There are a few things to avoid when fasting and praying.
Prayer and fasting are practised periodically via the Bible. Fasting is not a Christian diet, you should not fast to lose weight, although weight loss is a natural side effect. If one does not associate prayer with fasting, one does not need to fast.
We see God’s people in both the Old Testament and New Testament fast and pray in order to seek God’s face and what He is calling them to. Read more about this in Matthew 4, Esther 4, Nehemiah 9.
Giving up food alone means simply starving. When fasting, one concentrates on prayer and the Word of God. Fasting is empty without the main component of prayer.
There are several ways to fast and pray but one needs to pray to know God’s mind concerning which one he/she should do. The ways include Water only fast, Juice fast, Daniel fast (this fast consists of consuming mainly fruits, vegetables, and water), and Media fast.
When we pray during a fast, we set aside our physical concerns and diligently seek the heart of God through life-changing prayer.
Read Beautiful Good Morning Prayer Messages Here.
One does not fast in order to gain merit with God or to get rid of sin. There is only one thing that gives us merit with God and cleanses us from sin, the blood of Jesus.
Things to Avoid When Fasting and Praying
Avoiding certain things during fasting and prayers opens the way for your blessings. No matter how committed is your fasting and prayers, if you fail to avoid these things, it would jeopardize your fasting and makes it a speck of dust before God. Below are the things to avoid when fasting and praying:
- Avoid idolatry
- Avoid social media contents that are unhealthy to the heart
- Avoid uncleanness
- Don’t try to replace food with water
- Avoid worldly gestures and dressing
- Don’t drink alcohol
- Don’t forget your prayer guide for focus and direction
- Avoid backbite
- Avoid acidic fruits
- Avoid envy
- Avoid lying and stealing
- Avoid bad conversation that promotes sins or sexual desires
- Avoid variance and hatred
- Don’t hold grudges or malice or any form of negativity towards your neighbour
- Avoid adultery
- Avoid unforgiveness
- Avoid selfish prayers
- Avoid quarrelling
- Avoid sin in every form
- Avoid conflict with your spouse or anyone
- Avoid spiritual and physical opposition
- Avoid hypocrisy
- Avoid indiscretion to exposure to people and things
- Avoid greediness
- Avoid stinginess
- Avoid jealousy
- Don’t announce your fast
- Avoid fornication
- Avoid disobedience
- Avoid heresies and seditions
- Avoid self-pity
- Avoid meaningless/unproductive engagements
- Avoid weak bible study life
- Avoid evil imagination
- Avoid pride and anger
- Avoid unbelief and doubt
- Avoid breaking your fast rapidly/with hard food
Recommended: