Guides · A day-by-day guide for you, your family or your church
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
Short answer: 21 days of prayer and fasting is a three-week season of seeking God, held by many churches at the start of the year. Each person chooses a fast they can keep safely, such as a Daniel-style partial fast, skipping one meal a day, or a media fast, and gives that time to prayer and Scripture. The 21 days come from Daniel, who mourned and ate no rich food for three full weeks as he humbled himself before God. Below: a focus, verse and prayer for each day, a tracker and a printable card.
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.
— Daniel 10:2-3 (BSB)
Many churches begin in the first full week of January, but you can start any time, alone, as a family or with your whole church.
Why 21 days?
The number comes from Daniel 10. Daniel writes that he was mourning “for three full weeks” and “ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth” until the weeks were over. Then a heavenly messenger told him, “from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them,” and added that “the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days.”
That is all the text says. The Bible doesn’t command a 21-day fast or promise that 21 days unlocks an answer. It shows a man who humbled himself and kept seeking God for weeks, and a God who heard him from the first day. Three weeks is long enough to change your routine and short enough to finish.
Choose your fast
Pick a fast you can keep for three weeks without harming your health, decide before Day 1, and write it down.
| Fast | What you do | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel-style partial fast | Simple food only, following Daniel 10:3: no rich food, meat or wine. | Most healthy adults doing all 21 days |
| Skip one meal a day | Skip breakfast or lunch each day and pray in that time; eat normally otherwise. | Busy or physically demanding days |
| A fast day each week | Eat normally, but fast from food one day a week (for example, each Wednesday). | People who have fasted before |
| Media fast | No social media, streaming, games or entertainment news; use that time to pray and read. | Anyone, especially those who should not fast from food |
| Combination | A partial fast plus a media fast, or skipping one meal a day plus no social media. | Those who want both |
What can you eat on a 21-day Daniel fast?
Daniel 10:3 only tells us what Daniel didn’t eat: rich food, meat and wine. Church guides usually turn that into a simple plant-based list. That is a reasonable way to follow his example, but the detailed lists are tradition, not Scripture. A common version:
- Eat: vegetables, fruit, whole grains such as oats and brown rice, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, olive oil, herbs and spices.
- Drink: mainly water.
- Leave out: meat, sweets and desserts, fried and heavily processed food, alcohol.
Keep it simple and nourishing; the goal is a plainer table and a fuller prayer life, not a diet. If your church publishes its own list, follow it so you are fasting together.
How families and kids can join
Children should not do food fasts, but they can still take part, and families often remember this season most:
- Give up something small: dessert, a favorite snack, or screen time on certain days.
- Pray together at one meal a day using the day’s focus. Let each child pray one sentence.
- Read the day’s verse at breakfast and put the printable card on the fridge to check off the days.
- Let teenagers choose a media fast, and talk with a parent before any food fast.
- In week 2 or 3, do something for others together: bake for a neighbor or give to a food bank.
Is a 21-day fast safe?
Talk to a doctor before fasting from food if you have diabetes, an eating disorder (now or in the past) or any other medical condition, take medication, or are pregnant or nursing. Stop and eat if you feel faint or unwell; that is not failure. More in How to fast and pray.
21 days of prayer and fasting: the schedule
Each week moves outward, from your own heart to the people around you to the world.
| Week | Theme | Pray for |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (Days 1–7) | Seeking God | A hunger for God, honest repentance, His Word |
| Week 2 (Days 8–14) | Family, church and community | Your home, marriages, children, your church and its leaders, your neighbors |
| Week 3 (Days 15–21) | The nation, the lost and the year ahead | Leaders, people who don’t know Jesus, missionaries, the persecuted church, the year to come |
A simple daily rhythm (15–20 minutes)
- Read the day’s verse twice, slowly.
- Pray the short prayer, then keep praying about the focus in your own words.
- When hunger comes (or you reach for your phone), pray again.
- Write one line: what you prayed or noticed.
- Check off the day in the tracker.
Your 21-day tracker
The 21 days, day by day
- Day 1
Seeking God with all my heart
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
— Jeremiah 29:13 (BSB)Lord, I set these three weeks aside to seek You, not just Your gifts. Help me search for You with all my heart.
- Day 2
Humbling myself before God
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
— James 4:10 (BSB)Father, I come to You with empty hands. Humble my pride and teach me to depend on You for everything.
- Day 3
Search my heart
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
— Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)God, show me anything in my life that grieves You. I want to see it, so that I can turn from it.
- Day 4
Confession and forgiveness
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
— 1 John 1:9 (BSB)Lord, I confess my sins to You plainly, without excuses. Thank You that because of Jesus You forgive me and make me clean.
- Day 5
A clean heart and a willing spirit
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
— Psalm 51:10-12 (BSB)God, make my heart clean and new. Give me back the joy of knowing You, and a willing spirit for today.
- Day 6
Hungry for God’s Word
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
— Matthew 4:4 (BSB)Jesus, as I feel hungry today, make me hungrier for Your Word. Open my eyes to see You as I read.
- Day 7
Delighting in God Himself
One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
— Psalm 27:4 (BSB)Lord, more than anything I could ask You for, I want You. Let me see Your beauty and be glad in Your presence.
- Day 8
My home
As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!
— Joshua 24:15 (BSB)Lord, make my home a place where You are loved and served. Give us patience, kindness and honest words with each other.
