Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase. (Proverbs 3:9 NKJV)
I have never really liked fasting, even though I haven’t done it very often. The first few times I tried a 23-hour fast, it went better than I expected. So, I attempted fasting while praying for the elections in the fall of 2022. That was an epic fail—all the evil people I had hoped would lose were reelected to state government. After that, I gave up fasting from food.
Last year, our church observed quarterly four-day periods of fasting and prayer. At first, I told myself I would fast from something else, like news or social media, and use that time for extra prayer. But that never happened, so I ended up ignoring the call to fasting altogether.
Recently, however, I have felt more and more nudges to try again—not just for my spiritual health, but for my physical health as well. I wouldn’t say I’m excited about going without food, but I do know that obedience to God brings great benefits. I’ll share an article with you that has helped confirm that I need to reexamine and reenter this ancient, biblical practice. Perhaps, as we enter 2026, you too will hear the voice of your Good Shepherd calling you to this spiritual discipline.
“First Fruits – Starting the Year with Fasting and Prayer” by Steve Porter, Rochester, NY*
January is not just another page on the calendar. It is a threshold, a doorway into the year ahead. And how we step through that doorway matters more than we often realize. Scripture teaches us a quiet but powerful truth: what we give God first, He blesses fully—not what is left over, not what fits conveniently but what is offered willingly, at the beginning.
Jesus never spoke about fasting as a rare spiritual achievement. He spoke of it as an assumption: “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16). Not “if,” when.
Fasting is not for the spiritually elite. It is for the spiritually hungry.
First Fruits Set the Direction
In the Scriptures, first fruits always belonged to God. They were holy, not because of their size but because of their order. When the first portion was offered, the rest was redeemed. In the same way, when we give God the first days of the year, we invite Him to shape everything that follows. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)
January fasting quietly says, “Lord, You are first. You lead, and I will follow. This year is Yours before it is mine.” What we place first often determines what we experience later.
Fasting Softens the Heart and Sharpens the Ear
“So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” (Ezra 8:23 NKJV) Fasting does not persuade God. It prepares us.
“I humbled myself with fasting.” (Psalm 35:13 NKJV) There is a humility that comes when we lay down our appetites, a holy quiet that settles in when the flesh is no longer in charge.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV) Stillness rarely happens by accident; it is chosen. When lesser voices are silenced, the voice of God often becomes clearer.
“This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21 NKJV) Some things do not move with effort alone. Some burdens loosen only when Heaven is sought deeply.
“Is this not the fast that I choose: to release the bonds of wickedness… and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6 NASB) Fasting creates spiritual traction. Prayer gives that traction direction. Jehoshaphat understood this.
“Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3 NKJV) What resists movement often shifts when God’s people humble themselves before Him.
Fasting is not about comparison; it is about obedience. Some are led to a full fast, some to a partial fast, and some to a Daniel fast. For many today, the most revealing fast of all is a fast from noise: media, screens, and constant input. Fasting is never just about removing something; it is about making room. What you lay down should always be replaced with prayer, Scripture, stillness, and listening.
A Call to Intentional Prayer
“Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8 NKJV) This is not casual prayer. This is leaning in. This is lingering. This is bringing the year before God while it is still tender.
Pray for your heart, your family, your calling. Pray for the Church to be pure and unified; for revival to be real, not rehearsed; for the lost to be gathered, and for the nation to be healed.
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV) Fasting gives prayer weight. Prayer gives fasting purpose.
Do not fast because you feel pressured; fast because you are hungry for Him—even one meal, even one day, even one small surrender. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NKJV) God honors willing hearts.
Lord, we bring You the first days of this year. We lay down our appetites, our plans, and our distractions. We humble ourselves before You—not in our strength but in trust. Let clarity replace confusion. Let breakthrough replace resistance. We consecrate this year to prayer and fasting, asking not to be impressive, but to be close. In Jesus’ name, amen.
*https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=33542#word-truncate