In February 2013, God told me not to speak to any men for an entire month. I was so confused because with the exception of family members & co-workers, I already wasn’t talking to any men.
I wasn’t in a relationship, and I wasn’t going on any dates. I wondered if this was a silly idea that popped into my head, but after a few days of hesitation, I decided to take it seriously. Also, if this was indeed the Lord’s prompting, I figured obedience is always better than sacrifice, and I should be obedient.
There was no manual for my “man fast”. I simply did what I felt like God was calling me to do. This consisted of eliminating any unnecessary conversation with men, deleting unnecessary contacts, and unfriending guys I had absolutely no business being friends with on social media.
I couldn’t make this up, if I tried. As God is my witness, a man reached out to me almost EVERY DAY during my “man fast”. At first I thought it was cute, but then it dawned on me, that it was no coincidence that I was suddenly receiving extreme male attention during a time I’d dedicated to God. Suddenly I knew that this fast was indeed something God himself had called me to do, and I was ready to find out what was God’s purpose.
2 months after my “man fast” ended, I met my husband. It all made sense. God knew men would come out the wood works during my “man fast”, so he’d already planned a way to guard my heart. He also knew I would soon meet my husband, and didn’t need to get involved in any pointless interactions.
In February 2013, God told me to go on a “man fast”. In February 2014, I was engaged to the love of my life.
I made sure to share this experience entitled “The Month I Didn’t Talk to Men”, on my blog, which to this day still receives plenty of comments and questions. Many women believe God has called them to do a “man fast” as well, which lead me to write a 30-day devotional. Allow me to introduce “The 30 Day Man Fast”.
Birthed out of my personal experience, the 30 Day Man Fast is for women who feel the need to reconnect with God, and leave the guys alone for a season. It’s not a scheme to get a husband, but as stated above, to reconnect with God and gain focus.
“The 30 Day Man Fast” has quickly become a community. Forming a Facebook group, over 200 women check-in for accountability and to share experiences. We also have conference calls twice a month. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Is God calling you to do a 30-Day Man Fast?
For more information about “The 30 Day Man Fast” click here.
About the author
Nikki Carpenter wrote 33 articles on this blog.
Nikki Carpenter, also known as Nikki and The City, is an urban media expert from Chicago who loves to travel and report on issues that impact different cultures and communities. Nikki's work has been featured on Huff Post LIVE, Jet Magazine, and ESSENCE just to name a few.
I did the man fast because I needed some me time. There came a point that I was just fed up with the games and nonsense so I decided back in the day just to 'do me' without any distractions from the opposite s*x and sure enough in doing so, it was within 6 months that I met my spouse.
