Fasting changes the texture of prayer. Hunger sharpens attention. The body that normally chases comfort is asked to do something harder, and the spirit that is normally distracted by appetite has a chance to be still in ways it usually is not. Prayer points are the structured spiritual tool that has historically gone with fasting – short, declarative, scripture-anchored statements that the body can pray when long prose is hard to sustain. Below: 42 prayer points to walk through during a fast, organized by what fasting actually asks for at each stage – hunger, breakthrough, clarity, repentance, intercession, and ending well.
If you came here because you are in a fast right now and want something to pray through, start here:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
Isaiah 58:6, NIV
Isaiah 58 is the most important fasting passage in the Old Testament – and it does something striking. It refuses to let fasting become only a private spiritual exercise. The fasting God chooses, Isaiah says, is connected to justice, to mercy, to the loosening of what has been bound. Fasting is not just about you and your stomach. It is one of the ways God reshapes the person fasting into someone who is more aware of what God is doing in the world, and more available to be part of it.
This guide covers 42 prayer points, organized for the six dimensions that genuine fasting touches: the hunger and what it teaches, the breakthrough you are seeking, the clarity that fasting often produces, the repentance that fasting opens space for, the intercession that fasting fuels, and ending the fast well. Each prayer point is grounded in scripture and short enough to pray when hunger has made longer prayers hard to sustain. For broader prayer practice, see our Prayers pillar. For prayer practice for beginners, see our how to pray for beginners. They’re meant to be used.
A note before you begin: fasting is a real spiritual discipline, and it is also a real physical practice. If you have a medical condition (diabetes, eating disorder history, pregnancy, blood sugar instability, kidney issues, or other conditions that make fasting risky), talk to a doctor before beginning. Pregnant and nursing women are typically advised not to fast. There are many forms of biblical fasting beyond complete food abstention – the Daniel fast, partial fasts, fasting from specific foods or media. Choose the form that is wise for your actual body and situation. Honest spiritual practice and honest physical care belong together.
Recommended: 25+ Lent Prayers for Ash Wednesday, Fasting, and Holy Week
What Prayer Points Actually Are
Prayer points are short, declarative, scripture-anchored prayer statements that you pray through in sequence. They are distinct from long prose prayers in three important ways, and understanding the distinction is what makes the form actually useful – particularly during a fast.
First, prayer points are short. Each one is one or two sentences. The brevity is intentional. Long prose prayer is hard to sustain when hunger has lowered your concentration and your body is asking for attention that is not available for prayer. A list of short prayer points lets you keep praying when you cannot keep composing.
Second, prayer points are declarative. You are not always asking God for something – sometimes you are declaring what is already true, agreeing with what scripture says, or stating the commitment you are making. The declarative form anchors the prayer in something objective rather than only in what you feel in the moment.
Third, prayer points are scripture-anchored. Each point in this guide is grounded in a specific Bible verse – both because that is the practice that goes back centuries in Christian tradition, and because praying scripture is one of the most reliable ways to pray prayers that you can trust are in line with what God has actually said about himself, about you, and about what fasting is for. Worth knowing: the practice of praying through scripture-anchored prayer points has been used by Christians across many traditions for centuries – Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, charismatic. The form is older than most denominations.
Prayer Points for Hunger and the Body
The first thing fasting does is make you aware of your body. The hunger is not the enemy of the fast – it is part of what the fast is for. These prayer points are for the body itself: the hunger, the weakness, the strange clarity that comes when the body is not constantly being fed.
1. Lord, you said that “man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Teach me through this hunger that my deeper hunger is for you.
Amen.
2. Father, you sustained Israel in the wilderness with manna they did not earn (Exodus 16). Sustain me in this fast in ways I cannot see. Be my sufficiency.
Amen.
3. God, my body is weak – and your power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Use my weakness today as the place your strength meets me.
Amen.
4. Lord, you said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Let this physical hunger sharpen my spiritual hunger. Fill me with what only you can give.
Amen.
5. Father, my body belongs to you – it is the temple of your Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Use this fast for the good of the body that belongs to you, not to harm it.
Amen.
6. God, teach me through this fast to discipline my body and bring it under control (1 Corinthians 9:27). Build in me the kind of self-mastery that this fast is meant to form.
Amen.
7. Lord, when Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness, he was hungry (Matthew 4:2). My hunger is not a sign I have failed – it is part of what fasting is. Be with me in it.
Amen.
Prayer Points for Spiritual Breakthrough
Many people fast because they are seeking breakthrough – in a situation that has been stuck, in a prayer that has gone unanswered, in a season of dryness. The honest framing matters: fasting does not guarantee specific outcomes. It does open space for God to do work that the noise of normal life often crowds out. These prayer points are for that space.
8. Lord, “this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21, KJV). There is something in my life that has not yielded to ordinary prayer. Move in it.
