10 Powerful Benefits of Fasting and Prayer

Jesus taught us the importance of fasting for Christians today.

When we are humble before God, spiritual benefits will
follow.

Biblical Definition of Fasting

A Biblical definition of fasting is going without food or
sustenance for a specific period of time. In some Biblical
examples, God instructed His people to go without food and
water, including the animals. Their obedience was to
accomplish a specific end result.
Today, when we are talking about fasting, we voluntarily go
without food, drinking water only.

Isaiah 58:1-14 NIV

True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
    Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 
For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

    and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 
‘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.
4 
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.
5 
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?
6 
“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?
7 
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?
8 
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

    and your night will become like the noonday.
11 
The LORD will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

    and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 
then you will find your joy in the LORD,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the
land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 58:1-14 tells of the kind of fast that God has chosen.

The Hebrews understood the term “afflict thy soul” (Isaiah
58:5) to mean going without food.
There are many people who are unable to abstain from food
for medical reasons. They choose to deny themselves
something else of value to them such as fasting television or
fasting social media.
Since fasting involves humility and the attitude of our hearts,
the abstinence we choose should bring us closer to God as we
trust Him during this fasting period.
Also, I should mention that fasting for the purpose of weight
loss or weight management is not the focus of this post.
Neither is it the Biblical definition of fasting.
When weight loss is the goal of fasting, your thoughts will be
focused on the lack of food and your daily weight rather than
focused on God through prayer.

10 Benefits of Fasting and Prayer

Food is necessary for life. We need nourishment for energy
and strength. You go without food too long, you can get sick
and die.
Fasting is not a death sentence. Going without food can be.
The difference is in your choice. Food is available but you
choose not to eat, or food is not available when you need to
eat. It’s a heart thing.
When we are fasting for spiritual breakthroughs in our lives,
we will reap benefits that we may not expect.

1 – Deeper Intimacy with God

Fasting and prayer will deepen our relationship with God and
when we willingly give up food to spend time with Him, we
will develop a deeper intimacy with Him.
David longed for the presence of God as He cried night and
day, Psalm 42:1-3,
Psalm 42:1-3 NIV
1 
As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
3 
My tears have been my food
    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”
and again in Psalm 63:1-11, When he was in the Desert of
Judah.
1 
You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

    my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

    where there is no water.

we see how he longed for God. In our time of fasting and

prayer, we will have that deeper intimacy with God.

2 – Answers to Fervent Prayer

Sometimes we do not see the results we are seeking in our
regular prayers. While we cannot control or manipulate God
to answering our prayers the way we want, God will see your
heart and respond according to His plan.
Now, understand that God does answer earnest and fervent
prayer without the fasting of food.
However, there are times when the fervent prayer goes
hand in hand with the added boost of fasting before God.
You may have an unusual request that you are seeking an
answer for. Whether you are fasting and praying
regularly, you always have access to Christ, Romans
5:2(NIV)
 through whom we have gained access by faith into this
2 

grace in which we now stand. And we[a] boast in the

hope of the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:18 (NIV)
For through him we both have access to the Father by
18 

one Spirit.
Ephesians 3:12 12 In him and through faith in him we may
approach God with freedom and confidence.

3 – Develop Humility before God

Fasting food for any length of time is humbling. We need
food to survive. So when believers voluntarily “afflict their
soul” with the fasting of food, they are humbling themselves.
When the attitude of your heart is one of truly seeking God,
He will see your motive and respond to your heart’s cry.
Developing humility is a recognition of who you are in
relation to God. He is sovereign and mighty, just and
righteous. Yet, He is merciful and gracious, kind and loving.
Approaching God with a reverent heart as you voluntarily
give up the necessity of life (your food), God will respond as
He said in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
if my people, who are called by my name, will
14 

humble themselves and pray and seek my face and

turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their
land.

4 – Gain Wisdom and Understanding

King Solomon wrote much about the importance of gaining
wisdom and understanding. These two things go hand in
hand. The Book of Proverbs will teach you much about
wisdom, as will spending time in God’s presence.
When Daniel sought the LORD for help, he fasted for 21 days
to gain understanding and wisdom for his situation. Daniel
10:12; 14 

Daniel 10:12, 14 NIV

12 
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the
first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and
to humble yourself before your God, your words were
heard, and I have come in response to them. 
 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to
your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time
yet to come.”

tells us that God heard Daniel’s heart and saw his humility in

fasting and sent the angel to help him understand.
As you spend time in fasting and prayer, believe that God
will give you wisdom and understanding. Not only in the
thing you are praying for but also for every area of your life.
He will give you a clear mind and better understanding.

