By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying, the soul learns to command the body. -William Secker
As a church, we set aside time at the beginning of the year to seek the Lord. Each day, there will be a prayer focus email sent to help encourage and lead you. As we believe for breakthrough in each of our individual lives, we are also praying together for our church and all that God might do in and through us corporately this year.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Isaiah 58:6
“[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”
We encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer and let your decisions about your biblical fasting come from Him. Ask the Lord to show you areas to target during your time of fasting and prayer. We believe that, as we pray and seek God and give Him our best at the first of the year, He will bless our ENTIRE year (Matthew 6:33)!
Why should I fast?
According to the Bible, there are three duties of every Christian: give, pray, and fast (Matthew 6). When all three disciplines are at work, you release the power of God in your life. It is an invitation from the Lord for us to lean into His power. It will be His strength that sustains us! We are intentionally minimizing distractions and normal routines in our everyday lives so that we may wholly devote ourselves to seek Him: with our minds, our spirits, and our bodies.
We encourage you to ask God about how you should personally approach this week. Regardless of how you feel led to fast, we know that the best results are yielded with three things: having a plan, knowing the purpose, and being fully present. Set the rhythm of your week by noting:
+ The type of fast God wants you to do (such as liquids only, a restricted diet fast, fasting from social media or television, as well as setting specific times aside to spend in prayer and worship)
+ What physical or social activities you will restrict
+ The specific and personal purpose of this fast for your life
Expect the Lord to speak to you. Expect Him to move. Expect to release things, and expect for God to release His Spirit in you in fresh new ways.
Here are some types of fasting to consider:
Full Fast:
Drink only liquids (you establish number of days).
Partial Fast:
A partial fast 6am-3pm or from sunup to sundown.
Daniel Fast:
The Daniel Fast is based on the prophet Daniel’s fasting experiences as recorded in the Bible. The fast is a biblically based partial fast. According to Daniel 1, the results were: (v. 17) learning, skill, wisdom, spiritual understanding, favor, and better appearance! (v. 19) In Daniel 10, the fast resulted in answered prayer and spiritual insight. (vv. 11-12) One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, but rather to the kinds of food you can eat. This fast is limited to: only fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Only water or natural fruit juice. No sweetness, breads, meats, eggs, or dairy products.
As a church, we set aside time at the beginning of the year to seek the Lord. Each day, there will be a prayer focus email sent to help encourage and lead you. As we believe for breakthrough in each of our individual lives, we are also praying together for our church and all that God might do in and through us corporately this year.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Isaiah 58:6
“[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”
We encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer and let your decisions about your biblical fasting come from Him. Ask the Lord to show you areas to target during your time of fasting and prayer. We believe that, as we pray and seek God and give Him our best at the first of the year, He will bless our ENTIRE year (Matthew 6:33)!
Why should I fast?
According to the Bible, there are three duties of every Christian: give, pray, and fast (Matthew 6). When all three disciplines are at work, you release the power of God in your life. It is an invitation from the Lord for us to lean into His power. It will be His strength that sustains us! We are intentionally minimizing distractions and normal routines in our everyday lives so that we may wholly devote ourselves to seek Him: with our minds, our spirits, and our bodies.
We encourage you to ask God about how you should personally approach this week. Regardless of how you feel led to fast, we know that the best results are yielded with three things: having a plan, knowing the purpose, and being fully present. Set the rhythm of your week by noting:
+ The type of fast God wants you to do (such as liquids only, a restricted diet fast, fasting from social media or television, as well as setting specific times aside to spend in prayer and worship)
+ What physical or social activities you will restrict
+ The specific and personal purpose of this fast for your life
Expect the Lord to speak to you. Expect Him to move. Expect to release things, and expect for God to release His Spirit in you in fresh new ways.
Here are some types of fasting to consider:
Full Fast:
Drink only liquids (you establish number of days).
Partial Fast:
A partial fast 6am-3pm or from sunup to sundown.
Daniel Fast:
The Daniel Fast is based on the prophet Daniel’s fasting experiences as recorded in the Bible. The fast is a biblically based partial fast. According to Daniel 1, the results were: (v. 17) learning, skill, wisdom, spiritual understanding, favor, and better appearance! (v. 19) In Daniel 10, the fast resulted in answered prayer and spiritual insight. (vv. 11-12) One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, but rather to the kinds of food you can eat. This fast is limited to: only fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Only water or natural fruit juice. No sweetness, breads, meats, eggs, or dairy products.