Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God

by Jentezen Franklin

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER!
Author of several books, including Believe That You Can , Fear Fighters , and The Spirit of Python

In this New York Times Best-Seller and one of the best available books on the topic, Jentezen Franklin explains the spiritual power of fasting and offers a deeper understanding of God’s plan for fasting and the benefits available to those who participate. The book contains inspiring and practical information that readers need to know in order to access the power of biblical fasting. Those who seek God through fasting can expect tremendous rewards for their personal lives as well as for the church. They will see breakthroughs in many areas such as healing, finances, unhealthy dependencies and family relationships. This book also gives stories of those who have reaped miraculous rewards from this simple act of faith.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian Living, Spirituality, Religion, Faith

256 pages, Hardcover

First published December 14, 2007

About the author

Jentezen Franklin (born July 21, 1962) is the senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia and Free Chapel OC (Orange County) in Irvine, California. Franklin is the author of New York Times best sellers, Right People, Right Place, Right Plan and Fasting. His ministry extends internationally through the televised broadcast, Kingdom Connection, which is seen on television networks such as TBN and The Church Channel

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. From the subtitle, and from the reviews of other readers, I hoped for so much more. But this introduction to the neglected discipline of fasting was so disappointing, so shallow.

The fine print on the pages following the title page reveals Franklin's true opinions. "Previously published...as Fasting: The Private Discipline That Brings Public Reward (copyright 2004) and Fasting: Opening a Door to God's Promises (copyright 2006)." Stripped of its new cover (figuratively speaking), the book is revealed to be interlaced with prosperity doctrine. Franklin makes some solid points (though his exegesis tends to be overly inventive). Then he brings his points home with testimonial after testimonial of people whose fasting brought Results, i.e. prosperity, healings, dramatic rescues, and often within the month or within the year of the fasting episode.

The soul that looks to see if Results are happening has already looked away from the Master. The Result most precious to God is the soul that whispers, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

I would recommend the classic God's Chosen Fast, by Arthur Wallis--probably the best book ever written on fasting.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but mostly testimonies (which are great for building faith).

Unfortunately, there were a few principals he makes in the book that he seems to support biblically, but the scriptures he uses to support them are stretched QUITE a bit to make his point, and he often gets quite inventive with how he uses scripture to back up some of his points. This only happened a small handful of times, and the points he made were good and I will take and apply to my life, but I can not say it is a biblical promise to hold on to. The rest of the book is great. The Lord really used the book to speak directly to me and help me continue an extended fast.

[Sunshine Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books written by Jentezen Franklin, so I was excited to read "Fasting." I also watched the corresponding DVD that comes with the book. I read this book while I was setting aside time to fast and pray, so I received timely encouragement and insight through these pages.

Tommy Tenney wrote the Foreword.

"For me, fasting has been the secret to obtaining open doors, miraculous provision, favor, and the tender touch of God upon my life" (pg. 3).

"Fasting will bring you into destiny. Fasting will bring you into alignment with God's plan for your life" (pg. 236).

Section One: The Private Discipline that brings Public Reward
Section Two: Opening a Door to God's Promises

"Fasting prepares the way for God to give you fresh revelation, fresh vision, and clear purpose" (pg. 47).

Jentezen defines biblical fasting (not dieting) and the types of fasts, the different levels of fasts, and shares practical tips as well as what to expect (like headaches).

I liked that the author warned against watching any food commercials (I hear you!).
He said that Satan hates when you fast.
Jentezen also dives into the importance of continual prayer and how Fasting breaks the spirit of heaviness.

"When you fast and pray, you should expect miracles to follow" (pg. 92).

Each Section starts with a Bible verse as well as a "Reflect and Pray as you Read" page at the end of each chapter.

"Battles are won and lives are changed as a result of fasting" (pg. 140).

The author uses excerpts from inspirational books, Scripture passages of Bible characters who fasted as well as sharing personal stories and real-life testimonies of miracles, salvations, breakthroughs and healings that happened to himself and to other people (including members from his Church, Free Chapel).

"Get ready for the presence of Jesus like you have never had before" (pg. 66).

[Margie Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! What a blessing it has been to read on this important subject and be motivated to do as God desires. I highly recommend it for Christians who are seeking guidance on the discipline of fasting in the life of the believer.