5 – Authority over Demonic Strongholds

You may be fasting to break the devil’s strongholds in areas
of your life or others. While strongholds can be broken
through commanding the evil spirits along with using the
name of Jesus, fasting can add more spiritual power to the
breaking of strongholds.
Some strongholds are stronger than others, meaning that they
may have been nagging the believer much longer than others,
or, they are stronger simply because the evil spirits are
stronger.
Either way, fasting and prayer will equip you in breaking the
bonds of wickedness, Isaiah 58:6. 6 “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?
And, as Jesus said in Mark 9:29, sometimes fasting is
required to cast out certain kinds of demons.

Through deep fervent prayer, we can avail much over

demonic strongholds. When we fast, we add a spiritual
weapon to our prayers that will break the bonds of
wickedness and break the heavy yoke, Isaiah 58:6.
Remember this verse in Zechariah 4:6, …Not by might, nor
by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

6 – Repentance and Salvation

Jonah 3:4-10 NIV

Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city,
4 

proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be

overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was
proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the
least, put on sackcloth.
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he
6 

rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered
himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is
the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste
anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people
and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone
call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil
ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet
relent and with compassion turn from his fierce
anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned
10 

from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on

them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 3:4-10 tells when Jonah reluctantly obeyed God and

gave the people of Nineveh the message from God…to repent
of their wicked ways. That message resulted in the entire city
repenting before God. Their change of heart caused God to
spare them for 100 years.
You may be earnestly seeking salvation for loved ones
through times of fasting and prayer. The result may be
immediate, soon after or even weeks or months later but God
will answer. He desires that all be saved unto eternal life
(John 3:16) so such a prayer is in accordance with God’s will.

7 – Personal Victories in Your Life

Another of the many benefits of fasting and prayer is
receiving personal victories in your own life. You may be
praying for self-control or self-discipline in a certain area of
your life and soon after your time of fasting, you may begin
to notice the victory in that area.
While we are not perfect, we are also not powerless.
Developing a habit of regular fasting will increase our
awareness of our personal weaknesses and allow us to pray
for victory in those areas.

James 4:1-10 NIV

Submit Yourselves to God
4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they
come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire
but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get
what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have
because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not
receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you
may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship
4 

with the world means enmity against God? Therefore,

anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes
an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without
reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused
to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why
Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”
[c]

7 
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come
near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail.
Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to
gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will
lift you up.

James 4:1-10 reminds us that our bodies want what it wants

but we have the Spirit of God living in us to help us
overcome the temptations we face. In this passage, we are
told to submit to God, resist the devil, draw close to God,
humble yourself in God’s sight and He will lift you up.

8 – Gaining Heaven’s Perspective

Look again at Isaiah 58:1-14. From God’s perspective, He
saw the outward appearance of the people fasting but their
hearts were in the wrong place. They were not taking their
fast seriously as they were enjoying their daily pleasures.
When we fast, God expects us to humble ourselves, 2
Chronicles 7:14, so that we can see the situation as God sees
it. He sees the big picture and has a specific time for
everything to be accomplished. We see with our limited
vision and wonder why God isn’t answering us right away.
As we spend time seeking God in fasting and prayer, we will
begin to see two things: ourselves the way He sees us and the
situation we’re praying for as He sees it.
Our time spent in fasting and prayer before God will be
rewarded as we see the glory of the LORD, Isaiah 58:8.

