Let’s kick off 2024 together as we fast and pray as a church and align our hearts on Christ. We will begin our church-wide fast on January 7, 2024 and finish on January 27, 2024. We would love for you to join us as a church. Click here to sign up!
Why Do We Fast?
Fasting is about greater intimacy with God and personal and corporate breakthrough. As a church, set aside time to pray, fast and wait on God to realign our thoughts with God’s heart and hope while believing for breakthrough in our lives, families and cities.
Fasting is more about what you gain and less about what you lose. It is a heart posture, open and ready to receive what God has for us. It isn’t just about the denial of food or drink, but about changing the way you see and believing that God is enough for you. When you have the urge to eat, drink, you can turn to the Word of God. By reading His word and going to God in prayer, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Abstaining from food, drink, isn’t easy, but you will be strengthened in your spirit, learning to seek Him first and growing in wisdom and faith for the upcoming year.
“Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food.”
Dallas Willard
What the Bible says about Fasting
Fasting is not about changing God’s mind; it’s about aligning our hearts with His purposes.
Jentezen Franklin
How we are fasting as a church
To begin each day, you can join a free 21-day devotional plan. If you have the Bible App, look for any 21 Days of Fasting and Praying devotional plan, read and marinade on the Word every morning.
Set aside 7:00 – 7:30 pm for each day to pray. You can pray wherever you are. On Wednesdays, we encourage everyone to join the midweek prayer and worship at the church (791 Lombardi Ct).
Prayer Items (for other things – as you are led)
A. The year 2024 – for God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
B. For yourself – to be hungry for God, for His word, to die in our selfish desires and be ready to obey for what He has for us this year.
C. Families (marriages, relationships, finances, restoration of families)
D. Churches (leadership, vision and purpose, reach and disciple the lost, finances, mission partners all over the world)
E. Local and National (peace in nations, godly wisdom, unity, leadership
You can fast according to your faith during the 21 day. See the types of fast below. You may also choose to fast at other times during the year for your own spiritual development. It’s very typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more.
Types of Fast
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. | Complete Fast In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option. |
| Partial Fast This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and 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. | 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. |
Doing a Daniel Fast? Here’s quick guide:
| THINGS TO ENJOY ON THE DANIEL FAST: | THINGS TO AVOID ON THE DANIEL FAST: |
| – All fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. – All vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. – All whole grains – amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat. – All nuts & seeds – almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond milk. Nut butters are also included. – All legumes – canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas. – All quality oils – avocado, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, sesame, and walnut. Beverages– distilled water, filtered water, and spring water. – Other – unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk; herbs, spices, salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, soy products, and tofu. | – All meat & animal products – bacon, beef, buffalo, eggs, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork. All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, milk, and yogurt. – All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, brown rice syrup, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar. – All leavened bread & yeast – baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey). – All refined & processed food products – artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice. All deep-fried foods – corn chips, French fries, and potato chips. – All solid fats – lard, margarine, and shortening. – Beverages – alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea |