Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough
A Practical Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts
What's it about
Are you seeking a deeper connection with God but feel like your prayers are hitting a ceiling? Discover how the ancient discipline of fasting can break down spiritual barriers and unlock profound new levels of intimacy with the divine, transforming your spiritual life from the inside out. This guide unpacks nine distinct types of biblical fasts, from the disciple's fast for overcoming temptation to the Ezra fast for solving problems. You'll learn the practical steps for each one, understanding not just how to fast, but why, and which fast to choose for your specific spiritual needs.
Meet the author
Dr. Elmer L. Towns is a distinguished college and seminary professor, an ordained minister, and the co-founder of Liberty University, the world’s largest Christian university. His lifelong dedication to biblical education and personal spiritual discipline has equipped millions for a deeper walk with God. Through decades of teaching and personal practice, Dr. Towns developed this practical guide to fasting, born from a passion to help believers experience their own powerful spiritual breakthroughs and renewed intimacy with Christ.
The Script
A master violinmaker stands before two instruments, both crafted from the same centuries-old maple, shaped by the same hands, and strung with identical strings. To the eye, they are perfect twins. But when he draws his bow across the first, the sound is clear, resonant, and fills the workshop with a warmth that seems to vibrate in the very air. When he plays the second, the notes are thin, hollow, almost choked. The sound is technically correct, but it has no life, no soul. The violinmaker isn't surprised. He knows the difference was in the process. The first violin was crafted in a state of focused prayer and quiet communion, each piece assembled with intention. The second was built amidst distraction, worry, and the noise of the outside world, its materials absorbing the tension of its creation.
Many people feel their spiritual lives are like that second violin—technically correct in their beliefs and actions, but producing a sound that feels hollow and disconnected. There’s a persistent sense of something missing, a barrier between them and the vibrant, resonant connection with God they long for. This was a pattern Elmer L. Towns, a distinguished professor of theology and a co-founder of Liberty University, observed not just in his students, but in his own life. He saw a deep hunger for a more profound spiritual experience, yet a frustration with the conventional means of achieving it. This led him on a deep, personal, and historical exploration of one of Christianity's most ancient and powerful disciplines. He wrote Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough as a practical guide born from his own journey to discover how this forgotten practice could restore the soul's resonance and clear the channel for God's voice to be heard, turning a muted faith into a vibrant one.
Module 1: The Why and How of Authentic Fasting
Many people see fasting as a way to twist God's arm. A kind of spiritual hunger strike. The author argues this view is completely wrong. True fasting is about repositioning yourself.
The core idea is simple. Fasting is a tool for worship, humility, and attentiveness to God. It's a way to quiet the noise of your body and your life. This allows you to hear God more clearly. The goal is freedom. As the author notes, if any spiritual practice leads you into bondage, you are doing it wrong.
So what does an authentic fast look like? The book points to the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 58, the people complain. They say, "We have fasted, but you haven't noticed!" God's response is blunt. He tells them their fasting is useless. They fast, but they also exploit their workers. They quarrel and fight. Their ritual is disconnected from their reality.
This leads to a critical insight. God rejects fasting that is merely an external ritual. He isn't impressed by public displays of suffering. Bowing your head or wearing special clothes means nothing if your heart isn't right.
But flip the coin. God then describes the kind of fast He chooses. It's a fast that produces action. A fast that changes the world around you. This is the model the book advocates. It includes actions like freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and housing the poor. It connects personal discipline to social justice and compassion.
So here's what that means for you. A true fast leads to personal repentance and compassionate action. It is about what you start doing. The promise in Isaiah is that this kind of fast brings breakthrough. Your light will break forth like the morning. Your healing will spring forth quickly.
The book also gets practical about the "how." It outlines several physical methods. A Normal Fast involves abstaining from solid food but drinking liquids. An Absolute Fast means no food or water, but this is extremely rare and should be very short. A Partial Fast might mean skipping one meal a day or eating only vegetables for a set time. This is a great starting point for anyone with health concerns or a demanding job. The key is that the method should serve the spiritual purpose, not become a rigid rule.
Next up, we'll see how these principles are applied to specific, targeted fasts.