The Supernatural Power of the 40-Day Water Fast: A Journey into Spiritual Depth
Lately, I have been talking a lot about having a real, vibrant, spiritual relationship with the biblical Jesus. That is my passion. It is the reason I write books like OPEN YOUR EYES: MY SUPERNATURAL JOURNEY. I want you to see what I see. I want you to experience the manifest presence of God. But let's be honest: some things in the spirit realm do not move just because we ask nicely. There is a specific key that Jesus gave us, one that many in the modern church have tucked away in a dusty corner.
That key is fasting.
I recently sat down for an interview with my friend Wendy McCullough. You might remember her from a previous podcast where we talked about her incredible journey out of paganism. Wendy is a homeschooling mom, a wife, and someone who lives a very "normal" life on the surface. But underneath that surface lies a warrior who decided to take Jesus at His word. She did something most people think is impossible in our burger-on-every-corner culture. She embarked on a 40-day, water-only fast.
We often talk about the "pain points" of the Christian life—the nagging sins that won't leave, the physical ailments that doctors can't quite fix, and that persistent feeling of being spiritually "clogged." We feel the agitation of a soul that knows it was made for more but finds itself tethered to the flesh. We want the breakthrough, but we are trying to win a spiritual war with physical weapons.
Wendy was in that exact spot. She was dealing with systemic health issues, spiritual battles in her ministry, and a deep hunger for a closer walk with God. She did not just want a "touch" from the Lord; she wanted a total overhaul. She found the solution in the ancient path of abstinence and prayer.
The 40-day fast is the "gold standard" of biblical breakthroughs. When Jesus was about to begin His public ministry, where did He go? Into the wilderness to fast. When Moses was to receive the Law, what did he do? He fasted. If the Son of God needed to fast to walk in the fullness of His calling, what makes us think we can skip it?
In the story that follows, we are going to look under the hood of what it actually looks like to go 40 days without a single bite of food. We will explore the spiritual warfare that inevitably follows such a commitment, the miraculous physical healings that took place, and the profound shift in perspective that happens when you realize that man truly does not live by bread alone.
Main Message
The journey began in a place of total relatable human weakness. Wendy told me about a Sunday morning in 2011. She was standing in front of a group of kids in her junior church class, teaching them about Jesus fasting in the wilderness. She looked at those children and said the very thing most of us think: "I could never do something like that. I don't think I could ever do that."
But the Holy Spirit has a way of interrupting our "nevers."
Right there, in the middle of her lesson, she felt that still, small voice inside her say, "Not so fast." It wasn't an audible voice, but it was that unmistakable nudge of the Spirit that many of us describe in the community at ConradRocks.net. It was a call to deep calling unto deep.
She started researching. She found a YouTube channel of a woman who had done back-to-back 40-day water fasts. Seeing a modern person do it gave her the "faith-spark" she needed. It shifted the 40-day fast from a "biblical legend" to a "present-day possibility."
However, Wendy is a wife and a mother. She knew she couldn't just vanish into the woods. She had to stay under her spiritual covering. She went to her husband, hesitant, expecting him to think she was losing her mind. Instead, he looked at her and said he already knew the Lord had put it on her. That is the Holy Spirit, friends. When God calls you to a supernatural task, He often prepares the hearts of those around you.
The first three days were a literal hell on earth. If you have ever tried to fast for even twenty-four hours, you know the "hunger monster" that screams in your ear. By the end of day one, Wendy was ready to throw in the towel. She told her husband, "I'm done. I'm not doing this."
Her husband, acting as that pillar of support, told her, "No, you're going to do this. God is going to help you."
There is a biological and spiritual threshold at the three-day mark. Around day three or four, the body's mechanisms shift. The hunger pangs, which are often just the body's addiction to glucose and processing, begin to fade. Wendy experienced something miraculous: after day three, she actually started enjoying the process.
Think about the discipline required here. Wendy was still a homeschooling mom. She still had to feed her children. Her husband, who is diabetic and couldn't join the fast for medical reasons, still needed dinner. Imagine standing over a stove, the aroma of browning meat and seasoned vegetables filling the kitchen, while your stomach has been empty for two weeks.
Wendy told me a detail that made me laugh: she actually started cooking more during the fast. She would go online, find elaborate recipes, and cook them for her family. She couldn't taste a single drop, yet her husband told her the food tasted better than ever. I believe there is a spiritual grace that enters the hands of a fasting believer. You are no longer cooking for your own appetite; you are serving your family as unto the Lord.
As the days turned into weeks, the physical "clogging" began to clear. Wendy had been suffering from systemic Candida overgrowth—an autoimmune nightmare that left her aching and exhausted. Doctors call it fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, but Wendy knew it was a physical manifestation of a deeper issue. During the fast, her body entered a state of "healing crisis."
She described coughing up gunk that had been in her lungs from years of smoking, even though the Lord had delivered her from cigarettes years prior. It was as if the Holy Spirit was performing a deep-tissue cleaning of her temple. By the end of the forty days, she had lost 34 pounds, her complexion was glowing, and the chronic pain was gone.
But the physical healing was just the "side effect." The real meat was the intimacy.