Amen.
9. Father, you said that the kind of fasting you choose loosens chains, unties cords, and breaks every yoke (Isaiah 58:6). Break what has been holding me down. Loosen what has been keeping me bound.
Amen.
10. God, your word says you give power to the faint and strength to those who have none (Isaiah 40:29). I am faint. I am asking for the power only you can give.
Amen.
11. Lord, you opened the Red Sea when there was no way through (Exodus 14:21-22). Open the way you are calling me toward, even when I cannot see how it will open.
Amen.
12. Father, you tear down strongholds with weapons that are not of this world (2 Corinthians 10:4). Tear down what needs to come down in my life. Build what needs to be built.
Amen.
13. God, you said you would do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV). I am asking. Do more than I am even asking for in ways I cannot anticipate.
Amen.
14. Lord, even if the breakthrough I am seeking does not come the way I am hoping, my faith does not rest on the answer matching my request (Daniel 3:17-18). Be honored, however this resolves.
Amen.
Prayer Points for Clarity and Direction
One of the most consistent gifts of fasting across centuries of Christian practice is clarity. When the body is not being constantly fed and the mind is not being constantly distracted, the deeper questions of life often surface and the right answers become more recognizable. These prayer points are for the discernment that fasting often produces. For broader resources on praying for guidance, see our guidance prayers.
15. Lord, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). Light the next step of the path I am on. I am not asking to see ten steps ahead. Just the next one.
Amen.
16. Father, you promised wisdom to anyone who asks (James 1:5). I am asking now. Give me the wisdom this fast is meant to clarify.
Amen.
17. God, your sheep hear your voice (John 10:27). Make your voice clearer than the other voices in my head. Help me distinguish your leading from my own preference.
Amen.
18. Lord, when Elijah fasted forty days, you met him on the mountain – not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12). Meet me in the quiet this fast is creating.
Amen.
19. Father, Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). I am trusting. Make my paths straight where you can. Walk them with me where they cannot be straight.
Amen.
20. God, your Spirit will lead me into all truth (John 16:13). Lead me into the specific truth this fast is meant to surface. Show me what I have not been willing to see.
Amen.
21. Lord, you know the plans you have for me – plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Bring some of those plans into focus through this fast.
Amen.
Prayer Points for Repentance and Humility
Fasting has historically been connected to repentance – the practice of bringing your life before God honestly and asking for forgiveness where forgiveness is needed. Worth knowing: the connection is older than the New Testament. Joel 2 calls Israel to fast as part of returning to God with all their heart. These prayer points open the space repentance requires.
22. Lord, rend my heart and not my garments (Joel 2:13). Take me beyond the outward performance of this fast into actual change in my heart.
Amen.
23. Father, search me and know me. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). Show me what I have not been willing to see.
Amen.
24. God, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Clean what needs cleaning. Renew what has grown stale.
Amen.
25. Lord, if I confess my sin, you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I am confessing now. Receive the confession.
Amen.
26. Father, you give grace to the humble and oppose the proud (James 4:6). Humble me in this fast. Strip away whatever pride has been growing that I have not named.
Amen.
27. God, you said that if your people will humble themselves and pray and seek your face and turn from their wicked ways, you will hear and forgive and heal (2 Chronicles 7:14). I am humbling myself now. Hear. Forgive. Heal.
Amen.
28. Lord, you are near to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Meet the broken places this fast is making me aware of.
Amen.
Prayer Points for Intercession During the Fast
Fasting is one of the most powerful contexts for intercession – prayer offered on behalf of others. Daniel fasted for the people of Israel (Daniel 9). Esther called her people to fast for her before she went to the king (Esther 4:16). These prayer points are for the people you are bringing before God during this fast. For broader intercessory practice, see our intercessory prayers.
29. Lord, I lift up the people you have laid on my heart during this fast (1 Timothy 2:1). Name them now in my mind. Be at work in their lives.
Amen.
30. Father, I pray for those who are sick (James 5:14-16). Heal where you will. Sustain where healing has not yet come. Be present in the long hours of illness.
Amen.
31. God, I pray for those in my family who are far from you (Acts 16:31). Pursue them in your time and by your hand. I am praying for as long as it takes.
Amen.
32. Lord, I pray for our leaders and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). Give them wisdom. Give them humility. Let our nation be one where justice and mercy walk together.
Amen.
33. Father, I pray for the church (Matthew 16:18). Strengthen what is faithful. Restore what is broken. Make your people a witness to the world.
Amen.
34. God, I pray for those who do not yet know you (Romans 10:14). Send laborers into the harvest. Open hearts. Open doors. Send your gospel into the places it has not yet reached.
Amen.
35. Lord, I pray for the broken places in the world – the poor, the persecuted, the people whose names I will never know (Isaiah 58:6-7). Use me as part of your answer to these prayers.
