Fasting can be a powerful spiritual exercise, especially when combined with prayer. While fasting is probably best known as a Christian practice, it is not unique to Christianity: people of all faiths can fast and pray when they feel inspired. Read on to learn some basic principles, instructions, and tips on how to fast and pray effectively.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Part 1: Prayer and Preparation Before Fasting
Step 1. Pray to find out what type of fasting you want to practice
The traditional one is fasting from food, but a form of fasting can also be the renunciation of media or other habits.
- Absolute fasting or fasting that involves only the intake of water requires you to abstain from all solids and liquids except, of course, water.
- A liquid fast requires you to abstain from all solid foods, but you can drink as many fluids as you want.
- A partial fast requires you to abstain from certain foods or all foods during part of the day. This fasting is especially common among Catholics during Lent.
- The traditional fast of Lent is the partial fast. You should refrain from eating meat on Friday and Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, you should limit yourself to one full meal and two smaller meals than normal. All drinks are allowed.
- In a fast of bread and water you can only consume these foods, but nothing more.
- A media waiver requires you to abstain from the media. This can include all of them, or it can involve only a certain form of media, such as television or the internet.
- A renunciation of habits requires you to refrain from a certain type of behavior. This can include anything from raising your voice to playing cards. This is another "fast" commonly practiced during Lent.
Step 2. Ask how long to fast
You can fast for a day or for several weeks. Set a time frame that is healthy and spiritually stimulating.
- If you have never fasted before, it is best not to fast for more than 24 or 36 hours.
- Don't abstain from liquids for more than three days.
- Consider exercising if you want to do a prolonged absolute fast. Start by giving up on a meal for several days. After the body has adapted, you can forgo the next meal, and eventually forgo all meals.
Step 3. Find out why you want to fast
In your prayers, ask God for guidance on what the goal of your fast should be. That goal will give your prayers and fasting purpose.
- Spiritual renewal is a common reason, but you can also fast if you want guidance, patience, or healing.
- You can also fast for a specific cause that is beyond your personal spiritual needs. For example, if a natural disaster occurs, you could fast and pray for the victims of the disaster.
- Fasting can be done as an expression of gratitude.
Step 4. Ask for forgiveness
Repentance is a key element of fasting and effective prayer.
- With God's guidance, make a list of your sins. The list must be as comprehensive as possible.
- Confess your sins to God, ask and accept forgiveness.
- You should also ask for the forgiveness of those you have offended, and forgive those who have wronged you.
- Ask God to guide you to make up for your mistakes.
Step 5. Confess
In some ways, seeking the approval of others diminishes the sense of fasting. That said, you can talk to those who can support you spiritually during your fast.
- Pastors, companions, and spiritual partners are usually good options.
- Ask God to guide who will give you support.
Step 6. Accept a physical preparation guide
In addition to preparing yourself spiritually, you must also prepare yourself physically.
- Start slowly, especially if you are new to fasting. Eat small meals before starting fasting to prepare your body.
- Avoid caffeine at least 24 hours in advance, since caffeine withdrawal can cause and intensify headaches.
- Gradually remove sugar from your diet a week before practicing an extended fast, as people who consume large amounts of sugar usually find it difficult to fast.
- Consider eating a strict raw food diet several days before an extended fast.
Method 2 of 4: Part 2: Prayer While Fasting
Step 1. Focus on the reason for your fast
Since you can pray for anything during a fast, set a goal in advance that will give you a focus at the center of the main prayers.
Be open to a change of focus. You may feel inspired to fast for one reason, only to find that God wants you to focus on another goal instead
Step 2. Meditate on the scriptures
You can follow an in-depth study of the Bible or browse the pages in any way you feel like doing. Take notes on what you read and pray for a fuller understanding of the teachings of the scriptures.
- If you are not a Christian, you can meditate on any sacred text at the center of your faith.
- You can also meditate on the spiritual books you are reading while fasting.
Step 3. Make personal invocations and written prayers
Most of your prayers may be improvised, or they may be personal invocations expressed in your own words. But when you can't find the right words, you can move on to a canonized prayer to communicate with God.
One of the most common written prayers is the "Lord's Prayer", also called the "Our Father". However, you can say any prayer that inspires you
Step 4. Use aids in prayer
Using aids to pray may be questionable for some religions, but it is acceptable for many others.
Common prayer supports in the Catholic religion can be rosaries, medals, saints and crucifixes. In non-Catholic denominations of Christianity you might consider listening to instrumental versions of hymns or praying without a rosary
Step 5. Pray with others
While most of your prayers are likely to be of an individual personal nature, you can also pray with other people while fasting. Praying as a group is like asking God to be among you, thus making prayer a powerful tool.
