Question
Gramps,
Is it appropriate to fast for more than one person at a time? I was asked to fast for missionaries, and I said no because I was fasting for someone else. I was asked to include them in my fast, but I answered no, because I felt it was inappropriate. When we fast, we fast for one person, group, or reason. If I fast for two people, I am fasting half a day for one and a half days for the other. With that reasoning, I could gather up people and fast for them all on one day and be done with.
Diane
Answer
Diane,
Fasting—voluntarily going without food and drink for a period of time is practiced in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Saints are taught to combine fasting with prayer to deepen spiritual sensitivity, foster personal revelation, and engage in meaningful service. Yet, many have wondered: Does fasting for multiple concerns at once lessen the effectiveness or spiritual power of one’s fast? Is it better to focus on one purpose, or can one seek blessings for several matters simultaneously without “diluting” the promised help?
To address the central question, it’s essential to dispel a common misconception: Fasting is not a transactional act in which one earns a certain number of blessings by enduring discomfort or abstinence. The fast is not a magical rite that invokes a quantity of blessings on the object of the fast, with the consequence that those blessings might be diluted if spread too thin. We are not trying to bribe God or secure his divine favor by appealing to his appreciation for our fasting.
Fasting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is intricately tied to humility and seeking alignment with God’s will. Rather than influencing God or scoring points, the act is designed primarily for the benefit of the individual who fasts. Through fasting, members can develop greater spiritual sensitivity, deeper personal communication with God, and a deeper understanding—both of God’s will and of their place in relation to the challenges they face.
In fact, the scriptures and Church teachings highlight the role of fasting in empowering spiritual growth. The Book of Mormon recounts that the sons of King Mosiah gained the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation by giving themselves to much prayer and fasting (Alma 17:3), enabling them to teach with the power and authority of God. Fasting is thus less about leveraging influence with God and more about cultivating an internal spiritual environment receptive to revelation.
If fasting isn’t transactional, why then is there advice within the Church to focus on a single concern during a fast? It is not due to any divine restriction. Life doesn’t always come at you in a nice, orderly manner that lets you focus on just one thing at a time. That being said, I think we should try to have just one if we can. But I say this because of human limits on focusing and pondering, not because of any divine limits or requirements.
This statement is central to understanding the practical, rather than doctrinal, suggestion to focus one’s fasting:
Mental and Spiritual Clarity: Our minds and spirits are better able to process, ponder, and receive impressions about specific challenges when we focus. When fasting for everything at once, we risk overwhelming ourselves, diluting not the inherent power of fasting, but our own ability to focus thoughts and intent in prayer.
Prioritizing Experiences: In reality, life often presents multiple challenges simultaneously. The flexibility to fast for more than one concern is thus both practical and compassionate. Members are not limited in the number of purposes for which they can pray or fast.
Intentionality: Fasting invites self-examination, focused prayer, and intentionality in one’s relationship with God. The more deliberately we connect our fast with concerns or questions, the more we are positioned to notice answers or receive strength to endure.
Still, the underlying message remains: The effectiveness of fasting is not limited by the number of concerns but by our ability to meaningfully engage with God about the challenges we face. If you can handle focusing on more than one thing without feeling scattered or superficial, you are free to do so.
While considering what to fast for, it’s important not to lose sight of the principles and blessings promised to those who embrace fasting wholeheartedly.
Fasting, by requirement, involves sacrifice. President Wilford Woodruff is remembered for his frank counsel: “Some people said they could not fast because it made their head ache. Well, I can fast, and so can any other man; and if it makes my head ache by keeping the commandments of God, let it ache.” While discomfort is a common early experience, many discover that the body adapts with repetition. More importantly, fasting’s physical sacrifice opens spiritual receptivity, echoing the scriptural pattern in which physical deprivation is paired with spiritual abundance (see Alma 17:3).
It’s also instructive to remember the purposes aligned with fasting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Self-Mastery: Abstaining from food, a daily necessity, teaches discipline and self-control, skills that translate into greater spiritual strength.
Empathy for the Needy: The discomforts of hunger connect members to the suffering of those who lack sufficient food, inspiring greater compassion and charity. The fast is typically paired with a Fast Offering—donations to support those in need within the local congregation and community.
Health Benefits: For the vast majority…overall health could only improve by avoiding food for a day…if the Saints, and indeed anyone else, fasted once a month, they would see real health benefits, though careful considerations are given to those with genuine medical needs.
Perhaps the greatest blessing is spiritual discernment. The blessings of the fast are real, powerful, and numerous. But they come only to those who fast. The ability to receive personal revelation, especially when grappling with complex or multifaceted challenges, is one of the unique gifts available through fasting and prayer.
Not all are able to fast in the traditional sense, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always taught compassion and flexibility where health is at risk. Wilford Woodruff said, “There may be some people whose health is so delicate and fragile that they would be harmed by fasting for twenty-four hours. Such people are very, very rare; for the vast majority of us, our overall health could only improve by avoiding food for a day. I believe if the Saints, and indeed anyone else, fasted once a month, they would see real health benefits.
Importantly, those few who truly cannot fast are not condemned for it, though of course they miss the blessings of fasting. But the rest of us ought to examine ourselves very carefully before declaring ourselves unfit to fast. Here, one sees the balance between teaching the principle and recognizing individual limitations. Saints are encouraged to be careful in self-diagnosing inability but are not condemned for genuine medical exceptions.
Ultimately, the act of fasting is meant to connect members with heaven and with each other. The specific rules around how many things one may fast for are best understood not as restrictive commandments but as thoughtful, experience-based suggestions:
Intent guides power: Fasting’s spiritual effect flows from the sincerity and focus of the individual, not from following a prescribed formula or limiting the fast to a single objective.
Flexibility in purpose: Members may fast for several concerns if their hearts and minds have the capacity to address them meaningfully. If focusing on one concern brings clarity, this is advisable for human, not divine, reasons.
Spiritual receptivity as the aim: The principal promise of fasting is an increased ability to receive direction from God and to respond with greater faith, wisdom, and compassion to life’s challenges.
We become more sensitive to impressions and ideas that can help us and those we love. Fasting can help us understand how to proceed or, at times, give us the strength to carry on despite the challenges.
When the pressures of life bring multiple challenges, do not let fear of “diluting” the fast’s power keep you from sincere prayer and sacrifice. Focus where you can, ask honestly for what you need, listen for wisdom, and act in faith—knowing that God’s ability to bless is infinite, and the blessings of fasting flow from humility, sincerity, and a heart tuned to heaven.
Gramps
