At some point, God may ask you to fast from giving prophetic words. These silent times can be for a single meeting or for extended seasons of time. The length and timing of these kinds of fast are up to God.                                                                                                                                                               

Once, I was ministering in Central and South America. I was flying from Caracas, Venezuela to Panama City, Panama. I was bumped up to first class. Earlier that day, the Lord asked me to fast from eating during the day in order to prepare for a meeting later that night.                                                           

When I boarded the plane, it was the inaugural flight of first class service for the airline. The airline pulled out all the stops. Excellent food and beverages were available throughout the entire flight. Once I sat down in my comfortable seat, I remembered the commitment I made with the Lord earlier in the day to fast. As entrée after entrée was paraded by me on carts, I kept saying, “No thank you.” Eventually one of the flight attendants asked if I was feeling well. I said, “Yes, I am fine.” I didn’t go into the details.                                                                                                                                                        

The desire to prophesy can be like a food-cart that roles by your seat. You want to reach out and take something, but you don’t because in that moment God needs your silence more than He needs your words.                                                                                                                                                                     

I am not always sure why the Lord asks us to remain silent with a verbal gift. I am sure that He knows everything taking place and we do not.                                                                                                              

I have come to realize these seasons of obedient silence are part of a deeper, maturing work in our lives; they release a greater measure of the Spirit’s influence when we do speak at the end of the fast. When I ended that fast from food, everything tasted better than it had before. In a similar way, when you break the fast of speaking prophetic words, you will have a deeper appreciation for the taste of His words in your mouth, and when you speak, they will carry a new authority. 

(Excerpt from the book, The Prophetic Voice.) https://var/web/site/public_html.amazon.com/Prophetic-Voice-Garris…/…/ref=sr_1_1…