Updated:- Wednesday, October 18th, 2023
Dos and Don’ts of Christian Fasting You Don’t Want to Miss
Do you dread the very thought of fasting? Are you thinking and stressing about the dos and don’ts of Christian fasting?
Learn what not to do when fasting as a Christian. This knowledge will make you more effective at fasting.
Worry no more about it! I had similar stress when I started Christian fasting many, many years ago.
For that reason, in this Bible study, I provide twelve dos and don’ts of Christian fasting that you should implement as you execute your fast!
There are certain things to avoid when fasting and praying. And there are specific things that you should do during every fast.
If you would rather watch the video for this Bible Study click this link!
What follows are not Christian fasting rules but guidelines that if you observe, collectively, will ensure that you have a successful fasting.
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Do’s And Don’ts of Fasting And Prayer
These will help you begin and complete this very important spiritual discipline:
- Ease Into It
- Goals
- Establish This
- Announcement
- Tell Only These People
- Don’t Worry About This
- Business as Usual
- Devotions
- Meditate
- Eat or Drink
- Memorize
- Intimacy
12 Dos And Dont’s of Christian Fasting
#1 – Do Start Small
→ As a beginner, do start small. You don’t need to start Christian fasting big. Start small by fasting for a few hours at first.
→Then gradually increase it to where you want to be. Ease into it!
→Christian fasting could be intimidating if you allow it to get to you.
→ Focus on fasting. Don’t focus on the dos and don’ts of fasting and prayer. If you do that it will eclipse the significance of this important spiritual ritual.
#2 – Don’t Rush Into Fasting
→Do establish your fasting goal. Don’t start your fasting unless you have first established your fasting goal.
→Don’t have multiple goals. Fast about one thing at a time.
→This will ensure that your fasting is focused (Esther 4:16).
→A focused fast is a successful fast!
→Rushing into fasting is one of the things not to do while fasting as a Christian.
#3 – Do Establish The Length Of Your Fast
→ Having established why you are doing your Christian fasting, now decide on the length of your fast. How long will you be fasting?
→ This also makes your fasting very focused!
→ In this respect, the Bible imposes no restrictions. You decide the length of your fast.
#4 – Don’t Make an Announcement
→ This is a personal fast, so few people should know about it. As a result, don’t tell your friends and coworkers that you are fasting.
→ Fast in secret to the Lord and He will bless you openly.
Matthew 6:18
“That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”
#5 – Do Tell Only These People!
→ However, If you have a spouse you must discuss this with him or her respectively before the fast.
→ This is especially true for long fasting. But it is also relevant for a short 24-hour fast. So, communicate with your spouse to avoid problems.
→ Concerning Christian fasting, we cannot displease our mates and please the Lord God.
→Do inform your spouse about your fasting but
→ Don’t wait until your spouse made breakfast for you before you reveal that you are fasting!
#6 – Don’t Stress About The Dos and Don’ts of Christian Fasting
→ Don’t worry and stress about your fast. You won’t achieve anything by worrying.
→Later, when you start it, you will realize that it was much easier than it may have appeared.
#7 – Do These Tasks as Usual
• Besides those persons who must know that you are fasting, nobody should by observation detect that you are doing a Christian fast (Matthew 6:16).
• Do your personal hygiene routines as unusual. Do your shower, and grooming, and pay close attention to oral care.
• Brush, floss, gargle, lotion, and spray your usual body fragrance as usual, etc.
• Don’t allow your personal hygiene and appearance to change or deteriorate during fasting.
• Look like your usual self!
Matthew 6:16
“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 6:17
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face.”
#8 – No Public Devotions
Set Aside Time For Praying
→ I sometimes observe people on public transportation like taxis, buses, and trains doing devotions!
→ Don’t emulate them.
→ If reading your Bible and praying are so important to you, to the extent that you MUST do them, then why don’t you wake early enough to complete them at home?
→ While doing your Christian fasting or otherwise, please read your Bible and pray in secret (Matthew 6:18).
→ We are fasting to God, not to man!
→ There are no biblical pre-written prayers to say while fasting.
#9 – Do Meditate
→ However, meditate ONLY on the Word of God.
→Think about your fasting objective, locate relevant Scripture verses in the Bible that address it, and read and meditate on them.
