At RiverChurch, we believe that Jesus has called us to a lifestyle of prayer, partnered with fasting. Not just when we need him to speak, or when we are facing a crisis in life, but embracing it as a lifestyle. For that reason, we believe in the importance of making it a regular spiritual discipline that we commit to.
Fasting looks different for each person. As we've studied scripture, we've come to these four common types of biblical fasting: 1. Major Fasts // When you abstain from food or drink for 24 or more consecutive hours. 2. Minor Fasts // When you abstain from food for a certain period of time, for part of a day. This is a fast of food, while drinking liquids during the day and having one small meal after sundown each evening. 3. Partial Fasts // This is giving up certain foods during the course of your fast. This is often called a Daniel Fast, referencing Daniel 1, when Daniel abstains from certain foods out of devotion to God for a period of time. 4. Soul Fast // While biblical fasting refers to abstaining from food, or drink for spiritual purposes, some people are unable to do these kinds of fasts. So they can choose to fast from things other than food: television, social media, or other activities. They replace those activities with significant season of seeking God.