Amen.
Prayer Points for the End of the Fast
How a fast ends matters almost as much as how it is kept. The discipline of breaking the fast slowly and intentionally is part of the fast itself. These prayer points are for the closing – for gratitude, for the integration of what the fast has produced, and for the commitment to carry forward what you have learned.
36. Lord, thank you for sustaining me through this fast (Psalm 121:7-8). Receive what I have offered. Bless what I have asked for. Honor what I have committed to.
Amen.
37. Father, do not let what I have learned in this fast be lost when I return to normal eating (Hebrews 2:1). Help me hold on to the lessons.
Amen.
38. God, may the fast you have chosen – to loose chains, to free the oppressed, to break every yoke (Isaiah 58:6) – be the fast my life keeps producing, not just these days.
Amen.
39. Lord, you said that the one who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6). Carry on what you have begun in me during these days.
Amen.
40. Father, I commit to keeping the practices this fast has clarified for me. Show me what they should be. Build them into my ordinary life, not just my fasting life.
Amen.
41. God, thank you for meeting me in this fast. Whatever I have asked for, whatever answer comes, I am grateful that you have been near.
Amen.
42. Lord, taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). As I return to ordinary food, return me also to ordinary life with a sharper awareness of how good you have been.
Amen.
How to Actually Use Prayer Points During a Fast
The most common reason prayer points fail to do their work is that they are read like a list of items to check off rather than prayed like a sustained conversation with God. Three practical approaches to using prayer points well during a fast.
Pick one section per day. Do not try to pray through all 42 prayer points in a single sitting – that turns the practice into a recitation. Instead, take one of the six sections (hunger, breakthrough, clarity, repentance, intercession, end-of-fast) and pray through its seven points slowly, sitting with each one rather than rushing past it. A typical pattern: hunger on day one, breakthrough on day two, clarity on day three, repentance on day four, intercession on day five, end-of-fast prayer points on the closing day. For longer fasts, repeat the cycle.
Pray each point out loud, slowly. Hunger affects concentration. Reading silently in your head tends to drift; speaking out loud anchors the prayer in your body. For each prayer point, read the scripture reference, then pray the prayer slowly, then sit in silence for a few breaths before moving to the next one. This produces depth that fast reading does not.
Pair the prayer points with a designated time and place. Set the same time and the same place each day during the fast – early morning is traditional, but evening can work for some bodies. The consistency builds the practice into the fast rather than fitting it in around other things. Worth knowing: many Christian traditions across centuries have used fixed-hour prayer during fasting periods for exactly this reason. The structure protects the practice from the natural drift that hunger produces.
For broader prayer foundations to pair with fasting, see our how to pray for beginners. For Bible verses about strength that pair with the harder days of a fast, see our Bible verses for strength. For the Lord’s Prayer, which is the foundational prayer Jesus taught (and which fasting was originally meant to deepen), see our Lord’s Prayer explained.
A Note on the Different Kinds of Christian Fasting
The prayer points in this guide work across the different forms of Christian fasting. The main forms worth knowing:
Complete fast. No food, only water (sometimes only water plus limited broth or juice). This is the form Jesus practiced in the wilderness (Matthew 4) and that the early church used. Typically practiced for 24 hours up to three days. Longer complete fasts (seven days, twenty-one days, forty days) have been practiced by some Christians across history but require medical consultation and are generally not appropriate for most people without specific preparation.
Daniel fast. Based on Daniel 1 and Daniel 10, this is a partial fast that removes specific foods – typically all meat, dairy, sweeteners, processed foods, leavened breads, and alcohol, leaving fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Often practiced for 21 days. This is the most accessible form of extended fasting for most modern Christians and is often used by churches in corporate fasts.
Partial fast. Skipping specific meals (e.g., breakfast and lunch but eating dinner) or specific foods for a defined period. Less intense than a complete fast, more sustainable for ordinary work and family life.
Fasting from non-food things. Some Christians fast from social media, television, secular news, entertainment, or specific habits. Scripture does not name these as biblical fasts in the strict sense, but the underlying principle – voluntarily giving up something normally consumed in order to seek God more deliberately – is consistent with the spirit of biblical fasting and is often a useful starting point for those who cannot safely fast from food.
Whatever form your fast takes, the prayer points in this guide apply. The discipline matters more than the technical form. Scripture is consistent that God values the heart of the faster more than the precise rules of the fast itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are prayer points during fasting?
Prayer points are short, declarative, scripture-anchored prayer statements that you pray through in sequence during a fast. They are distinct from long prose prayers in three ways: they are short (one or two sentences each), declarative (often stating what is already true rather than only asking), and grounded in specific Bible verses. The short form is intentional – when hunger has lowered your concentration, prayer points let you keep praying when you cannot keep composing. The form has been used by Christians across many traditions for centuries, particularly during dedicated fasting seasons.