Personal Reflections
When I hear Wendy’s story, I can’t help but reflect on my own attempts at seeking God. I’ve done three-day water fasts, and I usually have to head out into the wilderness just to keep myself from raiding the refrigerator. I’ve even done 40 day fasts, but they were fresh juice only. I’ve felt that lethargy, that "fog" that settles over you when the flesh starts to scream for its caffeine and sugar.
In my book Overcoming Night Terror: Making the Demons Leave, I talk about the reality of spiritual warfare. When you decide to fast, you are effectively putting a target on your back. The enemy does not want you to have that "this kind" breakthrough.
Wendy experienced this firsthand. During her fast, it was as if every mechanical and financial system in her life decided to break. Her husband's job was threatened. Their main electrical breaker box literally fried and died in the middle of an Indiana winter. They had plumbing issues. It was one thing after another.
One night, a massive ice storm hit. Her husband worked at a factory and was on a strict "point system" for attendance. If he missed work, he would lose his job. The roads were treacherous sheets of glass. Wendy and her church family began to pray. Her pastor, who was also a fire department chaplain, was out on a run that night. He witnessed something that can only be described as a miracle: the temperature suddenly spiked to just above freezing for a brief window, melting the ice off the roads, and then plummeted back down. Her husband was able to get to work safely.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry (Psalm 34:15 KJV).
I’ve learned through Wendy that fasting isn't about "earning" God's favor. It’s about clearing the static so you can hear His frequency. Toward the end of the fast, Wendy had a moment where she couldn't even get out of bed. Her limbs felt like lead. She lay there, stripped of all self-reliance, and heard the Lord ask: "Are you going to rely on your flesh, or are you going to rely on Me?"
That is the heart of the fast. It is a controlled "death" to the self. It is a physical declaration of the verse: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV).
Biblical References
When we look at the Word, we see that fasting is never just about "not eating." It is always coupled with prayer and a specific spiritual objective. Wendy had 40 specific prayer points—one for each day. She was praying for the salvation of loved ones, for spiritual struggles in her marriage, and for the church bus ministry.
Jesus was very clear about the necessity of this discipline. When the disciples couldn't cast out a certain spirit, Jesus didn't tell them they needed more "techniques." He told them they needed more "depth."
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21 KJV).
This tells us that there are levels of spiritual authority that are simply locked behind the door of fasting. If you are dealing with "this kind" of problem—a generational curse, a terminal illness, or a deep-seated spiritual oppression—you might need "this kind" of solution.
We see this pattern with Elijah when he was fleeing from Jezebel. He was exhausted and ready to quit. But after an angelic meal, he went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God (1 Kings 19:8 KJV).
Wendy found that "strength of that meat." It wasn't physical meat, but the spiritual sustenance that comes when the soul is finally quiet enough to feast on the Word.
Key Takeaways
- Fasting is a Command, Not a Suggestion: Jesus said "when" you fast, not "if" you fast (Matthew 6:16).
- The Three-Day Threshold: The first 72 hours are the hardest. Once you break through the physical "wall," a spiritual grace often takes over.
- Spiritual Warfare is a Sign of Progress: If your "breaker box fries" or your "plumbing leaks" when you start seeking God, don't quit. It means the enemy is worried.
- Physical Healing is a "By-Product": While the goal is spiritual intimacy, the body often receives a "deep clean" as toxins and ailments are flushed out.
- Dependence over Discipline: The fast is not a feat of willpower; it is an exercise in total dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Wendy’s story reminds us that the "supernatural journey" isn't reserved for people in the Bible or "professional" ministers. It is for the homeschooling mom, the factory worker, and the person sitting in the pew who is tired of the status quo.
If you are feeling that "nudge" from the Holy Spirit, don't say "I could never do that." Instead, say "Lord, if You are calling me, give me the grace." You don't have to start with 40 days. Start with a lunch. Start with a day. But start somewhere.
I want to encourage you to dig deeper into these spiritual truths. If you want to read more about my own journeys into the supernatural and how to navigate the unseen realm, grab a copy of my books OPEN YOUR EYES or Overcoming Night Terror. They are designed to help you recognize the movements of the Spirit in your own life.
Also, be sure to head over to ConradRocks.net and join our community. We are a group of believers dedicated to the biblical Jesus and the reality of His power today.
Are you feeling called to a fast? What is the "this kind" situation in your life that needs a breakthrough? Leave a comment below or share this post with someone who needs a spiritual jumpstart.
Action Items
- Pray for Confirmation: Before starting a long-term fast, ask the Lord for a specific "call" and confirmation through the Word or a spiritual authority.
- Find a Support Circle: Confide in your spouse or a few trusted prayer warriors. You need people to "lift up your hands" when you get weary.
- Prepare Your Temple: If you are a heavy caffeine or sugar user, consider tapering off a few days before the fast to minimize detox headaches.
- Set Specific Targets: Don't just "not eat." Write down specific prayer points for each day of your fast so your focus remains on the spiritual goal.
- Listen to Your Body: Understand the difference between "hunger pangs" and a medical emergency. Be flexible enough to rest when the Lord tells you to lie down.
Until we meet again, dig deeper and go higher. God bless you.
If you liked this post, you may also like: Unlocking Spiritual Power: Praying the Psalms and Lord's Prayer
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