[Jessin Stalnaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to learn about fasting, this is the book to read. Chew the meat. Spit out the bones.

[Mercy Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ audio. This is FANTASTIC! I cannot recommend enough. It has completely altered my view of fasting and made me so much more excited and expectant! I am going to make fasting a regular occurrence in my life!

[Kelly Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fasting is an important discipline that we often overlook. I've visited several churches in the last year, and I heard many many messages about prayer, a few about giving (tithing, especially), and none about fasting.
I know that I have fallen into thinking of fasting as giving up any variety of things in order to focus more on God (and usually time management). This book was a good reminder of the importance of giving up some or all food and learning to hunger for God.
The author also talks about the importance of community and unity and having your group, ministry, family, or church coming together to fast at the beginning of each year.
The book is full of testimonies from his church members, but it also includes quite a bit of Scripture. There were a few things that I would skim over that I personally didn't jive with, but overall, it definitely increased my interest and desire to include more fasting in my life and to be part of a group that includes fasting as a regular yearly discipline.

[Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book keeps getting better and better! It has helped greatly with my 21-day fasting. Very inspirational.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I wasn't reading this book for religious purposes, I found some of the information to be insightful. Not the most informative resource, but it was okay.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an inadequate background on fasting and Jentezen Franklin has certainly pointed me in the right direction.I particularly enjoyed the Bible studies from the times of the great prophets of Israel -especially Daniel-and will certainly revisit the book again to commit to memory some of the important promises they were given.

[Frank Theising · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the past 17 years of regular church attendance, I have heard enumerable sermons on the importance of Bible study, prayer, or giving but can’t recall a single message devoted to fasting. By my count there are 91 verses in the Bible that reference fasting. Jesus said “when you fast…” not “if you fast…” (Mt 16:6), yet fasting seems to have all but disappeared as a Christian discipline in America. I am no exception to this and picked this one up to learn more on the subject. It probably wasn’t the best choice. While there is some good information (more on that below), the overriding lesson of Jentezen Franklin’s book seems to be that we fast to get something.

A prosperity gospel message is apparent right from the first page when the author notes how he was fasting when his ministry received its first million-dollar gift (3). It continues throughout the book:

- Fasting releases the anointing, the favor, and the blessing of God on your life (4).
- God delights in giving rewards and when you fast in secret He will reward you openly (15).
- Fasting brings healing to your body as well as financial prosperity and blessings of God (16).
- If you begin to fast on a regular basis…it is directly linked to poverty being removed from your life (90).
- Joseph, Daniel, and Solomon all fasted and they were some of the wealthiest men in the Bible (91).
- After fasting…You will be greatly rewarded! (106).

In addition to statements like these, the book is full of glowing testimonials of unexpected financial windfalls or healing “…only three days into a fast for a loved one and the cancer was completely cured” (55). The author adds some qualifications near the end (fasting doesn’t make God do anything (182), etc.) but it is buried amongst all the shady statements and promises of health and wealth. The book also speaks of fasting to ward off demon spirits that “attach themselves to our lives as generational curses, bondages, strongholds of the mind, lust, perversion, and addictions of every kind” (62). While I certainly believe in spiritual warfare, I detest people blaming their own sinful decisions on devils that made them do it. Plus, I find the idea of generational courses on Christians unbiblical and absurd.

Now that my negative rant is out of the way, I’ll move onto some of the good in this book:
Fasting is not merely going without food for a period of time; that is dieting. Biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose (9). The Bible records many different circumstances, types, and lengths of fasts. He breaks them into three subsets: the absolute fast (eating/drinking nothing), the normal fast (water, no food), and the partial fast (giving up particular foods/drinks for a period of time)(32). When choosing which type of fast you will conduct, if it means something to you, it will mean something to God. If it isn’t a sacrifice for you, it won’t mean anything to God (35). Without being combined with prayer and Bible Study, fasting is little more than dieting (36).

Fasting is a means of renewing yourself spiritually. The discipline of fasting breaks you out of the world’s routine, sharpens you, and makes you sensitive to the Holy Spirit (69). Fasting from TV or computer games is not fasting, though it may be good to put those aside for a time. Fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is not a Christian diet (though weight loss is a natural side effect) (111-112). You do not fast so that others will notice. It is not an opportunity to show how spiritual you are but to focus on God (112). Too many Christians find they are malnourished in the Word but well fed on the world, and they live defeated lives as a result (123). It is biblical to fast and seek God for the right direction in your life (177).

