Choose your starting point

Choose the simplest fast you can faithfully begin.

Fasting is not a competition. The purpose is to turn your attention toward God—not to prove how much you can endure.

New to fasting?Start with one meal.

Four practical approaches

Start where you are.

These are practical categories, not spiritual levels. Choosing a more demanding option does not make a fast more meaningful.

01Recommended first step

Skip one regular meal. Use the time you would have spent eating to pray, read Scripture and seek God.

02Gentle structure

Eat only simple foods, such as fruit and other basic foods, while setting aside your normal variety and comforts.

03More demanding

Set aside solid food for your chosen period and take liquids such as water or juice. Decide the period before you begin.

04Most demanding

Drink water but take no food for your chosen period. This is not our recommended starting point for a first fast.

The decision

Ask, “What can I begin honestly and complete with my attention on God?”

If you are uncertain, choose one meal. Practice Weekend returns every week. You can build the practice gradually.

Keep the purpose central

“When ye fast…”

Jesus taught fasting as a sincere practice before God, not a public performance. Read Matthew 6:16–18.

Your first step

You do not have to complete the whole weekend to begin practising fasting with us.