Fasting Types

Complete fasting

In complete fasting, you usually do not eat anything for the duration of the fast, be it a day, two, or three. It involves drinking only water or fluids such as juice, especially when it is a fast of over 24 hours. 

Partial (Morning till evening)

This fasting uses either of the paths of complete fasting, that is, either dry fasting or only drinking water, but usually runs from morning till evening before breaking the fast. Some people prefer eating breakfast and not eating anything until they break the fast at night for dinner, while others prefer to fast from dinner to dinner.

Selective/Daniel fast (Certain Kinds of Foods)

This involves choosing to eat only certain kinds of foods and avoiding others over the fast period. Mostly, people avoid meat or sweets, and go for soup only, or fruit and vegetables only, or the juices of the fruits and vegetables, etc. Note that in Daniel 10:3, Daniel ate no bread. Selective fasting is usually designed for mostly 3 or more days, and could go as long as 21 days or even more depending on the person or group engaging in the fast. Selective fast can be from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm or from sunrise to sunset. 

Daniel 10:3 – “I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.

Dry Fast

There are a few instances in the bible where people fasted without food or drink for a short period of time as they sought God.

Esther 3:16 – “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” 

People have erroneously quoted these two portions of scriptures as instances of a 40 days dry fast.

Exodus 34:28

“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” 

Matthew 4:2

“And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” 

In Exodus 34:28, Moses is not said to have been in fasting for those 40 days but he was in the presence of the Lord for those 40 days. When in that very presence, the need for physical nourishment was not these in his physical body. It’s not the same as fasting when you’re not physically in His presence.

In Mathew 4:2, Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights. We’re told  that after those days, he became hungry but we’re not told that He became thirsty. That tells you that he must have been drinking and not eating.

Before you engage in a dry fast (without drinking water or other fluids), make sure you consult a doctor so that they can give you advice.