Fasting as a practice for approximately 20 years, the
Harris’s have experienced many benefits as a direct result and have learned
many things. Initially failing more than succeeding, they learned from experience how NOT to fast.
The following is a compilation of many of the lessons learned and suggested guidelines
for participating in a safe and effective spiritual fast. References other than
the Bible and personal experience include: “Guidelines For A
Long Fast” by Dr. Barry Culberson, and Toxic Relief by Dr. Don Colbert.
FASTING - Frequently Asked Questions
What should I expect from fasting?
What happens if I mess up and eat
during my fast?
Shouldn’t I keep my fast a secret?
Harris Favorite Juicing Recipes
The
Webster’s definition of fasting is to abstain from all or certain foods. A
Biblical fast is abstaining from all or certain foods in order to gain
spiritual or supernatural benefit from God.
Many
believe that fasting is an ancient discipline not relevant today. Second
Timothy
Though scripture does not directly
command us to fast, Jesus indicated that there would be a time for
fasting. When asked why His disciples
did not fast but the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees did, Jesus
responded “…Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom
is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with
them, they cannot fast. But the days
will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall
they fast in those days” (Mark
Also, in Matthew 6, after Jesus had
instructed His listeners in the proper way to give alms, and the proper way to
pray, Jesus began to instruct His listeners in the proper way to fast. He said
“When you fast” not “if you fast”, indicating that it was accepted that they
would fast. In the same way that Jesus expects us to give alms and to pray, He
expects us to fast. It is a discipline of the believer.
Aside for the
obvious reason that Jesus expects it, consider another aspect of fasting – the
fact that you are exercising control over probably the most dominant human drive.
As you deny your flesh and subject it to such discipline, you weaken its
ability to motivate you. And as you submit yourself to God and spend time
seeking His will and His presence – as you spend time in His Word, you
strengthen and empower your spirit man.
An example of the need to fast for more power
spiritually is seen in Matthew 17. When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down
from the mount of transfiguration they were met by a man with a demon-possessed
son. The disciples had had no power to free him despite the fact that Jesus had
recently empowered them for ministry and sent them out (Matthew 10). Jesus
explained that their inability came from their unbelief or lack of faith – but
then also stated that “this kind goeth not out but by
prayer and fasting.” Jesus here indicates that there are things that can only
be accomplished through prayer AND fasting. Sometimes our prayers alone may not
be enough to see victory or deliverance in an area and just because we have had
power in the past does not mean we have power today.
Isaiah 58 indicates that an acceptable
fast to the Lord will not only loosen the bands of wickedness, but remove
and break them - never to be used again! “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”
(Isaiah 58:6)? So, fast to overcome wickedness in which the enemy
entraps or holds you. Don’t be satisfied with just loosening the bands, fast
for the yoke of bondage to be completely broken – complete freedom!
What should I expect
from fasting?
When
you fast with the proper motivations, you can expect to be rewarded. “But thou, when thou fastest, …
[fast] unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew
Also,
for those who fast acceptably, “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. 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 noonday: 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. 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.” (Isaiah
58:8-12).
And it seems obvious, though not
specifically spelled out in scripture, that at least a part of your reward will
be that for which you are fasting – assuming it is in accordance with the Word
of God and the will of God for your life.
You may not see immediate
answers to prayers prayed while fasting. Often times, the fast will act as a
catalyst with the answers on the way, much as Daniel’s answer came at the “end”
of his fast.
§ Fast
unto your Father and not unto man. “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine
head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father
which is in secret: …” (Matthew 6:17,18).
§
Fast from a
sincere heart to be right with God. “…turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping… And rend your hearts and not your
garments…” (Joel 2:11, 12).
§ Fast with a “right” heart evidenced by compassion for those in
need. “Is
[this fast] 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 58:7)?
Wrong motivations for fasting will nullify the
fast and displease God.
§
Fasting for show and
pretense.
“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they
disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward” (Matthew
§ Fasting
out of habit and with insincerity.
“Speak
unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and
mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye
at all fast unto me, even to me” (Zechariah 7:5)?
§ Fasting
in unrighteousness without repentance. “…they loved to wander,
they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he
will now remember their iniquity… When they fast, I will not hear their cry;
and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them…”
(Jeremiah 14:10-12).
What happens if I “mess
up” and eat during my fast?
Physically, fasting improperly can
lead to sickness and in extreme cases, death. It is very important that you
prepare your system for fasting and then again to receive food when your fast
is completed. If you are participating
in a long food fast, eating after your digestive system is in neutral may cause
serious problems.
From a spiritual standpoint, if you “mess
up” and eat during your fast you should promptly ask God’s forgiveness and
simply resume fasting without condemnation. God will still honor the fasting that you
do. Avoid temptations when possible –
being around food and food aromas, watching the food network and food
commercials, and etc.
Shouldn’t I keep my
fast a secret?
