From January 5 to January 25, we invite the Grace family to join in a focused time of fasting, prayer, and seeking God's presence. This year, our theme for prayer and fasting is 21 Days of Healing. We will center our attention on The Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, exploring three key areas of healing: Emotional Healing, Physical Healing, and Relational Healing. We encourage you to participate by using the 21 Days of Healing devotions and videos available at justchoosehope.org.
"During our intentional time of prayer and fasting this year, the theme is 21 Days of Healing. God made us to be physical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual. These five areas of our lives are connected, not compartmentalized. We want to invite Jesus into our hearts, homes, church, and cities. We need the Good Shepherd, His love and leadership. We need God in profound ways, and we pray He will heal our land in this season. We will read Psalm 23 every day as we seek Jesus together. We also have daily devotions and videos from Scripture as we journey with God together. During these 21 days, my encouragement is to receive from the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit and the word of God fill and restore you in fresh ways." - Pastor Jesse Bradley
Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God. We fast and pray to prepare for ministry and to gain victory. We fast and pray to seek God's wisdom. We are seeking God’s presence, purpose, peace, power, and plan. Visit graceinauburn.com/prayer to receive prayer and find ways to pray for others.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
WHAT IS FASTING?
Fasting is going without food for a spiritual purpose. The type and length of the fast you choose is between you and God, and should not be determined by what anyone else is doing.
Fasting, prayer, and reading God’s Word go hand in hand. When you fast, also pray for God’s purpose and plan for your life to be revealed. Fast and pray about every major decision in your life.
Simply put, fasting is a way to conquer the physical and open the door to the supernatural in your life. When you deny your body, you feed your spirit and grow closer to the Lord.
TYPES OF FASTS:
Be sure to consult a doctor before beginning any fast, especially if you have any type of medical condition.
- FULL FAST – Drink only liquids—especially water. On this type of fast you may also take in clear broth and 100% fruit and vegetable juices in order to maintain your strength. You establish the number of days for your fast in your prayer time.
- DANIEL FAST – The most frequently used example of a partial fast is found in Daniel Chapter 10. The Daniel Fast is a fast from meats, sweets, breads, and any drink, except water, for a specific time period (Daniel 10:2-3). The easiest way to think of this fast is eating only vegetables and fruits, and drinking only water.
- PARTIAL FAST – There are many options for partial fasts. Below are just a few for you to select from.
The following are examples of other types of partial fasts:
- Give up one item of food or drink such as caffeine, coffee, soft drinks, or sweets/desserts.
- Give up one entertainment item: TV, movies, internet, etc.
- Give up one meal a day for a specific amount of time, one meal a week, etc.
- Fast for a specific number of days...one day, three days, and so on.
- Choose to fast for a certain amount of time each day, for example 6:00AM to 3:00PM or from sunup to sundown.
OTHER COMMON QUESTIONS
What if I have a medical condition? Consult your doctor before starting any fast. Decide together what is possible. If your health condition prohibits you from fasting food, try fasting something else and concentrate on prayer and Bible study. God knows your heart.
I forgot and ate something that wasn’t on my fast; do I need to start again? No, think of fasting as a marathon, rather than a sprint. Don’t give up! If you fall down, get up and keep trying.
Do I continue to exercise while fasting? For most people moderate exercise is okay. But it is always best to consult a doctor about fasting and exercise. If you are on a complete fast, you may not have the energy for exercise.
SCRIPTURE: Fasting is found throughout the Bible. Consider some of the following passages: 1) Nehemiah 9:1-5 - Returning to God; 2) Esther 4:12-17 - Asking for God’s help; 3) Psalm 69:9-16 - Humbling yourself before God; 4) Isaiah 58:1-14 - Helping other people; 5) Jeremiah 36:8-10 - Uniting together; 6) Daniel 9:1-6 - Seeking God’s mercy; 7) Joel 2:12-13 - Experiencing renewal; 8) Zechariah 8:18-23 - Increasing joy and power; 9) Matthew 6:16-18 - Following Jesus; 10) Luke 2:36-38 - Listening to God; 11) Acts 13:1-3 - Empowered by God; 12) Acts 14:21-23 - Raising up leaders.