→ Ask the Lord for answers to questions that matter to you.
→ Ask the Lord questions.
#10 – Can You Drink Coffee While Religious Fasting?
Things Not to Do While Fasting As A Christian
→ I love coffee. I have several cups of it every day and sometimes too many to reveal.
→ And I love my Starbucks black and strong.
→ So, I understand how difficult it could be not to drink it while fasting!
→ Nevertheless, during fasting, if you eat any food or drink any fluid you have broken your fast.
→Therefore, don’t eat or drink anything, including coffee, until you are ready to end your fasting.
What You Should Not Do When Fasting?
→Do not drink any water while you are fasting.
→Drink no alcohol either
→ But not even vitamins should you take while fasting!
Should You Exercise While Fasting?
Why would you want to exercise while fasting? If we are attempting to “realign our hearts’ affections with His” how does physical exercise aid us to accomplish this?
→Additionally, we don’t exercise or go on walks while fasting. Don’t blur the focus of your fast. Preserve your energy to finish your fast.
→If you are having fun by going on walks and such you are not afflicting your soul, you wouldn’t be fasting you’re just avoiding food.
→Fasting doesn’t cleanse our hearts for we must appear before God with acceptable hearts even before we commence to fast.
#11 – Do Memorize a Scripture
→ While you are executing your Christian fasting you are in an ideal position to memorize a verse of Scripture.
→ Identify a Scripture that speaks to your fasting goal or one that is relevant to what you are afflicting your soul for and memorize it.
#12 – Don’t Be Intimate
→ Even married couples should abstain from sexual intimacy during Christian fasting (1 Corinthians 7:5).
This is another reason our spouse MUST consent to our long fasting for it to be acceptable to God.
→ I never go fasting without the support of my wife and best friend!!
12 Do’s And Don’ts Of Spiritual Fasting From My Experience
Christian fasting is never only about abstaining from some actions for a set time. That is basically planned starvation and such deprivation has no spiritual value.
Neither does fasting allow us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, such teachings are nonsense and devilish!
What Not To Do While Fasting As A Christian
Here is a list of things that will break your fasting as a Christian! This list provides categories of what not to do when fasting and praying.
- Do not drink any fluids
- Don’t eat any foods
- No Sexual Intercourse
- Refrain from any behavior that will indicate to onlookers that you are fasting.
Christian fasting is more than abstaining from foods and drinks, for, it’s one of the most powerful spiritual arsenals we possess.
Therefore, if you execute it correctly you will have unimaginable success! Follow your Bible!
Fasting In Christianity
The principles that govern Christian fasting are similar to those of Islam. Both have their origins from the same source, Judaism.
Things To Do While Fasting as a Christian
- Make time to read and study the Scriptures
- Don’t ever go on a Christian fast and not pray. You must pray or else, what is the purpose of fasting?
- Also, maximize every opportunity you get to pray. You don’t need a schedule but pray every chance you get to do so.
- If it is possible, separate from others. Being in a room alone should help keep you focused on fasting.
- Read a Christian Book on a topic of your choice.
- Memorize a Scripture verse.
- Meditate on the Word of God, but especially Scriptures relating to the object of your fasting. For example, if you notice that you have been lying, then read, memorize, and meditate on Bible passages on that topic.
- Fast in secret. Matthew 6:16.
Don’t be deceived. What is the most important component of your Christian fasting?
For this reason, starting small is ideal for Christians new to fasting.
Things to Avoid When Fasting And Praying
The things we need to avoid, as we fast and pray as Christians, are mainly contingent on our personal situations and circumstances.
Doing these things while spiritual fasting are not wrong but they could blur or detract from the focus of your fast. So, avoid doing them!
Thus, what may apply to one Believer may not fit appropriately in the fasting rituals of another. Therefore, the following are merely general observations and tips.
However, below, you will find a list of the major things to avoid doing while fasting and praying. Adhere to it.
Nevertheless, utilize the instructions of the Holy Bible as your ultimate authority on this subject.
- STOPPING: Avoid anything that distracts you from finishing your fast. For example, refrain from going on walks and exercise during this time. Preserve your energy to complete your fasting.