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you want to please God, believe God. Take Him at His Word."
For the last few years, I have begun the year with a partial food fast. Some people don't understand it. But as a Christian, I grew up doing random fasting or seeing my parents participating in fasts. So as an adult, I understand the concept of it. However, reading this book gave such a clearer picture of what the Bible says about fasting and why Christians not only can but should fast. Namely: because Jesus did it. And if Jesus did it, then I believe we should. (Outside of being killed, because He sacrificed Himself FOR us...and YOU.) Franklin breaks down what fasting isn't, and what fasting is.
So anyone who is going on a fast, I believe this book is a MUST READ. For anyone who is in need of a breakthrough in prayer, I believe fasting in a must, and this book will explain why.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was very little on actually helping you with the process of fasting. It was a little to prosperity gospel for me. "When I fasted God gave me a million dollars". I credit that he did, however, finally in the last chapters discuss why we should really fast and that is because of obedience and our love for the Father. That as believers we are all called to fast. It would have made for a better book if he would have just written about that.

[Not Now...Mommy's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Very informative and well-written! I have already begun to make fasting a regular part of my spiritual life and plan to join the 21-day fast at the beginning of 2012! =)

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book on fasting I’ve ever read and I am so glad it was. He doesn’t give you some line of bologna about how to fast the one correct way or else you’re doing it wrong. He lays out the simplicity of there being different kinds of fasts and why it is we fast, or why we should anyway. This book was full of testimonies of people who fasted and what God did through their obedience and seeking hearts, and I for one was intrigued from beginning to end. I also like how he broke down so many different stories from the Bible and explained how they fasted and why, the history of things is always a plus for me. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a deeper understanding of fasting and the power it invokes. 5 stars.

[Ada Tarcau · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not a bad book on fasting, actually quite motivating and helpful/hopeful much of the time (i have especially found motivating the bible references).

At times i wanted to give it up when encountering charismatic jargon & hints of prosperity gospel. But the author corrects it to a better course, underlining the scriptural emphasis on holiness and detachment from the cravings of the flesh.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing. I can't believe having grown up a Christian I never learned or studied about the power behind fasting. After reading this book I began fasting and saw blessings come into my life. I led a meeting and taught the lessons I learned from this book and so far from my life. There is power in this Christian discipline for sure.

[Seanna Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo good! Highly recommend if you want to learn more about fasting or if you want something to read during your fast!

[Arjen Admirant · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspiring book, but it misses depht

[Lauralauralaura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up a bit disappointed after reading this book. There were many great stories about the result of fasting but it felt very much like prosperity gospel talk.
I appreciated the part on fasting is sanctifying but there was no talk on fasting and its correlation with suffering.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love his writing style😊 can’t wait for his new book to make its way to my house in the mail.

[Dave Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started on a bad note, but ended in what is probably the best book on fasting that I have personally read. I think it's not perfect and I hope to read better books on the subject, but overall, still very good.

It started by making unsubstantiated claims, assumptions, unexplained premises, and a bit of pseudoscience. Not good. Let's start with the science. Franklin takes a very "science lite" approach to his explanation. Not bad in itself, but in essence he talks about fasting cleansing toxins from your body (provable), then describes all the toxic buildup in your body by food and its causes, and then even goes so far as saying if you fast you can reverse almost any ailment, even curb some of the effects of aging (not provable). The problem with that explanation is that it lets the definition of "toxin" be determined by the reader, and thus it ultimately seems like someone talking about "cooties" and how snake oil can treat your cooties. The science isn't really that important for the topic and can be forgiven. Heck it should have been cut from the book altogether, I think, except for a general caution to seek professional medical advice while fasting (which he definitely does). The opening chapter is probably the weakest out of the whole book, and it shouldn't be that way. When you are explaining something, you should really take your time and build a foundation for your argument, that way the person reading can follow your reasoning. He didn't really do that in the opening chapter. Instead he made claims about how fasting can cause miraculous things in your life, and then proceeds to innumerate all the miracles that will happen. Now, I believe in miracles, but as the foundational argument for fasting, I think it would be far more prudent to say that fasting is but one gateway to God's miraculous provision but still leave room for God's providence. It almost seemed like the author was saying all these things can and will happen, which seems irresponsible. He also made certain claims like "to get the thirty fold return, give; to get the sixty fold return, give and pray; to get the hundred fold return, give, pray, and fast." In that respect, meaning the return on giving explained in Mark chapter 4. I'm not offended by this, but there was no explanation. So why should I take his word for it? Again he makes other similar claims like "fasting is how you present your body as a 'living sacrifice', holy and acceptable to God" (as found in Romans 12). Again, no explanation, though it's an intriguing premise that I wished he expounded upon. My other gripe is that he totally sounds like someone within the Church of God or similar Pentecostal denomination--nothing wrong with that, but it just irks me, personally, and there are many quirks from that culture that he embodies.

