Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God

I don't even know where to start. From the moment I opened this book and began reading I knew it was going to change my life. And it has. Before I was even halfway through the book I was so encouraged and inspired i began a fast immediately. I had thought I would just fast for a day to see how it went and then possibly try a longer fast after I knew what to expect. Turns out, one day was not near enough. I discussed it with my husband because I knew I would need his support and encouragement through this process. When he asked me why, I just responded, "What can I possibly give God that he doesn't already have? This is it. I can give him all of me and my total unrelenting commitment and dependence." I just finished a seven day fast! I received a lot of encouragement and motivation from this book. Through this book I felt inspired to fast, not just for me, but for what it could possibly do for my children, my family, my community and even my world. I do want to share with my fellow Christian brothers and sisters seeking to develop a deeper relationship with God through fasting a few points and things that I learned through my seven day fast. The headache at the end of the first day was so extreme I couldn't do anything, including spending time with God. It only lasted that first day though. For me personally, I wasn't extremely starving, but I was super week. Something else that wasn't mentioned in the book that I think is relevant is that fasting seems to affect your circulation, so if you plan on beginning your fast in the winter months just know that you are going to be cold. All. The. Time. I also think that fasting slows down your heart rate a little bit. Maybe it's because you have such a lack of energy that you're not moving as much, I'm not sure this was just true for me. And sleeping, forget about it. I think I averaged about 2 to 3 hours of sleep per night for the seven days that I fasted. Also, this is the time when Satan is going to attack you. He is going to convince you that fasting is killing you. He is going to put so many terrible thoughts in your mind that you're going to want to run for with the refrigerator screaming. Stand firm though, my brothers and sisters, it will be worth the sacrifice. The lack of sleep might sound terrible, but when I followed the prompting of the Spirit and actually used those wee morning hours to spend with God, it was absolutely glorious. One thing that I learned during my fast was that 24 hours is a very long time. When your time is not filled with cooking or eating or congregating around the kitchen and you are constantly hungry you have a lot of spare time. What do you do with this time? I would encourage you to pray and to look into the word and to meditate. Fasting developed a need in me that I had never had before and it was a need that could only be filled by the Lord. I was absolutely starving for him. Ha ha ha! I have never in my life been so dependent upon Him and it was absolutely amazing. My seventh day, the last day, of my fast I decided to devote entirely to the Lord. I don't work outside of the home so this was pretty easy for me to do, but I strongly encourage you to make sure that the last day of your fast is a day that you can devote entirely to the Lord. You will not regret it. The kids were at school, the husband was at work and the house was quiet. I spent the whole day praying, singing, dancing, worshiping and meditating. It was tough, and at times I was tempted to just turn on the TV, but again I followed the promptings of the Spirit and it was the most amazing day ever. At the end of the seventh day very late in the evening, I had a conversation with God. I expressed my concern that after I ended my fast, I wouldn't feel as connected to and dependent upon him. I wept, poring out my heart to Him and I prayed that he had found my sacrifice pleasing and honorable. I want all my brothers and sisters who are reading this to know you are not going to want to end your fast. You're going to be hungry, and you're going to be weak but you will never feel as close to the Lord as you do when you fast and you are not going to want that feeling and dependence to end, but of course, it must. So the day after my seven day fast I had asked my husband to get me my favorite breakfast, breakfast burritos and hashbrowns from McDonald's. Ha ha ha! We had enough to share with the kids and had the time to sit down at the kitchen table and break my fast together before they left for school. It was an awesome and very meaningful experience. But, let me warn you, your first meal is not going to be near as wonderful as you think it's going to be. The whole time I was fasting all I could think about was what I was going to eat. After that first meal I was just kind of like, meh, I could probably do without. And all the delicious extravagant foods that I was thinking of consuming that first day seemed to lose their appeal. I think it's because the Lord had taken His rightful place in my heart. Also know that if you were doing anything longer than a three day fast, your digestive system is probably going to take a while to reboot. After that first meal, my heartbeat accelerated, I was super shaky and I felt that I was going to jump out of my skin because I had so much energy. My stomach had a warm feeling and it was just very intense. This has been about three hours ago now and I am pretty much leveled out. So I guess I just want to say I would never discourage anyone from fasting, it is probably the most meaningful spiritual discipline that I've ever practiced. But do be informed and be aware of the changes and sacrifices it's going to take. I know that fasting is now going to be a regular part of my life. I'm already planning a three day fast for next month. My kids, whom are only 11 years old, have expressed their desire to fast with me. I told them I think they're too young for a regular fast but when I'm doing my fast what they could do is just cut out sweets and snacks and have simple meals and I think that they liked that idea. You will be blessed through this journey of fasting and this book is an absolutely beautiful and encouraging way to begin this much-needed spiritual discipline. Good luck to all of you my brothers and sisters and big Jesus hugs be with you today and always!