How do I pray prayer points during a fast?
Pick one section from a guide like this one each day rather than rushing through everything in a single sitting. Pray each point slowly, out loud if possible – speaking anchors the prayer in your body when hunger is making concentration difficult. After each point, sit in silence for a few breaths before moving on. Pair the practice with a consistent time and place each day during the fast. A typical pattern: one section per day, seven prayer points per session, with reflection time between each point. For longer fasts, repeat the cycle through the sections.
What scriptures should I read during fasting?
The most important fasting passages in scripture are Isaiah 58 (the fast God chooses), Matthew 4 and 6 (Jesus’ fast and his teaching on fasting), Daniel 1 and 9 (the Daniel fast and Daniel’s intercessory fast), Esther 4 (Esther’s call to fast), Joel 2 (the call to return to God with fasting), 2 Chronicles 20 (Jehoshaphat’s fast), and Acts 13 and 14 (fasting in the early church). Each of the prayer points in this guide is anchored in a specific scripture – reading those passages in their full context alongside praying the prayer points deepens the practice considerably.
How long should I fast?
The answer depends on your physical health, your experience with fasting, and the purpose of the fast. For beginners, a single 24-hour fast (one meal to the same meal the next day) or a three-day Daniel fast is appropriate. Most healthy adults can do a one-to-three day water fast without medical concerns, though those with health conditions should consult a doctor. Longer fasts (seven days, twenty-one days, forty days) require preparation and should not be attempted by beginners or by anyone with health concerns without medical guidance. Worth knowing: scripture does not prescribe specific lengths. The biblical witness ranges from one-day fasts (Esther 4:16, after preparation) to forty-day fasts (Moses, Elijah, Jesus). The discipline matters more than the duration.
What does the Bible say about fasting?
Scripture treats fasting as a real and consequential spiritual practice, but also as something that can be done wrongly. Isaiah 58 critiques fasts done for show and names the fast God actually chooses – one connected to justice, mercy, and the loosening of what has been bound. Matthew 6:16-18 has Jesus teach that fasting should be done privately rather than performed for others to see. Joel 2:13 calls Israel to “rend your hearts and not your garments” – the inner posture matters more than the outward observance. Worth knowing: scripture also makes clear that fasting is not a transactional formula that produces specific outcomes. The fast that pleases God is the one done in honest repentance, sustained intercession, and genuine seeking – not the one done to manipulate divine response.
Should I fast for a specific number of days?
Some biblical fasts have specific durations – three days (Esther 4:16), twenty-one days (Daniel 10:2-3), forty days (Moses, Elijah, Jesus). Some are open-ended, ended when the prayer is answered or when God indicates the fast is complete (2 Samuel 12:16-23, David’s fast for his son). For most modern Christians, a defined duration is more sustainable than an open-ended one – it gives you a clear beginning and end. Common patterns: one day, three days, seven days, twenty-one days (Daniel fast), forty days (typically partial fast, not complete). Choose the duration that is wise for your body and your current season, and commit to it before you begin rather than during the fast.
What if I break my fast accidentally?
If you accidentally break a fast – eating without thinking, or finding yourself unable to continue physically – the response is not condemnation. It is honest assessment. Was the fast not the right form for your body? Was the duration too long? Was the situation that broke the fast actually a legitimate need? Worth knowing: the biblical witness is more about the heart of the faster than the technical perfection of the fast. If the break was accidental, simply resume and pray about it. If your body could not sustain the form of fast you chose, choose a gentler form going forward. The discipline matters more than the technical purity of any single attempt.
Can I fast if I have medical issues?
This is one of the most important questions for anyone considering fasting. The honest answer: for some medical conditions, complete fasting is not safe and should not be attempted without medical consultation. This includes diabetes (especially Type 1), eating disorder history, pregnancy and nursing, kidney disease, certain medications, severe anemia, and others. The biblical principle that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) means that harming your body in the name of spiritual discipline is not faithful. For most medical situations, modified forms of fasting – Daniel fast, partial fast, fasting from non-food things – are appropriate alternatives. Talk to a doctor before any extended fast, especially if you have any health condition. Honest spiritual practice and honest physical care belong together.
Fasting is one of the oldest spiritual disciplines in scripture, and one of the most quietly transformative when it is kept well. The prayer points in this guide are not a magic formula for the breakthrough you are seeking. They are a way of staying in honest conversation with God when hunger has made longer prayer hard to sustain. If even one of them met you today, use it. Sit with it. Let scripture do its work. The fast will end. The shape it leaves in you is what matters.
For more, explore our Prayers pillar, our intercessory prayers, our Bible verses for strength, and our Lord’s Prayer explained.
