as he turns the gloom and confusion of our darkness into his light of love, joy and peace.” Gary Rohrmayer

Prayer – Lord, grant me clarity and wisdom in every decision. Remove the darkness of confusion from my heart and mind, and fill me with Your light. Help me to trust in Your guidance and walk confidently in Your truth. Let Your peace replace all uncertainty. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fasting is a weapon used to respond to present and future attacks of evil ones.

Key Passage: Esther 4 Isaiah 58:6, 8 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” Esther 4:15 — “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Fasting thought “When the devil, the foe and the tyrant, sees a man bearing this weapon [fasting], he is straightway frightened and he recollects and considers that defeat which he suffered in the wilderness at the hands of the Savior; at once his strength is shattered and the very sight of this weapon, given us by our Commander-in-Chief, burns him.” Isaac of Syria

Prayer – Lord, I come before You seeking Your protection and strength. Grant me victory over every attack of the enemy, whether in my mind, spirit, or circumstances. In the powerful name of Jesus, I claim Your authority over all darkness. Help me to stand firm in faith, trusting You for deliverance and peace. Amen.

Are you surprised by your fasting experience? God loves to surprise his children by strangely satisfying them with his presence.
Key Passages: Isaiah 58 & Psalm 1 Isaiah 58:6,11 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen.…he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Fasting thought “The rewards of fasting are not often instantaneous but are experienced over time. They come as surprises, like in the midst of a worship service when my soul is stirred and strangely satisfied. Or when I am reading the Word and my inner being is lifted beyond this world with a fresh perspective. Or when I am in prayer and the groaning of my heart experiences a peace that is unexplainable. I have found the rewards ultimately lead to a more intimate and satisfying experience with the God who made me, saves me and fills me.” Gary Rohrmayer

Prayer – Father, during this time of fasting, draw me closer to Your glorious presence. Let me experience Your nearness in a powerful way and find daily satisfaction in You alone. Fill my heart with Your peace and joy, and help me to hunger for You more than anything else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fasting has its spiritual rewards. One of the rewards of fasting is experiencing the guiding hand of God in our lives.

Key Passages: Isaiah 58; Psalm 23 Isaiah 58: 6,11 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…And the LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.”

Fasting thought “Every time I have fasted, I have found my worship experience sweeter. I found the illumination of God’s Spirit brighter and my hunger for God’s word stronger. Through my fasting God has guided me, comforted me, challenged me and corrected me. It is not that I have bent God toward me through fasting, but that I, through fasting, have bent my heart toward him.” Gary Rohrmayer

Prayer – Lord, guide my life, my steps, and my future according to Your will. Illuminate the path before me and grant me discernment to follow Your lead. Trusting in Your perfect plan, help me to walk in faith, knowing You are always with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer & Fasting is a discipline that should be a holy habit. Key Passage: Matthew 9 Matthew 9:14-15 —“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ “Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.’” Fasting thought “For the serious-minded follower of Jesus, fasting is a consistent habit. In a world filled with indulgences, we need, on a routine basis, to consciously lay aside our freedoms in Christ for the purpose of seeking the face of God, intimacy with the Son of God and fullness of the Holy Spirit.” Gary Rohrmayer Prayer – Lord, I ask You to make fasting and prayer a holy habit in my life. Deepen my desire to seek You regularly through these disciplines, and give me the strength and discipline to remain faithful. Help me to integrate this practice into my daily routine, so that I may grow closer to You and align my heart with Your will. May my life be marked by a commitment to Your presence and guidance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Portions of Prayer Guide adapted from Converge 21 Days of Prayer // Prayer & Fasting Guide by Gary Rohrmayer © 2017