Fasting to Hear God’s Voice

Fasting to hear God’s voice is one of the most powerful ways that we can connect with God. If you’re having trouble hearing God or just want to draw closer to God, fasting is a great option for seeking God. What is fasting? Fasting is making a sacrifice to spend time pursing God. This sacrifice could take the form of a meal, a hobby, or any other comfort. According to the Bible, when we make the effort to seek God, we find Him (Proverbs 8:17). Fasting can be a tool to deepen our relationship with God by intentionally seeking Him. If you want to learn more about fasting to hear God’s voice, please keep reading below. 

How Do I Fast to Hear God’s Voice?

Fasting is easy. You simply give something up in order to spend more time with God in prayer, Bible reading, and worship. You can choose to give up food, like a meal or even a particular snack or beverage, or a hobby, like watching TV or playing a sport. Instead of enjoying these things, you’ll spend the time with God. This can be a great time of spiritual growth and many believers use this time to ask God for wisdom and direction for the future.

How Long Should I Fast?

It depends on what you feel God has called you to do. You can fast for a few hours, a day, a week, a month, or more. If you’re new to fasting, I would suggest starting small and seeing what you feel comfortable doing. Fasting is a discipline and it takes time to build that discipline. It’s okay to start small and set goals to fast longer or more often. 

How Often Should I Fast?

How often you fast is up to you. Some believers fast every week or every month. Others choose to fast once a year during an annual church fast. I usually fast to hear God’s voice when I feel like I need to draw closer to God, which means several times a year. Since you’re able to fast not only food but hobbies and comforts, you can choose to do a variety of fasts throughout the year to suit your health needs and spiritual needs.

Now that you understand fasting to hear God’s voice, I’ve included some tips to help you on your fasting journey below!

Learn How to Fast to Hear God’s Voice

Tip #1: Make Sure to Consult Your Doctor Before Fasting Food

It’s important to make sure that you are healthy enough for the kind of fast you would like to try. Check with your doctor to make sure that you won’t hurt yourself during a fast, especially if you are going to be fasting from food for a long period of time.

Tip #2: Make Sure to Consult the Holy Spirit

This is possibly the most important piece of advice in this blog. Fasting to hear God’s voice should be done through the counsel and power of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who will help you to decide when to fast, how long to fast, and what kind of fast to do. 

A few years ago, I was having trouble fasting. I’d fasted every year during the month of February before with no problems, but I just couldn’t get into fasting that particular year. When I spoke to a friend, she asked me if I’d talked to God about it. I was shocked! Up until that point, I hadn’t thought about asking God for help with fasting. Of course, it made sense once she said it. I prayed to God and realized that God wanted me to do something different that year. After that, I realized that fasting is something that should be done with God’s grace and under His direction. 

We often feel like we have to do these acts of faith on our own but that is not how the Christian life works. Instead, we need to ask for God’s help and guidance to live for Him. We cannot truly do it on our own. Fasting to hear God’s voice is no different. It takes God’s supernatural power and wisdom to fast successfully, especially the longer you desire to fast.

Tip #3: Fasting to Hear God’s Voice Requires Preparation

The longer you desire to fast, the more preparations you’ll need to make. For example, if you decide to fast food, you may need to clear your home of the particular food items you’ll avoid during your fast. If you choose to alter your diet for a fast, you’ll need to do meal planning. If you decide to fast a particular hobby, it may be helpful to put away any tools associated with that hobby and put together a playlist of sermons or a plan to read certain books of the Bible.

Personally, I often unplug my TV when I decide to fast watching TV. When I alter my diet to fast, I usually give myself about two to three weeks to slowly start my fast. I cut sugary beverages and snacks from my diet the first week. During the second week, I may only eat meat for dinner. On the third week, I may start my fast early to give myself a week to make mistakes before the fast officially starts. 

Fasting to hear God’s voice requires intentionality. You have to plan for it and prepare your body and mind for it. Make sure to give yourself time to get ready for a fast and have the things you need to be successful.

Tip #4: Fasting Requires Patience and Discipline

Fasting can be hard if you’re new to it. Don’t give up. It takes practice and time to learn how best to prepare and to build up the discipline to follow through. Pray for God to give you the desire to fast. Connect with mature believers who can help disciple you in fasting. Join your church’s annual fast so that you can have help staying accountable. Remember that learning to live the Christian life takes time. You won’t be good at everything at once.

Tip #5: Remember What You Gained in the Fast

Write down anything that you hear from God. If you’ve been praying for God’s vision or intervention in your life and have received a word from God, incorporate what God said in your prayers. Make sure to remember what you’ve learned from God through fasting. 

I hope these tips help you to feel more comfortable with fasting to hear God’s voice. How do you get ready to fast? Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Comment below!