Isaiah 58:8 NIV

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
8 

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 – God’s Protection and Help

When we fast and pray, another benefit is receiving God’s
intervention in our circumstances. We are targeted by the
enemy and need God’s divine help in winning the victory.
A Biblical example is in 2 Chronicles 20:1-37 (it’s an
amazing story of victory) when God’s people were under
attack by the Ammonites and Moabites.
2 Chronicles 20 NIV
20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the
Meunites[a] came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2 
Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is
coming against you from Edom,[b] from the other side of the
Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En
Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD,
and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of
Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed,
they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
14 
Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of
Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of
Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in
the assembly.
15 
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in
Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you:
‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast
army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow
march down against them. They will be climbing up by the
Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in
the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle.
Take up your positions; stand firm and see the
deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face
them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
18 
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all
the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before
the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites
stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very
loud voice.
20 
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they
set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and
people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you
will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be
successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat
appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the
splendor of his[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the
army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,

    for his love endures forever.”
22 
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set
ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount
Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The
Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount
Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished
slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one
another.
24 
When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the
desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead
bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So
Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and
they found among them a great amount of equipment and
clothing[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take
away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to
collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of
Berakah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the
Valley of Berakah[e] to this day.
27 
Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem
returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them
cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem
and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and
trumpets.
29 
The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when
they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of
Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his
God had given him rest on every side.

King Jehoshaphat and his people fasted before they went into
battle. God said to them, 2 Chronicles 20:15, that the battle
was not theirs but His. He would be with them and He would
deliver them, 2 Chronicles 20:17. Their fasting and seeking
God resulted in a dramatic deliverance.
Esther (Esther 4:16) and Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23) also fasted for
God’s intervention and protection.
If you want divine intervention, seek God through prayer and
fasting!

10 – Commissioned to Ministry
Acts 13:1-3
 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with
Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 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.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed
their hands on them and sent them off.

The teachers and prophets along with several other men,

in Acts 13:1-3, spent time in fasting as they sought the Lord
for direction. The Holy Spirit responded with the direction to
send out Barnabas and Saul for ministry to where He was
calling them.
Then, if you notice in Acts 13:3, they fasted a second time
before sending them out. This time they also laid hands on
them before sending them out into the mission field.
It was a regular practice in the early church to fast and pray
for God’s will when ordaining elders in the church. Acts
14:23 says they did this in every church which indicates that
fasting was a regular practice for them.
Acts 14:23 NIV
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each
23 

church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to

the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

God may be calling you into a new area of ministry. If so, it

would be wise to spend time in fasting and prayer to seek His
will. You may even ask others to join you as you seek God’s
will for your life.
Four Kinds of Fasts
The Normal Fast
This fast is going without food for a pre-determined period during which you consume only
liquids (water and/or juice).

The duration could be 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 1 month or 40 days. If you are considering the
longer fasts (1 month or 40 days or longer), it is advisable to seek medical advice.

I often practice this normal fast for shorter time periods.

The Absolute Fast

An absolute fast is when you do not consume any food or water or liquids of any kind.

This fast is recommended for shorter time periods. If you are not Holy Spirit led to take on the
Absolute Fast, you could be putting your health in danger, especially if it is for a long period
of time.
I would also caution you to test the spirit that is telling to you take on the long term fast, even
if it includes liquids. You should be beyond doubt that the Lord has called you to a long term
Absolute Fast.

The Partial Fast

This fast omits certain foods or can be on a schedule that includes limited eating.

It could be that you fast two of the three meals a day, or that you eat only fresh raw vegetables.
This is often called the Daniel Fast. If considering this fast, a fast meal is not your regular
meal size. It is a handful as compared to a plateful.

The Rotational Fast

On this fast, you would consume food on a rotational basis, ie, every second day you would
consume raw vegetables or every fourth day, you would eat grains and legumes. This rotation
allows for some food to be available each day.

God’s Chosen Fast

Fasting with prayer must be Spirit-led to be effective. If God has not called you to it, then do
not do it. Just because someone else is fasting doesn’t mean that you need to fast.

A chosen fast means that God has appointed it and it is set apart for Him. It will minister to
Him and will bring glory and honour to Him. The outcome will be His perfect will in your
circumstances.

When you are called to pray and fast for a specific purpose, you are stating to the supernatural
realm that you are earnest and sincere in desiring God’s will in your situation.

You are showing God that you will not let go of Him until you receive your answer. God sees
that you are committed to the “yes” answer so keep on praying until you receive it!

When you fast, you are notifying heaven that you are committed to
receiving God’s will for your situation.
One more thing to remember, the goal of fasting is not simply to receive the benefits, it is
primarily to draw closer to God as you petition Him with your request(s).