Your Daily Bread

Hey there. Coach Alex here.

Today we come to a discipline that can bring a lot to the surface: fasting. Before you decide when to start or how long to go, sit with the question in today’s devotional: Are you hungry for the right things?

In John 4, Jesus has been speaking with the woman at the well. His disciples urge Him to eat, and He tells them that His food is to do the will of the Father who sent Him. He is deeply engaged in the work God has placed before Him, including the person right in front of Him.

Food is a gift from God. Jesus taught us to ask for our daily bread. Here, He also directs our attention to a deeper hunger: the desire to do the Father’s will. Fasting gives us a deliberate occasion to bring our appetites before God and practice attending to Him.

So begin with a purpose. Perhaps you want to pray through a decision, confess a pattern you have been excusing, or become more attentive to someone God has called you to love. Write that down. When you set aside food, give the time and attention to prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

You are not purchasing God’s favor with discomfort. You are coming before Him in dependence. A longer fast does not make you a more valuable disciple, and hunger itself is not a sin. The question is what you will do with this opportunity to turn toward the Lord.

The book describes fourteen to sixteen hours for someone new to fasting and mentions twenty-four hours for a seasoned participant. Those are examples in the devotional, not a schedule that fits every body. Previous fasting experience does not remove health risks. Review the guidance on this page before choosing a food fast.

If you are under eighteen, pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a current or past eating disorder, choose the nonfood practice in the guide. If you have diabetes, take medication, are underweight or frail, or have another health condition, speak with your clinician before going without food. Do not change medication to make a fast work.

If food fasting is appropriate for you, decide your start and finish in advance. Keep drinking water; this guide does not call for going without fluids. Follow any medical fluid instructions you already have. Plan how you will return to a normal meal, and keep your ordinary responsibilities in view.

Do not treat dizziness, shaking, or unusual weakness as something you must endure to prove your faith. End the fast and seek medical advice if you feel unwell. Fainting, confusion, or chest pain require urgent medical help. If you have a prescribed plan for low blood sugar, follow it immediately.

If going without food is unsuitable, keep your meals and choose a different act of self-denial. For example, set aside optional social media for the evening and use that time to read John 4, pray, and respond to a real need. That is an alternative devotional practice, and you can participate wholeheartedly while caring for your body.

Once you have a suitable plan, give prayer a place in it. Choose a time to read John 4:31 through 34 and Matthew 6:16 through 18. In Matthew, Jesus teaches His followers to fast without making a performance for other people. Keep the purpose before God, while telling anyone who needs to know for practical support or safety.

During a food fast, ordinary hunger can remind you to pray. You might say, ‘Father, I depend on You. Help me desire Your will and respond to the work You have given me today.’ Then ask what obedience looks like in the next part of your day.

Maybe there is a conversation you have been putting off. Maybe someone needs encouragement. Maybe you need to turn away from a distraction and attend to a responsibility. Jesus’s words at the well lead us toward doing the Father’s will. Let your prayer become a concrete response.

If you are using the nonfood practice, let the moment you would usually reach for that distraction become your invitation to pray. You do not need to manufacture a dramatic feeling. Read the passage, speak honestly with God, and make room to listen.

At the end, receive your meal with gratitude and return to your usual nourishment. Reflect on what you noticed. What kept drawing your attention? What did you bring to God? What action will you carry forward? If you ended early because you felt unwell, record that honestly and seek guidance before considering another food fast.

Let’s pray. Father, thank You for daily bread and for the work You place before me. Teach me to hunger for Your righteousness. Give me wisdom to care for this body, humility to seek You sincerely, and courage to act on what You have already made clear. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Use the Fasting and Prayer Guide to prepare and reflect. For the full video devotional with me, join the CORPS. All forty video devotionals are there to support you as you continue through the book.

Bring your appetite, your attention, and your next choice before the Lord. Let’s get after it.