Before You Fast: A 7-Question Heart Check
Matthew 6:17–18 (KJV): “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast…”
Fasting is more than the interruption of eating. Hunger tells you that food has stopped; surrender reveals that fasting has started. Before deciding what will be removed from the plate, examine what God is asking to be surrendered from the heart.
1. What am I seeking from God?
Name the spiritual purpose of this fast. Do not make the fast a vague religious exercise. Write the burden, question, decision, need for direction, desire for repentance, or hunger for deeper fellowship with God that is bringing you to the fast.
2. What am I willing to surrender?
A biblical fast is not a bargain with God. It is an act of humility before God. Ask what appetite, habit, distraction, attitude, resentment, fear, or self-will has been occupying space that belongs to prayer, obedience, and the Word.
3. Is repentance part of my preparation?
Joel 2:12 calls God’s people to return to Him “with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Before asking God to change circumstances, give Him permission to search and change you.
4. What will replace the time normally given to food or distraction?
If nothing spiritual replaces what has been removed, the fast can become little more than deprivation. Plan specific times for prayer, Scripture, quiet reflection, worship, and listening before the fast begins.
5. Am I fasting for God or for an audience?
Jesus warned against performing spirituality for people. Keep the emphasis on communion, not appearance. The goal is not for others to be impressed by what you gave up, but for your heart to become more responsive to God.
6. What act of obedience should follow this fast?
Real fasting should produce more than a story about what you did not eat. Ask what God is requiring after the fast: forgiveness, generosity, reconciliation, service, discipline, a decision, or a new pattern of life.
7. How will I know whether the fast changed me?
Do not measure the fast only by how many hours or days you completed. Measure it by whether your appetite for God increased, your obedience became clearer, your motives became cleaner, and your life became more surrendered.
Before You Leave This Resource
Write one sentence that completes this thought: “During this fast, I am not merely giving up ________; I am giving God greater access to ________.” Then begin with prayer. The peace of God is the reward of the surrender to God.