Fasting & Prayer - Types of Fasts

There are all kinds of fasts.  Here is a good summary taken from Jentezen Franklin's 2011 Connection magazine, page 11-12. 

FULL FAST:  Drink only liquids - especially water.  On this type of fast you may also take in clear broth and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices in order to maintain your strength.  You establish the number of days for your fast in your prayer time.

PARTIAL FAST:  There are many options for partial fasts.  Below are just a few for you to select from.

• DANIEL FAST:  The most frequently used example of a partial fast is found in Daniel chapter 10.  The Daniel Fast is a fast from meats, sweets, breads and any drink except water, for a specific time period (Daniel 10:2-3).  The easiest way to think of this fast is eating only vegetables and fruits, and drinking only water.
• The following are examples of other types of partial fasts:
• Give up 1 item of food or drink such as caffeine, coffee, soft drinks or sweets
• Give up 1 meal a day for a specific amount of time, 1 meal a week, etc.
• Fast for a specific number of days...  1 day, 3 days, so on.
• Choose to fast from 6am to 3pm or from sun-up to sundown.  When doing this type of fast, consider your work and sleep schedule.  The hours that you sleep should not be considered part of your fasting period, so the timeframe for this type of fast may vary.

And here's some information about making fasting a part of your Christian discipline - I really appreciate this!

If you want to make fasting a way of life, work out a plan for the entire year to include days or meals to fast that works into your lifestyle.  You may decide to fast 1 day a month [consider the first day of each month] or one meal a week.  Many people fast on their loved ones birthdays.  You may even decide to do a partial fast for one week every other month.  The options are endless.  

Matthew 6 is pretty clear about 3 duties Jesus assumed the true seeker would do - Giving, Praying, and Fasting.  I desire fasting to be as much an intrinsic part of my walk as praying and making out a tithe check or giving offerings has become.  For me, I want to begin every year with prayer and fasting and then I want to return to fasting 3 days a month after that.  God has given me the desire to fast, He's provided me with information on a variety of ways I can do that, and now I want to step more fully into His plan for my life.  Thank You Jesus for this!