Join us in the 100 Days RCCG Fast as we seek God’s face in prayer and fasting for divine intervention, spiritual growth, and breakthroughs.

fasting 101

Fasting is not just “not eating”. It is not feeding our physical body for a limited amount of time WHILE we feed our spirit (our inner person) and connect with God.

1. Prayer during fasting is what truly makes it a spiritual exercise. 

• We gain spiritual authority because we are putting our body 2nd so that our Spirit and the Holy Spirit in us can be first

• Basically, there are 3 seats of power in us. Body (our flesh), soul, spirit; however, the right flow of authority should be from the spirit to the soul, to the body (flesh). Fasting is an exercise that resets and establishes the correct flow of authority  

2. Remember that when your body screams for food over a skipped meal, it is not because it cannot find nutrient resources within your body. It's just that it is used to getting food at a certain time and it is used to getting a certain "type" of food. The “feeling” of hunger that we often have, is mostly hormonal. (More on the body’s reaction to fasting below.)

3. Fasting is a powerful tool to affect things spiritually that are affecting us physically and it is a core Biblical principle. 

• One of the stories that reflect this, is a fascinating story in Mark Chapter 9, Verses 14-29 where Jesus heals a boy and explains that the only way that was possible was by prayer and fasting.

• Another popular story is that of Daniel in Daniel chapter 1. Basically, Daniel challenged his hosts and said they should give him fruits and vegetables for 10 days and compare his skin and overall health to others eating royal meals and at the end of that period, he looked better nourished than the others.

Keeping things spiritual

1. While all this is happening, it is important to pray, read your Bible and spend time with God. This is what takes this exercise from a mere physical thing, to a spiritually fulfilling exercise. As your body thinks about food reflect on God, read / meditate on Scripture. In this way, fasting is feasting on God’s sustaining presence.

2. LISTEN

• Listen spiritually: The Holy Spirit will be speaking to you.

• Listen physically: Your body will be speaking to you

• About your addictions - Yea….sugar, carbs etc

• About your rhythm while you fast. Obey it. Feel like napping? Take a nap. Feeling energetic, take a walk.

3. Articulate why you are personally fasting/seeking God’s face.

4. Remember that there are people in scripture who found great success because of fasting

• Jesus was strengthened after fasting (Luke 4:14)

• Esther and her nation were delivered after fasting (Esther 3)

• Jehoshaphat got victory after fasting (2 Chronicles 20:1-5)

• Daniel experienced supernatural and physiological things after fasting (Daniel 1)

• Ezra received direction and safe favor from God after fasting (Ezra 8:21-23)

• Nehemiah received strength after fasting (Nehemiah 1) 

These are the things to consider when you are fasting that will help put you in the right frame of mind (and body) to get the best out of this fast.

Step 1: Making 100 Days

Before we get into the how-to and the plan, let's establish some things:

1. There are typically two modes of fasting:

• “Dry fasting”: The name can be confusing but it is basically a “water only” based fasting for the entire period of the day

• “Normal fasting”: This is when you fast for the beginning of the day, but then you “break your fast/eat” at the end of each day, usually at 6pm.
  
  

2. Fasting from things vs Fasting from food

• Fasting from “things” (social media, TV etc.) is good, but what we are talking about specifically is fasting from food. This is the ideal spiritual fast we are aiming for.

  
  

3. Please contact and adhere to your medical doctor's advice for any health concerns prior to starting the fast.

Consecutive “Dry Fasting” Days

How to determine the mixture of dry fasting days to get you to 100 fasting days

Step 2: Prepare

Prepare your body. Recommendations:

1. At least a few days before your fast, double up on water - really hydrate

2. At least a few days before your fast, start to eat as clean as possible

3. At least a few days before your fast, reduce your portions 

Option 1: The Daniel fast

This entails being in a whole foods, plant-based diet, with an emphasis on consumption of foods in their least processed form. You can do some research on that and make a plan that fits your fasting experience level.

Option 2: Time based (If you can do this, this is the recommended true fast)

This entails skipping (ideally two) meals in the day and breaking the fast in the evening.

• More experienced people (or those that have been able to prepare the body for a few days before starting) can go straight to skipping 2 meals.

• People new to fasting might want to consider ramping up to a time where you can skip at least breakfast for a couple of days, then start skipping breakfast and lunch for a couple of days, then ultimately where you are breaking the fast at dinner. 

Step 3: Best Practices

Throughout the fast:

1. Maybe create an accountability group of one or two friends who are also fasting or who will at least be clear about your goals and support you.

2. The fasting period is NOT the time to constantly put yourself around people who will not get it, or people who constantly put you in “situations” or sin. 

3. Drink LOTS of water all day, everyday!!! (Warm water is better for you!)

4. Cut off all processed food as you are ramping.

5. Pay attention to your body but realize your body is trained to want what it has always gotten - not necessarily what it needs.

6. Eat Alkaline foods (NOT Acidic foods) as much as possible (See list of foods in resources in the sample plan section).

7. Do your absolute best to eat mainly alkaline forming food.

8. Journal your journey: A simple google doc will do. 

• How was your first 3 hrs of the day each day?

• How did you feel in general?

• How were your thoughts and emotions through the day?

• What Bible passage did you meditate on throughout the day?

