21 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING

Every January we begin the New Year by setting aside the 21 days to pray and consecrate ourselves to God. This time is intended to help us set aside distractions to create space to seek the Lord. We invite you to join us!

The idea of fasting & praying for 21 consecutive days may be intimidating even if you’ve been serving the Lord for a while. Below is information and resources to help you in practicing these vital spiritual disciplines.

PRAYER RESOURCES:

There are many great books on prayer. This year Pastors Jonathan & Audrea invite you to join them in reading, Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Stanton which can be purchased anywhere books are sold.

Here are prayer guides created by Church of the Highlands to focus and enhance your prayer times.

Types of Fasts:

Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

With this in mind, the main types of fasts are:

Complete Fast: In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with fruit juices as an option.

Partial Fast: This fast involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.

Selective Fast: This type of 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.

Soul Fast: This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance.

For example, you might choose to 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 at the conclusion of the fast.

It is often helpful to combine a soul fast with one of the other types of fast.

If you take medications or have health concerns, consult with your doctor before fasting.

Fasting Tips (created by National Community Church):

  • Here’s what Jesus said: “When you fast, don’t make a production out of it like the hypocrites do. Shampoo and comb your hair; brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.” – (Matthew 6: 16-18, The Message and TNIV).

  • Have a plan prior to starting your fast. When will you fast? From what will you fast? Why are you fasting? Write down your plan.

  • Don’t think of fasting as a way to get extra “points” with God. You don’t have to earn His love.

  • You will find yourself getting tired more quickly during a fast. Get extra sleep and rest. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine. Don’t stop getting exercise, but listen to your body and adjust accordingly. Carry around gum or mints—many people have bad breath when they’re fasting.

  • You will lose weight during a fast; however, this shouldn’t be your motive for fasting. The purpose is to grow spiritually during the time set aside for fasting.

  • Break your fast slowly. After fasting, eat a small piece of fruit or have a glass of milk. The longer your fast, the more gradually you’ll want to work back up to your normal eating patterns.

FASTING RESOURCES:

What Is Fasting?

Christian fasting is the practice of abstaining from food for the purpose of seeking God. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that Jesus expected His followers to practice. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives instructions on how to conduct ourselves when we fast (Matt. 6:16-18).

Why Do We Fast?

Throughout Scripture, we find accounts of God’s people fasting for various reasons—to grow closer to God, to seek supernatural intervention for personal needs, a specific person, etc., for wisdom, or to lament sinfulness.

If you need a breakthrough in a specific area of life, desire to connect with the Lord more deeply, or want clarity concerning your purpose, fasting during the 21 Days is an excellent decision.

We also believe that fasting together as a community has a powerful impact as we are unified in our pursuit of the Lord.

Watch a short, animated video that explains the purpose of fasting and some examples of fasting in the Bible.

Additional Resources: