Powerful Guide to Fasting & Prayer for Breakthrough!

I’m a firm believer that fasting and prayer can lead to miracles and breakthrough when done for the right reasons. Fasting and prayer releases God’s power and removes emotional clutter that hinders connection with God. Stick with me and I’ll fully explain how to open the doors of breakthrough & miracles!

I’ve done multiple different types of fasts: including fasting from all foods, only vegetables, technology, sugar, and anything wasteful that takes time away from God. But fasting isn’t limited to just food. It involves replacing what we “think” we need with what we actually need. And the most essential things humans require for survival are food and water. Therefore, abstaining from food is a practical way for us to demonstrate to God that we need and love Him more than anything else.

Fasting from food is a practical way for us to demonstrate to God that we need and love Him more than anything else.

Related Article: 5 Secrets for Powerful Prayers That Get Answered!

What do we learn from fasting?

• Fasting teaches us to depend on God. “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3.
• Jesus is the ultimate bread (FOOD) that we need. “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”  Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:25-59

Healthy fasting should lead us to depend on God in every situation because He loves us so much. Fasting from a place of control can lead to great disappointments when God doesn’t act in the way that we “expect” or want. Additionally, fasting should not be done to make you “more powerful.” Fasting doesn’t make you “all-knowing,” and you don’t get a “special place” in God’s kingdom when you fast. True fasting should help us drop the need to be better than others. Then Christ can truly shine through our humble beings.

How to Fast and Pray to See Breakthrough

1. Decide on the fast you want to do. You may chose from multiple types of fasts: including fasting from all foods, only vegetables, technology, sugar, and anything wasteful. I suggest giving up something that is hard for you, and honor god with that sacrifice.
2. Decide what days and how long you want to do. Decide the time so you be prepared and organized in your fast. It’s important that you prepare for you fast and avoid rushing. Especially for Daniel Fasts, you’ll want to get the right groceries first. Lastly, becareful you’re know doing impossible amount of days fasting to please God, that is not healthy fasting.
3. Renew your idea about what healthy fasting is. Fasting is not about punishing your body, leveling up in the spirit, getting what you want, or earning God’s favor through self-denial. One of the 6 main goals is to eliminate what causes us to focus on ourselves and selfish motives. Instead of being filled with carnal desires, the aim is to be filled by God and empowered to move in your identity, His power and strength. We see this when Jesus fasted as preparation for His crucifixion. (Matthew 4:1-11)
4. Set aside time to pray and mediate on the word during your fast. During this time, eat the word of God as you would food or whatever you’re addicted to. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.”(Jeremiah 15:16)
   • Remember, what you eat is what will come out of your mouth: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:18)
5. Submit your burdens to God: give God whatever weighs you down and remember that His yoke is easy and light. Trust that He is working out the situation and will communicate about what is happening and how He will help you in the right time. Experiencing the peace that surpasses all understanding is a sign that you’re truly letting go and letting God.
   • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
6. Be righteous during your fast. To honor God during fasting, you can’t sin and assume you’re pleasing him. If you’re unaware of your sins, ask him to point them out.
   • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
7. Be open to repentance. During your fasts, God will point out things that are impure within you. Allow him to search your heart and clean up what is broken. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
   • For instance, pride can blind people from recognizing their unrighteous actions, as they may believe that their actions are justified. Apostle Paul exhibited this type of pride when he believed that he was doing God’s will by persecuting Christians. Similarly, when we fast from a place of pride, we can become judgmental of others and think of ourselves as superior. This attitude not only goes against the humble spirit of fasting, but also can cause division in the church.
8. Take up the shield of faith. During your fast refuse to allow the enemy to convince you that you’re a sinner, stuck, and that life will never get better. These are lies from the father of lies himself. Instead, dare to remain convinced that God doesn’t break his promises.
   • “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” – Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)
9. Stand firm in your identity. Remember, that you are a child of God. He has a righteous inheritance. Nothing can separate you from his love. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit which means you have a POWERFUL God possessing your inner man. “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” – Galatians 3:26 (NIV)
   • “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” – 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

How to access God’s power, miracles, and breakthroughs:

There are unhealthy and healthy ways of fasting. Powerful fasts result in a clean heart and mind, which allows you to get closer to God. (Matthew 5:8) When your mind is transformed and you aren’t operating in pride, brokenness, shame, self-effort, etc… You can be weak enough for God to be strong in you. When you are EMPTIED of the flesh’s sinful nature you can carry the FULL power of God’s purity and love.

