Things not to do while fasting as a Christian

Things not to do while fasting as a Christian

If you feel called to go on a spiritual fast, that’s great! You’re doing the right thing.

You might not be sure what you shouldn’t do while fasting and praying. What to do during fasting—and what not to do? Or, what foods should you eat when you are fasting and praying? Then you don’t need to look any further; this page will answer all of your questions.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:16, “When you fast, don’t make it obvious like hypocrites do.” He didn’t ask if you fasted, but when you did. So, all people who follow Jesus are expected to fast, according to the Bible.

Jesus went without food for forty days and nights. Everyone who believes has a spiritual duty to fast. It’s not just for a small number of people or those who are very spiritual. It’s for all Christians and all people who follow Christ.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of fasting. People fast for different reasons, such as self-discipline or health, but mostly for spiritual reasons.

All kinds of fasting require sacrifice. Most of the time, this means giving up food and drink for a certain amount of time, but some people also give up things that take up their time or keep them from being with God.

Things not to do while fasting as a Christian

What Foods Should You Eat When You Fast and Pray?

You will eat different foods depending on the type of fast you are doing.Each type of fast has its own set of rules and activities that participants can partake in.Some of these types of fasts and the things they allow are:

Lent: This lasts for 40 days. During Lent, Catholics aren’t allowed to eat their favorite foods, and they can’t eat meat on Ash Wednesday or any Friday during their fast.

2. The Daniel Fast is a 21-day fast during which you can only eat plant-based foods. You can eat fruits, whole grains, vegetables, plant-based spices, oil, and nuts, but you can’t eat fish, animal products, wine, or sweets.

The White Fast is like the Daniel Fast, but it is more strict. People who do this fast don’t eat anything with salt, pepper, oil, flour, or sugar.

4. Dry fasting: This is the hardest type of fasting because you can’t eat or drink for 24 hours or more.

You can also choose to do a regular fast, at the end of which you can eat whatever you want. You can break your fast at noon, three, six, nine, or whenever God gives you the strength to keep going.

Fasting and prayer go hand in hand. Even if you only pray, God will hear you. However, when you pray and fast at the same time, you move God’s hand.

It tells God that this is an important problem that needs to be fixed right away. There are some “kinds” of battles we will face as Christians that won’t end unless we pray and fast.

In Matthew 17:14–21, the disciples ask Jesus why they couldn’t heal a man whose son had seizures. Jesus tells them it was because they didn’t believe in him.

He tells them that if they have faith, they will be able to move mountains. But then, in verse 17, he says, “But this kind doesn’t go away unless you pray and fast.” So, you need a mix of faith, prayer, and fasting to win this kind of battle against the devil and his demons.

You should also know that fasting isn’t just for when things are bad. It gives us a chance to refresh our souls and hunger for God like we hunger for food. It’s a chance to be with God, to be humble in front of him, and to hear his voice.

Imagine having a friend who only said “hello” when they needed help and then forgot about you after they got it.

You’d get tired of that kind of friendship quickly, wouldn’t you? A relationship with God is something that goes both ways. We talk to God and listen to what he wants for our lives.

Now that we know that fasting and praying are part of our duties as God’s children, we should also know what to do and what not to do when fasting and praying. And what can you eat when you fast, according to the Bible?

10 Things not to do while fasting as a Christian

1. Avoid looking gloomy.

When you are fasting and praying, one of the first things you should try not to do is look sad. Matthew 6:16 says, “When you fast, don’t look sad like hypocrites do.” “They make their faces ugly so that other people can see them fasting.”

“Truly,” I say to you. They got what was coming to them. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that no one else can see it but your Father, who sees everything. And your Father, who sees everything, will give you a reward.

“You are not fasting so that people will praise you for your self-discipline or spirituality.” You are fasting so that you can pour out your heart to God, be humble in front of him, and receive from him.

Even better, the Bible tells us that when we fast, we should put oil on our heads and wash our faces to look even more beautiful.

When you fast next, make sure you wear your best clothes and look bright and beautiful, because everything God made is beautiful and wonderful.

2. Don’t study the Bible in a bad way.

Even if you are not fasting, you should not do this. Every Christian should spend time every day studying the Bible.

The Bible was written to correct us, teach us, and give us hope, and it has a message for you every day. You shouldn’t just read the Bible; you should also study it and think about it.

If you have to read for a test, you can’t just skim through and put the book away. You make notes and study by reading certain parts of the textbook over and over again so that you can remember them.

You should read the Bible the same way you study for an important test: by memorizing verses and making notes. In Psalm 119:11, it says, “I’ve kept your word in my heart, so I won’t do anything wrong against you.”

If you don’t study God’s word and keep it in your heart, you might do things that are wrong in God’s eyes. You can also improve your faith and spiritual growth by reading devotionals and spiritual books written by people who were moved by the Holy Spirit.

3. Don’t watch or listen to secular media.

When you close your eyes to pray, do you ever think about a scene from a movie you just saw where two people are making love? Well, it does happen to a lot of us.

It might be hard to stay away from all secular movies, but you should be careful about what you let into your heart. Movies or music with sensual content, violence, nudity, or other strong themes are not recommended for a Christian, much less one who is fasting.