The Bible contains examples of 2 types
of fasts: the corporate and the individual. The corporate fast involving all of
Children
have specific nutritional needs in order to grow and develop properly. It is
not advised for children to do a complete food fast, however they may commit to
abstaining from certain foods, such as sweets or junk foods. The point of fasting is to discipline our
flesh and seek God. Children may
exercise just as much discipline when they refuse cookies, ice cream, chips,
soft drinks, and etc. Upon each refusal, the child should encourage themselves
by declaring their love for Jesus and their reason for fasting. Children may
and should progress in fasting with age.
The following is an explanation of
common types of fasts. Some participate in variations or combinations of the
four listed - perhaps fasting certain meals, or
certain foods and certain meals, or
certain days of the week.
1) A partial fast
- fasting only certain foods and/or drinks (also known as a Daniel’s fast per
Daniel 10)
2) A food fast –
eating no food, but drinking water
3) A food fast –
eating no food, but drinking liquids (preferably juices and water)
4)
A
food and water fast – eating no food and drinking no water. It is NOT recommended to fast food and water for more than
3 days.
1)
If you take
medication or have health problems, check with your physician BEFORE beginning a fast of any length.
2) Cleanse your
system before a long fast with prune juice, a mild laxative, or an enema. Eat soft and easily digestible foods the day before
beginning.
3) If you’ll be
drinking only water, some suggest you drink juices or Gatorade to wean self off
food for the first three days.
Before beginning, it’s important to
define your fast – the type, length, and purpose of your fast. Consult with God
when determining these criteria. Find out what He requires. If you don’t
clearly define your fast before beginning you may be tempted to determine it as
you go (per your flesh – which is part of the problem to begin with).
The following
are suggested guidelines for performing a food fast lasting for one week or
longer. Proceed with prayer and caution. The physical effects of fasting vary from
person to person and fasting may be
dangerous if done improperly.
1) If
you are fasting with water alone, drink distilled water. Water with minerals
may aggravate your stomach after a few days. If you get very weak or sick feeling, you may make a temporary
modification to your fast. Mix a little non-acidic juice with your water or drink
a light broth.
2) If
you are fasting drinking only water combined with juices or other liquids (like
Gatorade), you may want to avoid highly acidic juices such as tomato, orange, and
grapefruit. Less acidic juices such as white grape and apple juices are good.
3) Pray
a minimum of one hour a day including Bible reading and meditation.
4) Fast
and pray for: 1) your personal and spiritual needs, 2) your family, 3) your
church, 4) your city, 5) your nation, and 6) your world. Make a list of specific things you want God to
do in each of these areas.
5) At
each temptation or remembrance of food, consecrate yourself anew to God and
your fast. Remind yourself of the reasons for your fast and be encouraged that
God is seeing your efforts in secret and will reward you openly.
Harris Family Favorite Juicing Recipes
Carl
and Terri generally participate in a food fast drinking mostly juices. After
trying several of the juice recipes from Toxic Relief, some emerged as
favorites.
Carl’s
favorite breakfast juice:
1
grapefruit
1
apple
½
lemon
Terri’s
favorite breakfast juice:
2
oranges
5
or 6 strawberries
Favorite
evening juice (for two):
4
or 5 carrots
3
stalks celery
1/5
head of cabbage
3
beets
Two
handfuls of beet greens or spinach
Mix
with the same amount of canned tomato juice and heat.
Carl
likes to mix hot sauce in his.
Terri
likes to mix lemon juice and creamer in hers.
After a long
fast it’s very important to break it with caution and consideration to avoid
complications. Do not hurry to get back to eating as you did prior to the fast.
Don’t start off with a big steak or a double cheeseburger or any of the other
heavy foods you’ve been dreaming about. Because
your system has not been producing the necessary digestive juices for eating, a
good rule of thumb is to spend just as many days getting back to a regular diet
as you spent fasting. Go slowly and allow your system time to adjust to dealing
with food again. Gradually work up to heavier foods. If you fasted
food for 21 days, it should take you approximately 21 days to get back to
steak, pizza, and spicy foods. This is especially important if you fasted and
drank mostly water and light juices.
1) If you fasted drinking
only water, mix a little bit of light juice with your water as you begin to
come off your fast. Then continue on as follows.
2) Eat small
amounts of yogurt (something with active cultures). After completing a long
fast, your stomach will be smaller. You will not be capable of eating the
amount of food you could before. Take it slow with small portions.
3) Toward the
middle or the end of the first day, begin to eat cream soups. Continue to eat
cream soups, noodle soups, and vegetable soups for the first day or two.
4) Then eat very
light easily digestible foods such as applesauce and soft vegetables. Then move
up to a plain baked potato, baked chicken breast, and a light green salad with
very light salad dressing.
5) Bowels may be
irregular at first, but should soon return to normal. If not, try eating more
yogurt or taking some probiotics to help regulate.