I went through some of the comments in the Fears About Fasting post and summed a few of them up. It is now time to address some fears and obstacles that hinder us from fasting. I’m just hitting two right now, I’ll hit some more later.

The fear of not doing the ‘right’ fast

I’d say most people fret over this issue. We feel like if we don’t do all water then it doesn’t count. But that’s not true. We have to remember the key issue: Fasting is a voluntary gift we give to God as a response of love and as an addition to our intercession.

If you are unable to fast only water then don’t. If that scares you right now, then don’t. Chose a way of fasting that you feel the grace to do, and then rejoice before God in the fast you have chosen.

Three fasts that count before God:

• Juice Fast: Don’t think this is cheating. If you do a juice fast then go for it and thank God that you feel the grace to not eat solid foods.
• Daniel Fast: If you do a Daniel fast (fruits, veggies, grains) it counts. Daniel did it and he got encountered by an angel. Don’t do a Daniel fast but feel like it doesn’t count and then just break it. If you do a Daniel fast don’t feel like you’re cheating each time you have a salad or an apple; instead rejoice before God and thank Him for the meal. Eat your veggies with God in thankfulness, not in shame as if you’re not really fasting.
• The Nothing Pleasurable Fast: If physical strength and energy is important then go on an oatmeal only fast. You can eat as much oatmeal as you want, but you can only eat oatmeal. You’ll have plenty of energy - but you’re still fasting.

The fear of fasting externally and going through the motions:

This is something we should watch for with all of our spiritual lifestyle practices: Prayer, reading the Word, giving, worship, etc… If we fast on a regular basis it can be easy to disconnect from why we are fasting and let it turn into simply something we do.

We won’t always feel the power of God on our spirits when we fast so that is not an accurate gauge for if we are rending our hearts or not. To help avoid lethargy and disconecting from God when fasting we simply have to pray. You alone can position yourself before God during your fast.