Some of these movies even make fun of Christianity and poke fun at it. During your fasting time, you should give yourself to God as a living sacrifice, worshipping him and being in his presence.

4. Don’t repeat yourself when you pray.

But when you pray, don’t say the same thing over and over like the heathen do. They do this because they think that if they say a lot, God will hear them (Matthew 6:7, KJV). Jesus tells us not to talk for no reason or say the same words over and over again.

When they pray, some people say the same words over and over, as if they were chanting to a god. Each time they say their chant, they raise the volume of their voice.

They always say the same words, even though they don’t know what they mean or understand what they are saying. Don’t pray to God with chants that sound like you’re talking to an idol.

Believe that God hears you and that he will answer you when you fast and pray. Know that he already knows what you want before you ask. If you need help, you can find a lot of prayer points in books and blogs.

5. Don’t fast without praying first.

This may seem obvious, but it is one of the most important things to avoid when fasting and praying. Intermittent fasting, dieting, and a plan to lose weight are all ways to fast without praying.

During a biblical fast, it is important to pray, and you should do so more than once. Matthew 6:7 says, “But when you pray, don’t repeat the same things over and over like the heathen do.”

In the above Bible verse, Jesus again uses the word “when.” Prayer is another spiritual duty that every Christian must take care of. All people who are God’s children should pray, and they should pray all the time.

As Christians, we know that if we ask God for something that is in line with his will, he will hear us and answer us. When you pray, back up what you say with God’s word. In the name of Jesus, your prayers will be heard.

6. Don’t pray before Thanksgiving.

Now that you know how important prayer is during fasting, you should also know that when you pray, you must give thanks to God; prayer without thanksgiving is not complete.

When you do something nice for someone, it’s common courtesy to expect a thank-you in return. God wants us to tell him “thank you” too. God loves to be praised, and when his people praise him, he feels at home.

Believers have a powerful tool in praise. The Bible is full of stories of people who were saved only because they praised God. Paul and Silas were locked up in a prison with lots of guards. At midnight, they praised God, and the guards let go of their chains.

King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah are another example. On their way to fight the people of Amon, Moab, and Edom, they praised the Lord. These people had a strong army that was much more famous and cruel than the army of Judah.

It seemed like they couldn’t get out of it. Still, God set traps for the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, so they turned on each other and killed themselves without the people of Judah doing anything.

7. Stay out of the spotlight.

In Matthew 6:5–6, Jesus says, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites.” They love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them.

I’m being honest. They have gotten their full reward. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, whom you can’t see. Then your Father, who knows what you do behind closed doors, will give you a reward.

Do not draw attention to yourself when you are fasting and praying. When it’s quiet, pray to the Lord alone.

Some people pray for the wrong reasons. They want others to hear and praise their prayers. Don’t be like these people. Pray with a good heart, and your Father, who sees in secret, will answer you quickly.

8. Don’t do bad things.

This may seem like an obvious thing to avoid when fasting and praying, but it is also important to think about.

The Bible says that a sinner’s prayer is an abomination to God, and 1 Peter 3:12 says that the Lord listens to the prayers of the righteous, not the prayers of the unrighteous. If you sin while you’re fasting, you’re wasting your time, and your prayers won’t get to God.

Real repentance is the only way to get close to God and become a part of his kingdom. Still, the good news is that salvation is free and available to everyone. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and right to forgive us our sins and clean us from all unrighteousness.”

9. Avoid doubting God

Besides sinning, doubting God is another way to waste time during prayer. James 1:6-8 says, “But he must ask in faith, without any doubt, for he who doubts is like the waves of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

That person shouldn’t think that the Lord will give him anything since he has two minds and isn’t stable in any way.

When you don’t believe in God, you don’t believe in his power or ability to save you. You make the God who made the universe smaller than your problem.

So, the Bible says that you will not get anything from God. But if you have faith and pray and fast, you can tell a mountain to move, and it will.

10. Don’t do anything sexual.

When we are fasting and praying, the last thing on our list of things to avoid is doing anything sensual. It goes without saying that only married people can have sexual relations.

It was made to make marriage more fun and bring people together. But during the hours you are fasting, married people should not make love. Instead, they should pray and spend time in God’s presence.

After the fast is over, they can go back and do what they want. Paul says that this should only be for a short time so that people don’t get tempted to sin.

1 Cor. 7:5 Don’t leave each other out, unless you agree to do so for a short time so you can pray alone, but then get back together so that Satan can’t use your lack of self-control to tempt you.

What should I avoid during a fast?
This Bible verse, Isaiah 58:3–10, tells us exactly what we shouldn’t do when we fast and pray, as well as what God wants from us. In this verse, the Israelites wonder why God doesn’t see or accept their fasting and prayer, and Isiah tells them why.

“You don’t understand why the Lord doesn’t notice when you don’t eat and act humble.” But on the days you don’t eat, you only think about yourself and treat your workers badly. “You get so mad that you’re ready to fight.” “It’s no wonder God won’t hear you!”

For your fast to honor God, you must give your whole life to Christ and truly ask for forgiveness. In the name of Jesus, may God give you the strength to do it. (Amen)