I Fasted for 3 Days and Only Drank Water. Here's What I Learned.

A friend challenged me to do something I had never done before: a three-day water fast. No food, just water, for three full days.

I said yes before I really thought it through, and honestly, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. There is something about not eating that strips everything down. You realize how much you take food for granted. Every meal, every snack, every “I'm just gonna grab something real quick” is a blessing I had never actually stopped to notice.

By the second day, my body was tired, and my mind kept drifting to food, but something else started happening too. I felt closer to God than I had in a long time. Without the noise of eating, without the routine of meals breaking up my day, I had all this space. And in that space, I could actually hear Him. I realized I needed the Lord more than I let myself admit most days. I had been dealing with some anxiety and some stomach issues, and I thought the fast might help me get to the root of it.

What I did not expect was how much it would recalibrate my whole spirit. It reminded me that my dependence is supposed to be on Him first, not on comfort, not on control, not on always having what I want when I want it. After the fast, I knew I could not just go back to normal. I needed to equip myself every single morning, not just when things got hard.

So this month, I challenged myself and a few friends to a daily practice: read Ephesians 6:10 through 18, write it out by hand, read it again, and pray for five minutes. I have only been doing it for a short time, but I already feel it. My mental health is better. I picture God putting the armor on me every morning before I walk out the door, and it has genuinely prepped me to fight. Because Ephesians 6:12 says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against the spiritual forces of evil.

That fight is real, whether we acknowledge it or not. I have noticed I am more on guard now. More alert. More on fire. When a thought comes in that does not line up with truth, I do not let it run wild anymore. I take it captive, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, and I line it up with scripture. I remind myself of what is actually true instead of what my anxiety wants me to believe. I had never done a water fast before this. It was hard. It stripped me down in ways I was not ready for. But it also grew me closer to God in a way I did not know I needed. That is what three days of only water taught me.

Scripture

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the

authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual

forces of evil in the heavenly places.” — Ephesians 6:12

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5

Reflection

1. • What are you leaning on for comfort or control that God is inviting you to hand over?
2. • When a negative or anxious thought shows up, what would it look like to take it captive today instead of letting it run?
3. • What is one small daily practice, like the armor of God challenge, that could help you stay equipped instead of just reacting when hard days come?

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jorg Greuel

Joe Navarro, known online as @joechristianguy, is a Christian content creator, entrepreneur, and cultural voice passionate about making faith approachable and impactful for the next generation. With over 4.5 million combined followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Joe delivers bold, Gospel-centered truth through a mix of daily encouragement, short-form teachings, comedic skits, and authentic life experiences. His unique blend of theology, humor, and clarity has created space for millions of young believers and skeptics alike to engage with Scripture and real conversations about following Jesus in a digital world. In 2023, he co-created the popular card game Discernment alongside Jacob and Julia Petersen, which is now available in major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Museum of the Bible, and Mardel. He also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Sales from Texas A&M.