• What are you noticing about your body...internally, externally

• How do you feel about your accomplishment so far?

• What changes do you need to make to make the fasting continue to be effective?

A Sample Plan

To give an example of how you can fast, here is a sample schedule for someone who wants to ramp up to a “Normal Fast” and then transition to a full “Dry Fast” or water-based fast. (You can shorten the milestones if you are doing a shorter fast or extend if you are doing longer

1. As mentioned above, if possible, some days before the fast, start having portion control, eliminate all processed foods, and start juicing, doing nutrient rich smoothies and even having organic superfood green powder in your water

2. First 3 days:

• Skip breakfast and eat SUPER healthy and lighter for lunch and dinner 

• Go to bed early 

• Whether you are doing a ramp up or doing an extended water fast, pay attention to your body. You may have some reactions that are uncomfortable, but good. See “reactions to fasting” in the resources section below

3. Days 4 - 8

• Skip breakfast, skip lunch, then halfway between lunch and dinner, break the fast with fruits. 

• Eat a healthy dinner (Have portion control) (LOTS of water all day - Warm water is recommended)

• Go to bed early 

4. Days 9-12 (The Beginning of a “Normal Fast”)

•  Skip breakfast, skip lunch, don’t break the fast until dinner. 

• Eat a healthy dinner. (Have portion control) (LOTS of water all day - Warm water is recommended)

• Go to bed early!

5. Days 13-15

• Skip breakfast, skip lunch, don’t break the fast until dinner. 

• Eat a healthy AND NOW SMALLER dinner (Have portion control) (LOTS of water all day)

• Don’t forget to pray and meditate on God

• Go to bed early

6. Day 16-20 (You're now transitioning into a full water “Dry” fast)

• Skip breakfast, skip lunch, skip dinner. (LOTS of water all day)

• Go to bed early

Breaking your fast

Your “Dry fast” is over - BUT YOU CAN RUIN THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND EVEN ENDANGER YOUR HEALTH IF YOU DON’T BREAK YOUR FAST CORRECTLY. THIS IS HOW YOU BREAK A LONG FAST:

1. Remember that for a long fast, it will take about 4 days to fully wake your digesting system up and get back to normal eating- so it is a ramp up. 

2. On the day you break, I recommend that you break in the evening. The reason for this is that once you break correctly and “awaken” your digestive system, going to bed will give you the MUCH NEEDED break from that first meal, for your digestive system to wake up slowly. If you break at like lunch, you might be tempted to eat your 2nd meal too soon

3. As you break, CHEW YOUR FOOD SLOWLY and FULLY

4. When you break your fast at the end of the day during a normal fast aim to break with a small amount of alkaline fruits or unsweetened yoghurt/kefir like 30 min or more before your meal

• They are easy-on-the stomach, so they help wake your digestive system safely

• They can help fill you up a bit so that you don't over eat when you break

5. Incorporate organic green superfood powder into your water

6. What you CANNOT eat

• Processed food

• A full meal of any kind

• Fast food

• Acidic food

7. What you SHOULD eat as you break: Alkaline food (See list below)

8. Review the the ultimate guides for breaking a fast in the resources below.

Stages of body reactions to water (dry) fasting

• 0 to 4 hours: 

• You are burning up all the food you already ate and storing any excess energy for later use - The basic stuff

• 4 to 16 hours: 

• You're “feeling” hungry but your stomach is not empty

• In actuality, you’re starting to experience the benefits of fat-burning and the start of autophagy

• 16 to 24 hours: 

• You’re in the fat-burning zone and autophagy ramps up

• 24 to 72 hours: 

• You start producing ketone bodies to fuel your brain, and see an increase in fat loss and autophagy. You also start to see an increase in BDNF which supports brain function. (Cited from links below)

• 72 hours and beyond: 

• All these benefits continue at an exponential rate.

Other Reactions to a Long Fast

These are all temporary and generally a good sign - Again, please consult your Dr or medical practitioner

The Uncomfortable Stuff

These symptoms may happen as your body ACTUALLY begins the work of cleaning out toxins.

• Bad breath 

• Some slight joint pain (as it heals)

• Some stomach cramping (drink some warm water)

• Pungent smelling pee (a big sign to drink even more water)

• A lot more peeing (As you drink more water, you'll need to pee more. This is good)

• Some skin rash - The skin is the largest organ - The body might attempt to use the skin to get rid of toxins

• Headaches: Continue to drink water, it gets better

The Good Stuff

• A total reset of your taste buds - flavors will come alive

• Some people have better vision

• Reduced inflammation

• Natural and even weight loss

• Improved memory 

• Blood sugar control

• Reduction in anxiety 

• Reset of circadian rhythm

• etc

Additional Resources

These are external resources not written by Ignite Church NYC or The Redeemed Christian Church of God. They are merely there to help those new to and even experienced in fasting, to understand a bit more the physical aspects of fasting

• An example of electrolyte mix to incorporate into fasting if needed

• Organic green superfood powder

• How to break a fast

• A comprehensive guide to fasting

• The Ultimate Guide To Breaking A Water Fast

• Common reactions while fasting

• Benefits of Fasting

• Stages the body goes through during a fast

• Alkaline food chart 1

• Alkaline food chart 2