- You can pray aloud or silently. If you pray aloud, however, avoid confusing your prayers with those of the people around you.
- Good prayer partners are usually people who know about your fast and who fast with you.
Step 6. Find a quiet place
You can pray at any time of the day, regardless of where you are or what is happening around you. During a moment of concentrated prayer such as fasting, however, it is important to find time to spend in silence with God.
- You can stay in a quiet place indoors. A bedroom is often a good place, but any quiet corner in your home or office is appropriate. You can also pray when you are alone in the car.
- Alternatively, you can also pray outdoors. A quiet spot in the woods allows you to spend time in prayer with God, but also to admire His creation.
Step 7. Alternate canonized prayer with spontaneous prayer
Making a prayer schedule can be helpful, especially in prolonged fasts, but you don't have to follow your schedule strictly if it prevents you from praying spontaneously under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
- Pray during your newly created free time. The time you usually spend eating, watching television, or following some habits, when you decide to give it up, you can spend it in prayer.
- Start and end the day with a moment of prayer.
Method 3 of 4: Part 3: Other Actions While Fasting
Step 1. Remember your personal hygiene
During a prolonged and total fast, the body excretes a large amount of toxins in the first three days.
- Take a shower or bath every day, especially during these first three days.
- Brush your teeth more than usual in these first three days to avoid bad breath.
Step 2. Don't assume an attitude of suffering
Fasting is a time of recollection, the personal union between you and God. If you appear suffering to others, you invite them to feel pity and admiration, and this could inflate your pride and make your communion with God more difficult in a state. of humility.
Step 3. Continue drinking fluids
You shouldn't go beyond three days without water.
You can abstain from other liquids, such as fruit juice or milk, but you must keep drinking water during most of a prolonged fast. Otherwise you run the risk of causing severe dehydration, with serious health problems
Step 4. Control your emotions
People who skip a meal tend to be grumpy. So, it is to be expected that skipping many meals will make you even more irritable. Keep your emotional state in mind, and if you feel ready to snap with the first person who approaches you, look for a lonely space to pray and reflect.
Step 5. Reduce activity
Occasional walks are accepted and encouraged, but fasting takes away a great deal of energy, so you need to rest as often as possible.
For the same reason you should also avoid any strenuous physical activity
Step 6. Avoid drugs
Supplements, herbal medications, and homeopathic remedies can cause complications while fasting, causing side effects such as nausea, restlessness, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and even worse.
However, note that you shouldn't stop taking any prescribed medication without your doctor's approval and supervision
Method 4 of 4: Part 4: Post-Fasting Prayer and Supplementary Actions
Step 1. Reflect on the experience and ask God for help
You may have learned a lot while fasting, but perhaps there are still other lessons that you can learn away from your fast that you can only discover after you finish it. Ask God to guide you to reflect on how to move forward so that you can make the most of your experience.
- If you've done a partial fast, or gave up on media or habits, you can focus on your successes, rather than your failures. Many people hesitate at some point in these sacrifices, especially if they are not used to it. Instead of deeming the experience a failure because of your weaknesses, focus on the lessons learned and the spiritual strength gained.
- Express gratitude. Above all else, reflect on your spiritual growth and give thanks. Give thanks to God for the completion and success of the fast and for any spiritual teaching you have received during the fasting period.
Step 2. Return to eating normally after a short fast
If you've only fasted for 24 hours, you can go back to a normal eating schedule the following day.
Likewise, if you've only given up a certain type of food or a single meal, you can safely reintroduce the food or meal into your diet without the need for additional precautions
Step 3. Break the fast that involves only the intake of water with fruit
If you have fasted from all foods, you should reintroduce the foods gradually, starting with solid fruit.
- Watermelon and other fruit with a high water content is the best choice.
- You can also drink fruit juices to get the body used to introducing foods other than just water.
Step 4. Slowly introduce vegetables when you finish a liquid fast
If you continue to drink fruit and vegetable juices while fasting, gradually stop it with a slow and steady intake of vegetables.
- On the first day, eat nothing more than a raw salad.
- On the second day, add a baked or boiled potato. Don't use butter or seasonings.
- On the third day, add a steamed vegetable. Again, don't use butter or seasonings.
- From the fourth day you can return to your normal diet, so that you feel comfortable with your body.
Step 5. Eat snacks to return to a regular diet
When you go back to eating regularly, have several small snacks or meals in the first few days instead of eating large meals right away.