What is unhealthy fasting & prayer?

These are the type of behaviors and heart postures that you be cleansed of while fasting and praying: Pride, perfectionism, shame & guilt, criticalness, self-righteousness, and control. These motivations keeps our heart separated from God. 

• 1. Punishing your body through fasting or long prayers in hopes of immediate deliverance can be harmful. Some individuals may believe they have a demon or perceive themselves as terrible people, leading them to fast as a form of self-punishment. However, the Bible indicates that the renewal of the mind is a gradual process that requires unity with God. Patience is key, as becoming a spiritually mature and healthy Christian typically takes longer than just a couple of months.
  • Related Articles: What is a healthy deliverance perspectives?
  • Ultimately, BEWARE of certain deliverance ministries: Read more HERE and HERE. Such ministries can get you to think you are dirty and forget that Christ died to fill you with the Holy Spirit not demons.

Christ died to fill you with the Holy Spirit not demons.

• 2. When you expect God to do what you want. God can turn his heart towards our prayers. But, what he decides to do is according to His will. Bible Story: After fasting, David, a man after God’s own heart, had to accept that it wasn’t God’s will for his child to live.
  • “David answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’  But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:22-23
• 3. To be better than others. Jesus told a parable to those who were self-righteous and looked down on others, in which he conveyed the message that being better than others isn’t a worthy goal:
  • “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14
• 4. To get a better reward. We all get the same reward even if we have been saved longer, fast and/or pray more.
  • “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’  “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matthew 20:8-15

Related Article: How to be More Humble: 6 Causes of Pride!

• 5. You fast, but still do the wrong things.
  • “Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Isaiah 58:3-7

How to Engage in Healthy Fasting for Breakthrough

Healthy fasting is the key to accessing miracles and breakthrough in your life. When you have a close relationship with God he will reveal what he is thinking, feeling, and going to do… Through dreams, visions, and words of wisdom. “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19

• To seek God’s direction. Seeking God’s direction through fasting is a biblical practice that has been employed by believers throughout history. Fasting helps to sharpen the spiritual senses, allowing us to more clearly discern the voice of God. In Acts 13:2, we see how fasting played a crucial role in Barnabas and Saul’s calling to ministry. Through fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly, setting them apart for the work to which they were called.
  • “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2
• To soften someone’s heart to listen to God’s Will. Esther’s fast is another example of how fasting can be used to soften someone’s heart to listen to God’s will. Esther, knowing that her request to approach the king was risky, called for a fast. Through the act of fasting, she and her attendants humbled themselves before God, seeking His favor and protection. This act of faith and dependence on God allowed her to approach the king and ultimately saved the Jewish people from annihilation.
  • “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16
• To remove pain and impurities in your heart and/or repent.  This allows you to deepen your intimacy with God. Fasting is a powerful tool for removing pain and impurities in our hearts and helping us to deepen our intimacy with God. In Joel 2:12, God calls His people to return to Him with fasting, weeping, and mourning. This act of repentance and humility draws us closer to God and opens the door for Him to heal our wounds and purify our hearts.
  • “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”  Joel 2:12
• To seek protection in a difficult situation. Fasting can also be used to seek protection in difficult situations. In Ezra 8:21-23, Ezra proclaims a fast as he and his people prepare to embark on a dangerous journey. Through fasting, they humble themselves before God and ask for His protection and provision. This act of faith allows God to intervene on their behalf and grant them safe passage.
  • “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.” Ezra 8:21-23
• To weaken the enemy’s grip on your life, or someone else’s life. Fasting is also a powerful tool for weakening the enemy’s grip on our lives. In Mark 9:29, Jesus tells His disciples that certain kinds of demons can only be driven out through prayer and fasting. Fasting allows us to draw closer to God and experience His power in our lives, giving us the strength and courage we need to overcome the enemy’s schemes.
  • “And he said unto them, This kind [of demon] can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting,” Mark 9:29, KJV