- SOCIALIZING: These tips are for personal fastings. Therefore, avoid groups, and people generally. We can’t approach God and socialize simultaneously. We must separate ourselves to accomplish this. All the prophets, in both the Old and New Testaments, practice this.
- TEMPTATION: Stay away from places where there are foods and drinks and others are there dining. Avoid locations and businesses with strong luring smells of foods and drinks. These situations shall tempt you to break your fasting.
- CHEWING GUM
- EXERCISING – No exercising!
- FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH OTHERS – Avoid this!
- REFRAIN FROM GOING ON WALKS: Instead, preserve your energy to finish your fasting.
- ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT: TV, Cable, the Internet, Social Meia, Video Games, etc.
- Minimize time spent on your telephone talking with others.
Do’s And Don’ts In Christian Fasting
There are no hard and fast rules for these. Many of them are personal, situational, and based on individual preferences and practices.
Nevertheless, there are not many biblical don’ts and all of which I have listed above.
However, for them to be Christian they must follow bible principles and other Christians, in the Bible, should have done them.
FAQ About The Dos And Don’ts of Christian Fasting
Things Not To Do When Fasting And Praying
You are fasting “to the Lord”. You have devoted the fasting duration to Him. Therefore most of your daily routine, during fasting, should be different from your regular day-to-day activities.
For example, if you call your friends regularly, or daily, at a certain time and discuss the happenings in your lives, then don’t do this while you are fasting.
Things Not To Do When Fasting
Since there is no Christian fasting without praying! Therefore, the answer to this question is identical to the one above.
What To Do While Fasting For God?
What this reader is really asking is, What to do While you are fasting to the Lord God? There are many things one could indulge in, but I list the most important ones above.
Can a Christian Watch Movies While Fasting?
Yes, but that is not an ideal or biblical activity associated with Christian fasting. However, it also depends on the type of movie too. What if the movie were “The Passion of Christ“? Watching it could definitely be beneficial to you during fasting. It could assist you in maintaining your focus on your fasting goal!
More FAQs About The Dos And Don’ts of Christian Fasting
What to Avoid During Fasting and Prayer?
The things that we should avoid as we fast and pray are mainly situational and circumstantial, but contingent on each Christian’s day-to-day activities.
What Should You Not Do While Fasting?
The things that Jesus and His Church taught us not to do.
What Are Some Things Not To Do While Fasting?
Don’t tell others that you are fasting unless they need to know.
“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 6:16.
Other Things to Avoid While Fasting as a Christian
On that note too, avoid eating gums and candies or sweets while you’re fasting. Many Christians, I know, while they’re fasting, to prevent their foul breath from embarrassing them, they would chew on gums.
That’s not good. It’s not good for your stomach because you are tricking your stomach to believe that you have eaten.
Then your stomach will secrete gastric juice to digest the food and that will hurt your stomach because there is no food in your stomach.
Moreover, by eating candies and sweets and stuff you’re breaking the fast. So avoid doing that.
Conclusion
If you desire to unleash the resurrection power of fasting, please consider all the do’s and don’ts of Christian fasting above and practice them.
They have their origins in the true Word of God!
These are not things that I just thought about or researched and wrote about, but these are the very habits that I practiced over the years, and they have gotten me to where I’m today!
Christian fasting is powerful!
Through it, we could break every spiritual stronghold and every bad habit that we desire to eliminate from our lives and we will grow spiritually simultaneously.
All the do’s and don’ts of Christian fasting above are important because we are devoting our fasting to the Lord God and not to man.
Fasting is a one-way street. No vehicle enters the street except at a designated entry point.
Similarly, nothing enters the body via the mouth. The only thing that should enter the body during fasting is spiritual and through the spirit.
So What’s Next?
Now that you understand some of the dos and don’ts of Christian fasting, what are you going to do next?
→Think and decide on a habit that you desire to break then fast about it!
→ Select a short fast. Don’t fast for a day. Fast only for a few hours, say from four to six hours.
→Then do it!
→ As you become more comfortable and competent in fasting gradually increase your fasting time to your desired length.
In closing, may your Christian fasting be effective and successful!
→ I have written on this topic before.
→Read this Bible Study, “How to do a Christian Fast” or watch this video either or both will assist you to execute and complete a fast.
Hi leroy,very good teaching.
Thank you Ernst for your kind words and for reading this Bible Study!