Types of Fast and Ways to Break Your Fast

Hiya! Have you been following my series on fasting and prayer? In January, I have been writing about fasting and prayer as God would like His children to draw near to Him through fasting and prayer. You may want to read the last 3 articles that I have written before this post:

Part 1 - 10 Reasons Why Christians Should Fast

Part 2 - Christian Attitude to Fasting

Part 3 - Fasting In Biblical Times

Three Types of Fast

In the Bible, there were different types of fasting, and today, I will be focusing on 3 kinds of fasting that were mentioned in the Bible.

The ABSOLUTE FAST (aka The Dry Fast)

This is when you do not consume any food or water or any liquid for the whole period of your fast. It is strongly advised that you are led by God before you participate in this fast so that you do not put your health in danger. As previously discussed during the series, Esther (Esther 4 and Esther 5) participated in this kind of fast, likewise Moses (Deut 4:4), Elijah (1 Kings 19:7-8), Paul [was called Saul of Tarsus at the time] (Acts 9:9), Jesus Christ (Matthew 4) and many more.

The DANIEL FAST (The Partial Fast)

This is when you omit certain foods for a particular period. This could be you eating only vegetables or eating at a particular time. Daniel's partial fast took place in the book of Daniel 1:11-16.

A CHOSEN FAST

This is when you feel led by the Holy Spirit to undertake a particular fast or your church or a Christian ministry that you are a part of has asked you to engage in corporate fasting and prayer for a specific purpose. An example of this was the people of Nineveh when their King had asked them to fast for their sins (Jonah 3:5-10).

Do you have any questions about the above? What are your thoughts about this? Please, feel free to share, I love hearing from you.

Before ending this series on fasting and prayer, I would like to share a few things for you to consider before the start of your fast and when you want to break your fast.

Before You Start Your Fast

1. Prepare to spend time with God. Ask Him to lead you in the place of prayer
2. Acknowledge your sins. Confess and forsake your sins. Start your fast with a clean heart before God and with people
3. Forgive those that have offended you
4. Spend time to structure (perhaps a to-do list task for each day) how you will be spending time with God.
5. Be expectant throughout your fast. Have it in your mind that God will hear your prayers and He is faithful in answering your prayers in His time.

Ways For You to Break Your Fast

There is no right or wrong way to break a fast. However, I'd love to suggest some things that you could consider when breaking your fast to promote good healthy living.

1. Break with fruits as you do not want to upset your stomach. You want to reintroduce food gradually.
2. Start with some light vegetables before moving to solid foods.
3. End your fast in a time of praise and worship.
4. Remind God of the reasons you had fasted.
5. Continue to submit to God's ways after your fast.

We have now come to the end of this series. Thanks be to God!  If this article has blessed you — would you like to share it with someone? Send it to a friend, on your social media platforms, family members, and many more.

Also, I love hearing from you in the comment section. Please take a minute to say ‘hello’ by leaving a comment and feel free to share your thoughts about this topic.