Christians Don't Want to Talk about Fasting, So I Must Talk About It

I fast every month, once or twice, but always for my own breakthrough. For this coming July, the Lord told me to fast for His people—Yes, I will fast and pray for you this July.

Dear Readers, Brothers, and Sisters in Christ:

Jesus commanded us to fast in secret — true, but not to keep our habit of fasting a secret.

In Jewish culture back then, fasting was promoted, but in a culture that normalizes food addiction, we should openly proclaim the power of fasting and prayer.

“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:31 & 2 Corinthians 10:17

Go tell others about fasting, boast about fasting, share its benefits. By doing so, you plant the seed of fasting in them and inspire them to ask God about it.

That’s how I got into fasting. I watched many YouTube videos about fasting as worship and sacrifice. I began to ask God in my prayers if He wanted me to fast.

To clarify, before fasting for spiritual breakthroughs, I practiced intermittent fasting daily for half a year. I still fast 18-20 hours each day and eat within a 4-6 hour window, but that's for health and fitness.

“This kind only goes out by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21

When I fasted for God for the first time, I extended my intermittent fasting only by 3 hours past my usual mealtime, and I already experienced a breakthrough — I was delivered once and for all from my chronic, daily, anxiety attacks.

I wrote about that experience here: Chronic Sins Might be the Cause of Your Chronic Anxiety

That unbelievably easy and fruitful fast encouraged me to fast more. At first, 24 hours, and then 32 hours, and then 40 hours, and then 48 hours, and now, 72 hours.

That’s what I’ll be doing this July, a three-day water fast.

A piece of my writing in Jan 2022, before I was born again

This past June, I only fasted once, and only for 36 hours. Nothing really happened. And to me, who always expects something from my fast, that’s not acceptable (yes, be stubborn in your faith and expect miracles).

---

---

I still believe that as long as you fast, God rewards you with a breakthrough. If nothing happens—neither spiritually nor circumstantially—it means you need to extend the fast until a breakthrough comes.

Esther fasted for three days before she went to the king. Daniel didn’t get his prayer answered until the twenty-first day. It takes time for angels to move and break through the enemy’s realm to deliver the Word of God. Our breakthrough is the result of God's angels literally breaking through Satan’s kingdom. Our fast moves angels around, and our prayers during fasting stir up the spiritual realm.

Yes, you heard me right—I am saying that not all prayers are equally effective. It depends on what you pray about, who you are, and how your walk with God is.

• Prayers of the righteous are powerful. (James 5:16)

• Prayers from the flesh or soul don’t receive answers like prayers in the spirit do. (John 4:24)

• Prayers get answered 100% when the one who prays abides in Jesus. (John 15:7)

(Satan and his demons are not in hell, unfortunately. They are lurking around, seeking someone to devour and to block your prayers from being answered. If you’re interested in this topic, leave a comment.)

Fasting is THE WAY to crucify your flesh and strengthen your spirit. When you fast, you’ll know what praying in spirit and in truth feels like.

Throughout June, I’ve been trying to start a three-day fast as I did in May, but I couldn’t find the resolution — it’s like my life is not turbulent enough and I’m not desperate enough for a miracle.

That’s a dangerous zone to stay in — contentment, complacency.

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.”
Proverbs 1:32

The nudge to fast longer didn’t leave me the entire month, and finally, the Lord spoke to me clearly—

“Fast for others.”

You must read the Bible during fasting or your won’t make it. The Word of God is literally food for life.

Now, I want to share how I knew it was God.

(I shared how I knew it was God before: The Sacrifice God Asks of Me to Enter His Covenant)

• Internally, the Word came to me like rain to drought, scissors to entanglement.

• Externally, it precisely diagnosed my problem by offering a solution.

• Last but not least, it sounded like Him—simple, clear, direct, and out of the blue.

God clarifies and solves our problems by commanding us to do something we can’t understand at first.

My problem is self-focus.

My goals, my vision, my whereabouts, my business, my creativity, my relationships, my face, my skin, my body, my hair — it’s all about me, my, mine.

I seek the Lord — and I dare to say, diligently — but I’m mostly focusing on what, why, and how, and not enough on who, His people.

“Humility is not to think less of yourself but to think of yourself less.”
—C.S Lewis

In my post last Friday, I dissected God’s epic question, “Who told you that you are naked”, and pointed out that the first sign of sin is the awakening of self.

Unfortunately, being a born-again believer, having a new heart and a renewed mind, I still fall into that pit. I still need to crucify the old man over and over. I still need to humble myself every other day; otherwise, God will stretch out His hand to humble me — and trust me, you don’t want Him to do it for you.

I couldn’t have come this far without prayers. And as I’m typing this, there are people praying for me. There are people who have been praying for me.

The prayers of the righteous are powerful.

I witnessed the manifestation of my prayers for others.

I testified to others’ prayers for me happening.

Asking for prayers is an act of strength, not of weakness.

Only the strong dare to be vulnerable, dare to risk, to love, and to give.

I remember the first time I asked for prayers at my first church, the first time I prayed with other believers, the first time I raised my hands over my head, and the first time we laid hands on each other. I felt so awkward and self-conscious, but the more I deny myself, the more confident I am, and the less fear of men I have.

The fear of men, like addiction, does not leave you the moment you are born again—it only begins to leave you when you give your life to Jesus.

A Poem of Pier Paolo Pasolini

So today, I’m asking you to kill your self-consciousness and hit that fear of men in the face by requesting a prayer from me.

I believe that maybe—just maybe—the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for will come through prayers of this sister whom you may never meet in person, who will rejoice in her obedience to the Father by fasting for you.

For sure I could picture my fasting and prayer as a thanksgiving to my readers—but that’s not why I’m doing it.

I’m far from perfect. I don’t give out of generosity, I don’t serve out of humility, I don’t fast out of holiness, I don’t love out of the goodness of my heart—

None of those I do because of who I am. I do it because God commands so, and in my obedience, I’m sanctified and pruned, bit by bit, into generosity, humility, holiness, and goodness, and bear every other fruit of the spirit.

I’m not fasting and praying for others because I’m more qualified to intercede. I’m doing it because God asked me to. I’m not going the extra mile in my faith but merely trying to meet the very basics as a follower of Christ—obedience.

So brothers and sisters, bless me with your prayer requests and help me obey the Lord.

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never fasted for others or even fasted for God — if God wants you to in the future, you’ll know. My prayer is that when that day comes, you will feel inspired by what I’m doing and you will obey the Lord without hesitation.

With Love,

Alice

---

This is how you can send your prayer request:

• DM me on Substack (feel free to be specific)

• Leave a comment under this post (others will see and be encouraged)

• Send to my subscriber chat on Substack (others will see and be encouraged)

I’ll update you when my fasting ends, and do keep me posted, especially when your prayers are answered.

🕊️Choose your preferred channel and send your prayer request to Alice now:

If you want to join my Fast⚡️to Speed group (a monthly fasting challenge and accountability group), send the emoji 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏽‍♂️ in this subscriber chat: