7 Steps To A Fruitful Prayer and Fasting Experience, referrences from Dr. Bill Bright.

INTRODUCTION
How you begin and conduct your fast will largely
determine your success. By following these seven
basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with
the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding.
STEP 1: Set Your Objective
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for
guidance, for healing, for the resolution of
problems, for special grace to handle a difficult
situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading
and objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable
you to pray more specifically and strategically.
Through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves
before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls,
awaken our churches, and heal our land according
to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your
fasting.
STEP 2: Make Your
Commitment
Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake.
Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast
(Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14,15) For Him it was a matter
of when believers would fast, not if they would do it.
Before you fast, decide the following up front:
How long you will fast – one meal, one
day, a week, several weeks, forty days
(Beginners should start slowly, building
up to longer fasts.)
The type of fast God wants you to
undertake (such as water only, or water
and juices; what kinds of juices you will
drink and how often).
What physical or social activities you will
restrict.
How much time each day you will devote
to prayer and God's Word.
Making these commitments ahead of time will help
you sustain your fast when physical temptations
and life's pressures tempt you to abandon it.
STEP 3: Prepare Yourself
Spiritually
The very foundation of fasting and prayer is
repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your
prayers. Here are several things you can do to
prepare your heart:
Ask God to help you make a
comprehensive list of your sins.
Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit
calls to your remembrance and accept
God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Seek forgiveness from all whom you
have offended, and forgive all who have
hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3,4).
Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads
you.
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit
according to His command in Ephesians
5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14,15.
Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ
as your Lord and Master; refuse to obey
your worldly nature (Romans 12:1,2).
Meditate on the attributes of God, His
love, sovereignty, power, wisdom,
faithfulness, grace, compassion, and
others (Psalm 48:9,10; 103:1-8, 11-13).
Begin your time of fasting and prayer
with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6).
Do not underestimate spiritual
opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies
the natural battle between body and
spirit (Galatians 5:16,17).
STEP 4: Prepare Yourself
Physically
Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult
your physician first, especially if you take
prescription medication or have a chronic ailment.
Some persons should never fast without
professional supervision.
Physical preparation makes the drastic change in
your eating routine a little easier so that you can
turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
Do not rush into your fast.
Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals
before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and
sugary foods.
Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days
before starting a fast.
Next: While You Fast
Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are
abstaining from all solid foods and have begun to
seek the Lord. Here are some helpful suggestions
to consider:
Avoid drugs, even natural herbal drugs
and homeopathic remedies. Medication
should be withdrawn only with your
physician's supervision.
Limit your activity.
Exercise only moderately. Walk one to
three miles each day if convenient and
comfortable.
Rest as much as your schedule will
permit.
Prepare yourself for temporary mental
discomforts, such as impatience,
crankiness, and anxiety.
Expect some physical discomforts,
especially on the second day. You may
have fleeting hunger pains, dizziness, or
the “blahs.” Withdrawal from caffeine
and sugar may cause headaches.
Physical annoyances may also include
weakness, tiredness, or sleeplessness.
The first two or three days are usually the hardest.
As you continue to fast, you will likely experience a
sense of well-being both physically and spiritually.
However, should you feel hunger pains, increase
your liquid intake.
STEP 5: Put Yourself on a
Schedule
For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time
to be alone with the Lord. Listen for His leading.
The more time you spend with Him, the more
meaningful your fast will be.
Morning
Begin your day in praise and worship.
Read and meditate on God's Word,
preferably on your knees.
Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to
will and to do His good pleasure
according to Philippians 2:13.
Invite God to use you. Ask Him to show
you how to influence your world, your
family, your church, your community,
your country, and beyond.
Pray for His vision for your life and
empowerment to do His will.
Noon
Return to prayer and God's Word.
Take a short prayer walk.
Spend time in intercessory prayer for
your community's and nation's leaders,
for the world's unreached millions, for
your family or special needs.
Evening
Get alone for an unhurried time of
“seeking His face.”
If others are fasting with you, meet
together for prayer.
Avoid television or any other distraction
that may dampen your spiritual focus.
When possible, begin and end each day on your
knees with your spouse for a brief time of praise
and thanksgiving to God. Longer periods of time
with our Lord in prayer and study of His Word are
often better spent alone.
A dietary routine is vital as well. Dr. Julio C. Ruibal –
a nutritionist, pastor, and specialist in fasting and
prayer – suggests a daily schedule and list of juices
you may find useful and satisfying. Modify this
schedule and the drinks you take to suit your
circumstances and tastes.
5 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Fruit juices, preferably freshly squeezed
or blended and diluted in 50 percent
distilled water if the fruit is acid. Apple,
pear, grapefruit, papaya, watermelon, or
other fruit juices are generally preferred.
If you cannot do your own juicing, buy
juices without sugar or additives.
10:30 a.m. - noon
Fresh vegetable juice made from lettuce,
celery, and carrots in three equal parts.
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Herb tea with a drop of honey. Avoid
black tea or any tea with caffeine.
6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Broth made from boiling potatoes, celery,
and carrots with no salt. After boiling
about half an hour, pour the water into a
container and drink it.
Tips on Juice Fasting
Drinking fruit juice will decrease your
hunger pains and give you some natural
sugar energy. The taste and lift will
motivate and strengthen you to continue.
The best juices are made from fresh
watermelon, lemons, grapes, apples,
cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, or leafy
green vegetables. In cold weather, you
may enjoy a warm vegetable broth.
Mix acidic juices (orange and tomato)
with water for your stomach's sake.
Avoid caffeinated drinks. And avoid
chewing gum or mints, even if your
breath is bad. They stimulate digestive
action in your stomach.
STEP 6: End Your Fast
Gradually
Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods
immediately after your fast. Suddenly reintroducing
solid food to your stomach and digestive tract will
likely have negative, even dangerous,
consequences. Try several smaller meals or snacks
each day. If you end your fast gradually, the
beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in
continued good health.
Here are some suggestions to help you end your
fast properly:
Break an extended water fast with fruit
such as watermelon.
While continuing to drink fruit or
vegetable juices, add the following:
First day: Add a raw salad.
Second day : Add baked or boiled
potato, no butter or seasoning.
Third day : Add a steamed vegetable.
Thereafter : Begin to reintroduce your
normal diet.
Gradually return to regular eating with
several small snacks during the first few
days. Start with a little soup and fresh
fruit such as watermelon and cantaloupe.
Advance to a few tablespoons of solid
foods such as raw fruits and vegetables
or a raw salad and baked potattoes
STEP 7: Expect Results
If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord,
repent, pray, and seek God's face; if you
consistently meditate on His Word, you will
experience a heightened awareness of His presence
(John 14:21). The Lord will give you fresh, new
spiritual insights. Your confidence and faith in God
will be strengthened. You will feel mentally,
spiritually, and physically refreshed. You will see
answers to your prayers.
A single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all.
Just as we need fresh infillings of the Holy Spirit
daily, we also need new times of fasting before God.
A 24-hour fast each week has been greatly
rewarding to many Christians.
It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles.
If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not
be discouraged. You may have tried to fast too long
the first time out, or your may need to strengthen
your understanding and resolve. As soon as
possible, undertake another fast until you do
succeed. God will honor you for your faithfulness.
I encourage you to join me in fasting and prayer
again and again until we truly experience revival in
our homes, our churches, our beloved nation, and
throughout the world.