- Day 9
Marriages
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
— Ephesians 4:2-3 (BSB)Father, strengthen the marriages in my family and church, including my own if I am married. Give us humility, patience and a love that bears with one another.
- Day 10
Children and the next generation
We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed.
— Psalm 78:4 (BSB)Lord, I pray by name for the children in my life. Help us show them Your wonders, so they grow up knowing and trusting You.
- Day 11
Forgiveness and broken relationships
Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
— Ephesians 4:32 (BSB)Jesus, You have forgiven me so much. Show me whom I need to forgive or ask forgiveness from, and give me courage to do it.
- Day 12
My church
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
— Acts 2:42 (BSB)Lord, make my church a people devoted to Your Word, to one another and to prayer. Unite us and use us where we live.
- Day 13
Pastors and church leaders
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
— Acts 14:23 (BSB)Father, I entrust my pastors and leaders to You. Guard their hearts and families, and give them wisdom and joy in their work.
- Day 14
My neighbors and those in need
Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
— Isaiah 58:7 (BSB)Lord, open my eyes to the hungry, the lonely and the struggling around me. Show me one practical way to help this week.
- Day 15
Our nation
If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
— 2 Chronicles 7:14 (BSB)Lord, we humble ourselves and turn to You. Forgive our sins, have mercy on our land, and turn our hearts back to You.
- Day 16
Leaders and all in authority
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.
— 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (BSB)Father, I pray for our national and local leaders. Give them wisdom, integrity and humility, and give us peace to live godly lives.
- Day 17
People who don’t know Jesus yet
This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
— 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (BSB)God our Savior, I bring You the people I love who don’t know You yet. Draw them to Jesus, and give me the courage to share the hope I have.
- Day 18
Workers for the harvest
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”
— Matthew 9:37-38 (BSB)Lord of the harvest, send workers into the world, and make me willing to be one where I live. Protect and provide for the missionaries I know.
- Day 19
The persecuted church
Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
— Hebrews 13:3 (BSB)Father, I remember my brothers and sisters who suffer for Jesus today. Give them courage and comfort, and let them know they are not forgotten.
- Day 20
Wisdom for the year ahead
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
— Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)Lord, I don’t know what this year holds, but I trust You. I give You my plans, my work and my decisions; lead me in Your way.
- Day 21
Thanksgiving and going on
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
— Lamentations 3:22-23 (BSB)Faithful God, thank You for meeting me these 21 days. Help me keep seeking You every morning after the fast is over.
After the 21 days
Break a food fast gently with small, simple meals. Then keep one habit: a weekly fast day, a morning prayer time, or a plan such as the Gospel of John in 21 days. And thank God for what He did, even if it was quiet; He promises that those who search for Him with all their heart will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
Read the verse, pray, check off the day
- Day 1Seeking God with all my heart · Jeremiah 29:13
- Day 2Humbling myself before God · James 4:10
- Day 3Search my heart · Psalm 139:23-24
- Day 4Confession and forgiveness · 1 John 1:9
- Day 5A clean heart and a willing spirit · Psalm 51:10-12
- Day 6Hungry for God’s Word · Matthew 4:4
- Day 7Delighting in God Himself · Psalm 27:4
- Day 8My home · Joshua 24:15
- Day 9Marriages · Ephesians 4:2-3
- Day 10Children and the next generation · Psalm 78:4
- Day 11Forgiveness and broken relationships · Ephesians 4:32
- Day 12My church · Acts 2:42
- Day 13Pastors and church leaders · Acts 14:23
- Day 14My neighbors and those in need · Isaiah 58:7
- Day 15Our nation · 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Day 16Leaders and all in authority · 1 Timothy 2:1-2
- Day 17People who don’t know Jesus yet · 1 Timothy 2:3-4
- Day 18Workers for the harvest · Matthew 9:37-38
- Day 19The persecuted church · Hebrews 13:3
- Day 20Wisdom for the year ahead · Proverbs 3:5-6
- Day 21Thanksgiving and going on · Lamentations 3:22-23
ourbiblemoments.com/guides/21-days-of-prayer-and-fasting · Scripture: Berean Standard Bible
Keep going
- How to fast and pray
- Prayer points for fasting
- Prayer points for the new year
- How to make a prayer list
- A prayer for the new year
Questions
When does 21 days of prayer and fasting start?
There is no fixed date. Many churches begin in the first full week of January. If you are joining a church fast, use its dates; if not, start any day, and the tracker on this page will count the days for you.
What can I eat during 21 days of prayer and fasting?
It depends on your fast. On a Daniel-style fast most people eat vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and nuts, and drink water, leaving out meat, sweets and alcohol. On a one-meal fast you eat normally apart from the meal you skip.
Can kids do 21 days of prayer and fasting?
Yes, but not with food fasts. Children can give up a treat or screen time, pray together at one meal a day, and check off the printable card. Teenagers can choose a media fast and should talk with a parent before any food fast.
What if I miss a day or break my fast?
Pick up again the next day. The fast is a way of seeking God, not a test you pass or fail, and His welcome doesn’t depend on a perfect streak. If you ate because you felt unwell, you did the right thing.
Is there a 21 days of prayer and fasting guide PDF?
Yes. Use the Print button at the top for a one-page card with all 21 daily focuses and verses, or download the PDF to share with your family or church.