• Fasting for deliverance from Satan’s lies. Finally, fasting can be a powerful tool for deliverance from Satan’s lies. Satan is the father of lies, and his deceptions can keep us from experiencing the fullness of God’s truth. Through fasting, we can draw closer to God and allow Him to expose the lies we have believed, replacing them with His truth. As John 8:44 says, “When [the devil] lies, he speaks out of his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Fasting can help us to overcome these lies and experience the freedom and joy that comes from living in the truth.
  • “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Once again, the most powerful fasts are the ones where you feel closer and more in love with God. Experiencing God’s love will inspire you to LOVE the broken and seek to bring others into the love of God as well!

Related Article: 58+ Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses

You Can’t Fast Or Pray to Receive What is Freely Given!

There are certain things that people fast and pray for that has already been freely given. When we accept Jesus Christ as our lord and savior, He gives us ALL certain gifts. I believe the enemy keeps many Christians stuck because they believe they have to “do something” to get the gifts and breakthrough. Or, they become prideful when they received more of these “free gifts” and breakthroughs than others.

Related Article: Carnally Minded: 4+ Tips To Be Free From Negative Thoughts (15+ Bible Verses)

The sanctification process happens as God purifies our hearts and mind, so that we are not blind to what has ALWAYS been ours. In other words, God has to undo lies (shame, guilt, etc.) and remind us that He created us in His perfect image (Genesis 1:27). Christ’s death and the free gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to operate in the purity that He intended in the garden. When we accept Christ… We get the free gift – the Helper (Holy Spirit) who helps us AVOID sin.

• We are cleansed and purified because of what Christ did on the Cross.  (2 Peter 1:2-4) We no longer walk in Satan’s darkness but in God’s light. “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:18
• God decides what signs, miracles, and wonders will happen. We should pray and ask what His will is, in every situation. Because, He does everything according to His will and through whoever He pleases. (Act 2:38 & Hebrews 2:4)
  • “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
• Nothing can separate us from the Love of God. (Romans 8:31-29)
• Do not boast. Faith is a free gift. Your ability to believe in God and trust him is a gift.  (Romans 12:3-8)
• Everyone is given different spiritual gifts for the “common good”.  (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

Ultimately, gifts cannot be earned by doing lengthy fasts and prayers. We are not deserving or entitled to anything.  But through humility and reverence to the giver, we can ask him to pour out gifts and fruits of the spirit in our lives to be more holy and have the character to represent Christ rightly. He is a good father that hears and replies to His children. You can also read further verses that demonstrate what gifts are given.

Related Article: God Doesn’t Break Promises: 10 Promises in Scripture For Your Every Need!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What prayers to say while fasting?

You can use these protection prayer points or spiritual warfare prayer points. They will help you to rebuke any demonic attacks and bring peace into your atmosphere.

Does fasting help get prayers answered?

Fasting helps you to hear what God wants clearer. When you hear God clearly you will pray for things that He wants to do. Here is a guide to ensuring your heart is in the right place of purity as fast and pray.

How do I start fasting and praying?

You start a fast picking the type of fast you want: social media fast, liquid fast, sun up to sun down fast, sugar fast, and Daniel Fast. Once you select the type of fast, then you just set up a daily schedule to talk to God (pray), read the Bible, and worship God.

What happens spiritually when you fast?

You break demonic strongholds and generational curses. You get filled with the fruits of the spirit, you’re able to access God’s peace, you’ll deepen your relationships with God, and you’ll feel more content that you’ll develop as you wait on God. Ultimately, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of intimacy with God.