Brother lorenski44Fasting consists of two parts, the flesh part and the spiritual part. The flesh part is simply not eating and drinking. I will only refer to the people of Nineveh: “And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:” - Jonah 3:7 Of course it is up to you if you can manage not to eat nor drink at all. There are sicknesses involved, people have to take pills or other sort of hindrances. But during the fasting you are not supposed to eat or drink at all. Again I repeat it is up to you. No one can tell you that if you drink or eat something during your fasting, it is not accepted. Not at all. God sees your intention and will to fast and answers your petition. But I think by doing it as it is supposed, you offer yourself more committed to doing it right before the eyes of God. And let me tell you something else, if you ask God to help you in your fasting, you might find yourself easily enduring the empty stomach, the thirsty mouth and the headache from missing the morning coffee, till the end of the day! The spiritual part is mentioned in detail by God Himself in Isaiah. As you can read there is no way that you will fast for a matter that God loathes and expect to receive your answer. “3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they , and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 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? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am . If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” – Isaiah 58:11 It is done as you correctly stated in private but more importantly following all the above God instructs us through Isaiah. Fasting is a mean to ‘force’ God in a way to answer your prayers for a matter but it is also the way to humble yourself before God showing Him you have repented for something bad you have done, like the people of Nineveh or like David who says “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” (Ps. 35:13) . It is also a way to keep your flesh low and be able to counter the temptations, as Paul writes to Corinthians “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. “ – 1 Cor. 9:27 and as Jesus our Lord, having fasted for 40 days, He was able to repel devil’s temptations. In other words it strengthens your defense against evil. It is part of christian life, as it was part of Anna, the prophetess’ life “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” – Mat. 2:37May God bless you and help you lead a holy life with Him in you! Praise God!