Many churches begin the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting: three weeks of setting something aside, often food, sometimes social media, to make room for prayer. If your church is starting one in January, or you want to do it on your own, this guide covers the kinds of fasts people choose, what the Bible actually says about fasting, how to plan your three weeks, a prayer focus for each of the 21 days, and a free printable journal to go with it.
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Your health first. This guide is about prayer, not diet, and it isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor before fasting from food, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication. A media fast or a partial fast is a good choice if a food fast isn't right for you.
What is a 21-day fast?
A fast is a set time of going without something, usually food, so you can give that time and attention to God. Christians have fasted from the beginning: Jesus fasted in the wilderness, and the early church fasted before sending out missionaries. A 21-day fast is simply three weeks of it, and many churches do it together in January to start the year in prayer.
Why 21 days? The number usually comes from the prophet Daniel, who sought God for three weeks:
"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." (Daniel 10:2–3, KJV)
There's nothing magic about 21. It's long enough to break a routine and short enough to finish. What matters is why you fast, not how long.
What the Bible says about fasting
Jesus expected his followers to fast, and he talked about how to do it:
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:16–18, KJV)
Notice he says "when ye fast," not "if." And notice the point: fasting is between you and God, not something to show off.
The prophets add that a fast should change how we treat people, not just what we eat:
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6, KJV)
A few more passages to read during your fast:
- Joel 2:12. "Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." Fasting is about returning to God.
- Ezra 8:23. "So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us." Ezra's people fasted before a dangerous journey and asked God for protection.
- Acts 13:2–3. The church in Antioch "ministered to the Lord, and fasted," and sent out Barnabas and Saul after they "had fasted and prayed." Fasting often came before big decisions.
Types of fasts
There's no single right way to fast. Here are the kinds people most often choose for a 21-day church fast:
- Full fast. No food, usually for a short time such as one day, with water. Not something to do for 21 days, and not something to start without talking to your doctor.
- Partial fast. Giving up one meal a day, or not eating from morning until evening, and using that time to pray. Many people do this for the whole three weeks.
- Daniel-style fast. Setting aside certain foods, based on Daniel's example (see below). Churches that do this usually give their own guidelines.
- Media fast. No social media, streaming, news or games, or a limit on screen time, and the freed-up time goes to prayer and reading. This works for almost anyone, including people who can't fast from food.
You can combine them, for example skipping lunch and staying off social media in the evenings. Choose something that will actually make you stop and pray, and that fits your health and your family.
The Daniel fast in the Bible
The "Daniel fast" takes its name from two moments in the book of Daniel. When Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young man, he refused the king's rich food:
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." (Daniel 1:8, KJV)
He asked instead for a simple diet for ten days: "let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink" (Daniel 1:12, KJV). Years later, in Daniel 10, he set aside "pleasant bread," meat and wine for three weeks while he prayed (the passage quoted at the top).
That's all the Bible says about it, and it's not a recipe. Today's Daniel-fast food lists and meal plans are guidelines churches have built on those verses. If you're doing one with your church, use the guidelines it gives, and talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns.
How to plan your 21 days
- Decide why you're fasting. Write it down: a decision you're facing, a relationship, a habit, a person you're praying for, or simply wanting to know God better. You'll come back to it on hard days.
- Choose the kind of fast. Pick one from the list above that fits your health and your life. It's better to choose a smaller fast you'll keep than a big one you'll drop on day three.
- Set a daily prayer time. Use the time you've freed up: the lunch you're skipping, the evening scroll, the morning news. Decide where you'll pray, too.
- Follow a daily focus. Use the 21-day list below so every day has a topic and a short reading. Pair it with a Bible reading plan if you want to read more.
- Write it down. A few lines a day is enough: what stood out in the reading, and your prayer. The printable journal below has a page for each day.