The author does a really great job of laying out the case for fasting for spiritual health by quoting from the Bible. It's very inspiring and worth the read for sure. I personally love how he is non denominational and teaches how religion and ritualistic thinking can prevent us from truly connecting with Jesus. However, i strongly recommend you do not follow the nutritional advice given in this book. I've been fascinated with fasting for both spiritual and physical cleansing for over 25 years and i can tell you there are far better resources to learn about how to conduct a proper fast to get the most out of it and avoid making common mistakes that can cause great discomfort and sabotage the whole experience. It's very good to follow biblically based christian authors for spiritual matters, but I've learned that at this time at least, I have to go outside of the Christian world and look to science to better understand the physiology behind fasting. So I recommend you follow the work of modern fasting experts like Dr Jason Fung, Dr Eric Berg, Dr Annette Bosworth, or others that are up to date with the latest research on fasting and a ketogenic diet and lifestyle. They can help you understand the physiological side of fasting from so many fascinating angles not covered in this book, including it's incredible ability to heal things like obesity, diabetes and so many other conditions. I have found that having this accurate knowledge is key in helping you conduct the most effective fasts, so you can get the most spiritual AND physical benefits out of them. After reading and watching lectures from many top fasting experts, i believe this author makes 2 major mistakes that steer you wrong: 1. True fasting refers to a water only fast. When he says he goes on a 21 day fast every year, i think most people assume he is talking about a true water only fast. That is the type of fast that Jesus and most of the other biblical prophets did. This true fast requires the most discipline for the first few days, but is the most powerful and rewarding by far from a spiritual AND physical standpoint. However you later learn that the author's 21 day fast isn't nearly as impressive as he first portraits because they are not water only fasts, but rather includes things like juice, salad, and vegetables! That is not fasting. It's just cutting back or dieting. This would mean everyone eating a vegetarian diet is fasting, which is far too broad of a definition of fasting. This doesn't really require much discipline, doesn't gain dramatic physical transformation, and isn't that much of a sacrifice to God. Once you truly learn what is actually going on inside your body when you fast, you will understand why drinking juice will not allow your body to truly enter a state of ketosis whereby your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat, which then causes your body to start accessing your old, stubborn fat storages, which releases built up toxins (this is why most people get headaches and feel terrible when they start to fast.) I have found understanding this helps me get thru the difficult times of the fast, knowing i am deep cleaning and also knowing the pain will eventually go away. Also, juice is obviously very high in sugar, so your blood sugar spikes and you will never get the incredible benefits when it comes to resetting and regulating your insulin and blood sugar levels. 2. The 2nd big mistake he makes is when he advises you to drink purified or distilled water only. Many years ago i heard this advice and followed it and i couldn't figure out why my fasts felt so miserable. I always suffered from incredible cravings for salty foods when I tagged but it didn't register why. I finally discovered the reason after listening to another fasting dr who had fasted thousands of patients at his clinic. You must drink spring water with minerals in it or add minerals to your water (i add a product called 40,000 volts from Amazon to my water every day now, even when I'm not fasting). Think about it... when you fast with only purified distilled water, you are not taking in any minerals or electrolytes, and yet your urine is still colored. That means that the water is flushing minerals out of your body every day. You need to replenish these minerals often during a fast! Your body most have a little sodium especially or many complications will develop and your fasting experience will be so much less pleasant. Jesus surely did not drink distilled water. He drank from natural streams or wells. These sources of water had minerals in them leeched from the rocks and soils it ran thru. When you drink distilled water you miss all these minerals. In summary, this is a great, biblical based book that will motivate you spiritually, but lacks a solid understanding of the physical side of things which i believe can be so incredibly helpful. Don't rely on one person to provide all the knowledge for such a complex topic as fasting. Search Google and YouTube to learn from other experts. Keep searching and seeking. God will lead you to the truth and the truth will set you free!

