Prayer and Fasting
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
January 6-26,2025
The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, your fast should present a level of challenge, but it is essential to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
Join us as we intentionally seek God in prayer and believe for Him to move in powerful ways.
Types of Fasting
As with anything that deals with your body, please make sure you consult your doctor before beginning a fast.
COMPLETE FAST
In this fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
SELECTIVE FAST
This fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food. (www.daniel-fast.com)
PARTIAL FAST
This fast is called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any food in the morning and afternoon. This can correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.
SOUL FAST
This fast is an excellent option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting, or wish to refocus on some regions of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses after the fast.
Scripture References
Matthew 6:16-18, Mathew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14, Acts 27:33-37, Nehemiah 9:1-3
Fasting Preparation
PREPARE YOUR HEART
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God appears to Solomon and explains that if His people are going through a hard time, they should seek Him and follow His ways. Then, He will hear their prayers and heal them. Be willing to hear what God says needs to change, and be ready to change. Don’t continue to sin. What are the paths He wants you to walk? How much does He want you to pray and read His Word? Tell God that you surrender your life to Him and want more of Him and His way.
PREPARE YOUR MOTIVES
Ephesians 1:3 says that there are spiritual blessings assigned to us. We can never exhaust them! Who knows what God wants to give you or show you? Maybe He wants to bestow gifts such as wisdom, anointing, prayer, healing, teaching, joy, or encouragement. When you eliminate things keeping you from focusing on God, He can show you something you never knew about your life.
PREPARE YOUR BODY
If you decide to eat only fruits and vegetables for your fast, it will result in cleansing your physical body. You may feel sick as your body detoxes, but you’ll make it! This isn’t a mind game to see if you can survive eating less or not watching ESPN, but about experiencing God.
PREPARE YOUR SCHEDULE
Decide where you will meet with God, what and when you will eat, and how you will spend your time differently. Remember, the fast is about communing with God, so don’t waste your time with distractions that will keep you from feeling hungry. Instead, create a plan and commit to spending more time with the Lord.
Fasting Guidelines
- Explain to your family in advance what you are doing.
- Ask them not to discuss it with you until your fast is over.
- Never complain or brag about your fast, and avoid talking about it.
- Establish an accountability partner for prayer & encouragement.
- Stay away from negative people.
- Spend as much time as possible alone in solitude and prayer.
- Acknowledge that your flesh cannot be trained, but must be crucified.
- Journal as you pray and meet with the Lord. Write down the miracles God does in your life!