21-day prayer focus list
One topic and one short reading for each day. Read the passage in your own Bible, pray about the topic, and write a few lines.
| Day | Pray for | Read |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surrender and a clean heart | Psalm 51:10–12 |
| 2 | Thanksgiving | Psalm 100 |
| 3 | Hunger for God's Word | Psalm 119:97–105 |
| 4 | Repentance | 1 John 1:5–9 |
| 5 | Your family | Joshua 24:14–15 |
| 6 | Marriage and close relationships | Colossians 3:12–14 |
| 7 | Your church and its leaders | 1 Thessalonians 5:12–18 |
| 8 | Wisdom for decisions | James 1:5–6 |
| 9 | Provision and finances | Philippians 4:10–19 |
| 10 | Health and healing | James 5:13–16 |
| 11 | Work and calling | Colossians 3:23–24 |
| 12 | Friends who don't know Jesus | Romans 10:1–15 |
| 13 | Forgiveness | Matthew 6:9–15 |
| 14 | Fear and anxiety | Philippians 4:6–7 |
| 15 | Your city | Jeremiah 29:7 |
| 16 | Your nation and its leaders | 1 Timothy 2:1–4 |
| 17 | The world and missions | Matthew 28:18–20 |
| 18 | The next generation | Psalm 78:1–7 |
| 19 | Using your gifts to serve | 1 Peter 4:8–11 |
| 20 | Unity in the church | John 17:20–23 |
| 21 | What God has done, and the year ahead | Psalm 126 |
Free printable 21-day prayer and fasting journal
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting Journal (PDF)
A plan page to fill in before day 1, then a page for every three days: the prayer focus, the reading, space to write what stood out and your prayer, and a checkbox for the day. Eight pages, US Letter.
The first page asks why you're fasting, what kind of fast you're doing, who you're praying for and when you'll pray. Fill it in before day 1 and read it again on day 21. Each day has two checkboxes: "Kept my fast today" and "Adjusted it, and that's okay." Both count.
Keep the messages from the fast
During a church fast, there's often more teaching than usual: Sunday sermons on prayer, midweek prayer nights, sometimes a nightly service in the first week. It's a lot to take in, and three weeks later the details have faded.
A few lines of notes per message help. If you'd rather listen than write, Sermon Keeper can record each message on your iPhone while you tap short notes at the moments that matter. When it ends, you get a transcript and a summary with the main points and every Bible passage the speaker named, so you can come back to it on day 21, or in March. Recordings and notes are saved in your own iCloud Drive. Try it free for 3 days.
After the fast
Day 21 isn't the finish line. Read your first journal page again: what you wrote about why you were fasting and who you were praying for. Write down what changed, what God showed you, and one habit you want to keep, such as a daily prayer time or less screen time in the evenings. Our guide on how to apply a sermon works the same way for what you learned during the fast, and Bible journaling for beginners can help you keep writing. If you're looking for a verse to carry into the rest of the year, try our list of New Year Bible verses.
Frequently asked questions
A 21-day fast is three weeks of setting something aside, usually some or all food, to spend that time and attention on prayer. Many churches start the new year with one together. The length often comes from Daniel 10, where Daniel mourned and ate no pleasant bread, meat or wine for "three full weeks".
No. Many people do a partial fast, such as skipping one meal a day, or a media fast, such as no social media or streaming. The point is not the hunger but turning your attention to God. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, talk to your doctor before fasting from food at all.
The Bible gives two short pictures. In Daniel 1 he asked for "pulse to eat, and water to drink" for ten days instead of the king's food. In Daniel 10 he ate "no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine" for three weeks. Churches that do a Daniel fast usually publish their own guidelines, so ask your church which ones it follows.
Start again at the next meal or the next day. A fast is not a test you pass or fail. Tick "adjusted it, and that's okay" in your journal and keep praying.
No, you can fast on your own at any time. Fasting with your church has real benefits, though: you pray for the same things, encourage each other, and often have extra prayer meetings or services during the fast.
Use a different focus each day: surrender, thanksgiving, your family, your church, wisdom, provision, healing, people who don't know Jesus, your city and nation, and the year ahead. The 21-day list in this guide gives one topic and one short reading for each day.