I’ve been in church all my life and have never been taught these truths about fasting. I am excited to incorporate this discipline in my life and see where it leads.

This book is fantastic and I bought it used, but the condition of it was excellent.

This book is so simple and practical to follow. But it’s packed with a punch of conviction and relatability. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours. I was already 4 days into a 40 day fast and feeling the lie of the enemy begin to penetrate my mind, telling me that I could not prevail. But after reading this book, my mind and soul were invigorated and I feel much more capable to see this fast through to the end.Great read for a fasting journey!!

Great read for learning to Fast!!!

I was truly impressed with the way fasting was broken affecting every aspect of our life and the power of fasting in our life. It is truly an earthly gift to us from our Heavenly Father.

Scripture helped to understand why we must fast. The book is a VERY EASY read! Great book! Testimonies could have described what they endured!

I have only fasted for one day at a time before... Me and some close friends at Mattersey Hall Bible college decided it would be good to seek God together as a group of men at the end of our third year and about to leave.I had many questions and little understanding about the spiritual discipline of fasting, this book has changed that for good!The 5 day fast was amazing, hard and tough but God focused and centred, as we all sought God's face and presence in our own way and together!I feel convicted reading this book about how often God goes from #1 to nothing as the world seeps in and takes His place, wether that be food, tv, academics or whatever.I know now that fasting regularly NEEDS to be done so that I refocus and look to God regularly!You may never have fasted, but have questions and feel that small nudge from the Spirit saying 'now - step out', it is time to start a fast, order this book and read it as soon as it arrives!If you don't want your life to be ruined for God and His Glory, don't read this book! But if you want more of Him and you want a God focused life, it is time to dive into what we as Christians are called to do!

What can I say! This book was such a game changer for me. It made me understand the power in fasting, it gave me the motivation and will power to push through. Read if u know God is leading you to fast but struggling. My fasting journey has been better because of this book! I’m currently pregnant but am excited to get back into fasting when I give birth!Just the best read ever!!!

I love this book it has opened my eyes to what fasting is all about. If you want more of God then this is the book. It is well written and easy to understand. I have fasted and I cannot tell you how close I felt to God. Prayer is a wonderful thing but fasting is something else. Its not hyped up or over the top. It is between you and God alone. He is prepared to meet with you. You will be rewarded. Buy this book!

The best book I have read on fasting. I decided to read this book because I felt my spiritual life was at a standstill. I was just floating and I fasted sometimes when I felt God lead me but it was shallow. I did not realise the power. Now I know what discipline was missing "Fasting". It is now part of my spiritual walk with the Lord. I started fasting again while reading this book. Thank pastor for writing this book. I am going to purchase the 2nd one. God bless you.

this is a very good book to read it tell you how to fast and how to do it I did not know they were three types of fast and the way to fastit tell you the normal fast the absolute fast the partial fast.it tell you what to look for the first two days of your fast the changes in your body and what fast do to the body. I am very happy I did buy this book I will be recommending this book to all my friends who want to fast for the 21days fast it is a very helpful book very good. I would never have done my fast the right way if I did not bough this bookthank you very much jentezen franklin to write such excellent book