Hours of Fast

I have been asked by several people how long we will fast, or what are the starting and ending times. We will be fasting on Thursday, May 20th. I will leave the starting and ending times up to each participant. Here are three primary categories:

1. 36-Hour Fast — This is fast that I am going to pursue. Generally speaking, your last meal (before fast begins) is Wednesday night, and you resume eating on Friday morning. It probably won't be exactly 36 hours for most.

If you finished dinner at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, 36 hours later would be 7:00 a.m. Friday morning. Don't worry about counting hours. It is the basic concept of not eating anything on Thursday.

2. 24-Hour Fast — The first approach is a sunset-to-sunset fast. The concept is that you do not eat anything after sunset on Wednesday evening. You resume eating after sunset on Thursday evening. The second approach is a sunrise-to-sunrise fast. You don't eat anything after the sun rises on Thursday morning, and resume eating after sunrise on Friday.

The 24-hour fast might be appropriate for first-time fasters that are apprehensive about "going all day" without eating. Or, it might be a choice for those with certain health concerns.

3. Partial Fast — If your health prevents you from fasting, perhaps you can skip a meal or two.

Remember, the key is that we want to declare our dependence on God, and generate extra time to spend in prayer for Adam.

Important Note About Fasting and Your Health

It is recommended that you always consult your physician prior to beginning any type of fast. If you are poor in health or have concerns about your physical ability to fast, we especially urge you to consult a physician before beginning your fast.