Despite the poor start, the overall book was great! After that first chapter, he really changes gears. He obviously goes into the "what" of fasting: what fasting is, and all the details associated with it. And he gives great explanations there. But I think his greatest achievement here is that he successfully explains the "why" of fasting like I've never heard it before. The overall message that I took away was just how important fasting is, and just how serious and holy it is in God's eyes. And I think that's the most important message of all. Too many Christians dismiss fasting as unimportant. But Franklin goes on to describe the biblical precedent for it throughout the Old and New Testaments. But I think the best part of the book is that he goes into great detail about the effects of fasting. He mentioned many, many testimonies of people in his church who had tremendous breakthroughs and miracles during their annual time of corporate fasting and prayer, and that really impacted me.

Every Christian needs to be educated about fasting, because it's an essential spiritual discipline for every believer. And I think this is a great starting point for any believer.

[Ray Kha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fasting-biblical fasting is not merely going without food for a period of time-that is dieting-or may be starving-but fasting it is not. This iconic opening line dropped by jaw and almost popped out my eye 😂😜.
The three duties of christians: Giving, Praying and Fasting. Basically, this book has focused over this three things and another thing is seek god first and everything else shall be given to you. This book has some very inspiring testimonies including writer’s himself and so many verses from bible too and I do think its a must read book :)))
#happyreading
#blessedreading
#fastingprayingandgiving

[Jennifer Tritsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, and it encouraged me in my commitment to fasting. I enjoyed reading it, and I definitely walked away with plenty in my pocket. But, I must admit, it wasn’t as in-depth as I was hoping for, as far as teaching goes. If multiple personal testimonies and quick, no beating around the bush details in fasting are what you’re looking for, then this is the book for you. It’s very easy to read and comprehend and has some great points. But, if you’ve already got a decent handle on fasting, both in understanding and in practice, and you’re wanting some in-depth biblical teaching, then this is not the book you’re looking for.

[Tim Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book on fasting. This book really encouraged me when I was on a fast. It is full of practical ideas of what to do when fasting as well as testimonies of people beleiving God to move on their or their family's behalf for breakthroughs that they did receive as a result of fasting and prayer. If you have never fasted or if you have fasted for years, GET THIS BOOK!! This is a MUST READ!!!!

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone who wants to take their relationship with God to the next level. It's a short, easy read that teaches fasting is not just for "fanatics"... it's for everyone. After this book, I stopped fasting in response to problems. I scheduled it as part of my week... every week.

[Paul Bard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really simple practical insight into the role of fasting in the Christian life. Since Ramadan ended yesterday, where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for 30 days, it has gone a long way to explaining why Islam is empowered by fasting. Christians have neglected the Biblical duty to fast, and thus have suffered for it.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd time reading it’s a great and simple book. Not as in depth as some may want, but for those thinking fasting is a waste of time this classic gives such a defense.

2nd time reading through and it’s just as encouraging as the first time. It’s so simple, and really puts fasting in a perspective anyone can understand!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book several times when I was on a modified fast for seven weeks just after Christmas 09'. It was one of the most peaceful and spiritual times of my life. Even though he is not of my faith, his book was a great inspiration to me.

[Greg Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the importance of fasting and prayer! Biblically based, with many great testimonies of breakthroughs in lives of ordinary people! The discipline of fasting, combined with prayer, should be a regular habit of the maturing Christian!