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Why do we fast?

Giving up foods and other things we enjoy for a short time, and instead committing ourselves to prayer, helps us hear God more clearly and heightens our ability to sense His guidance for our lives.

Beginning Monday, January 6, join us for ten days as we seek God for our families, our church, and our world.

Check out the sermon below if you're curious about fasting or need a little encouragement during your fast.

FAST TYPES
DEVOTIONALS

3 FASTING OPTIONS

Daniel Fast

Daniel Fast

What is it? 

  • This fast, based on the fast that Daniel and his Hebrew companions took in Daniel 1, involves only the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and water.

Sounds interesting. What was that all about?

  • Daniel and his companions were placed in what appeared to be an impossible situation, in need of God’s intervention and favor. Rather than hit the easy button and turn against God’s commands, the four chose to fast and eat only fruits, vegetables, and water, all while entrusting their situation to Him. Daniel 1:15-17 gives us a pretty good look at just what happened because of it.

What are the specifics?

  • It’s pretty simple! For 10 days a person consumes only fruits, vegetables, and water while wholeheartedly dedicating themselves to praying and connecting with God during that time.

Wait – I just did a Google search and there’s, like, 20 different ways people are saying to do this kind of fast.

  • As is our modern way of doing things, plenty of people have taken this concept from Daniel 1, added their own twist to it, and called it by the same name. We want to stay as close to the formula we see in Scripture, thus, what we’ve laid out above.

Last thing! What about whole grains?

  • If we’re getting super technical, there is some debate over one specific Hebrew word in a key Daniel 1 verse. Daniel 1:12 says, “‘Test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,’ Daniel said.”
  • The Hebrew word that we’ve taken and translated into the English word “vegetables” is zeroa`. To a person who was speaking and reading ancient Hebrew, zeroa` would be used to refer to something that was grown from a seed sown in the ground. So, taking that into account, consuming things like whole grains and fruit would not be seen as a violation of this Biblical example.

 

Daniel Fast
Weekly 24-Hour Complete Fast

24-Hour Complete Fast

What is it? 

  • A simple, water-only fast, that a person commits to one 24-hour period every week. Often this is done from sundown to sundown or sunrise to sunrise.

Oh? What was that all about?

  • All throughout scripture, individuals like Esther (Esther 4:16) found themselves at a place where they were confronted with matters beyond their control. Their response was often a full fast, often without even water. God’s response? It’s why Esther is still read to every Jewish person, every year.

What are the specifics?

  • This one is also pretty simple. For the 10 days of the fast, commit to a 24 hour span in which you will hold back from consuming anything that is not water. Our encouragement to you would be to focus in a special way on prayer during those and the non-fasting days as well.

 

Weekly 24-Hour Complete Fast
Content Fast

Content Fast

What is it? 

  • For those who may not be able to fast food due to physical hardship or illness, we encourage a fast that focuses on the intake of digital content instead.

That may actually work. How do I do it?

  • Before the 10 days begin, we want to encourage a person choosing this fast to pray and follow God’s leading on specifically what to fast. Many individuals have chosen to fast all streaming services, social media, video games, YouTube, or some combination of those items. The vital thing is (1) that it is a personally significant item to fast and (2) that a clear commitment is made at the front end of the fast.

But is it really fasting if there isn’t a change in food intake?

  • We do believe strongly in the first couple of food-related fasts but understand that not everyone is able to physically do such a fast. We certainly do not want to leave these people behind as we move this direction as a church, thus this option is here. And there are plenty of times when God asked His people to fast non-food items before a significant battle or event, so a Biblical precedent is there.
Content Fast

DEVOTIONAL

During your fast, we will be reading a 10-day devotional together called “10 Keys to a Spiritual Breakthrough.” You can join this devotional by searching the title of it in the “Plans” section of the YouVersion Bible App. 
 
If you don’t have the Bible App, you can simply click here to read it on your browser.