Below are some clarified reasons as to why we should fast.

1) To prepare for ministry.

Jesus spent forty days and nights in the wilderness fasting and praying before He began His work on this earth. He needed time alone to prepare for His purpose (Matthew 4:1-17; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-14).

2) To seek God's wisdom.

Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted for the elders of the churches before committing them to the Lord for His service (Acts 14:23).

3) To show grief.

Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed when he learned Jerusalem’s walls had been broken down, leaving the Israelites vulnerable and disgraced (Nehemiah 1:1-4).

4) To seek deliverance or protection.

Ezra declared a corporate fast and prayed for a safe journey for the Israelites as they made the nine-hundred-mile trek to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezra 8:21-23).

5) To repent.

After Jonah pronounced judgment against the city of Nineveh, the king covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust. He then ordered the people to fast and pray. Jonah 3:10 says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.”

6) To gain victory.

After losing forty thousand men in battle in two days, the Israelites cried out to God for help. Judges 20:26 says all the people went up to Bethel and “sat weeping before the Lord.” They also “fasted that day until evening.” The next day the Lord gave them victory over the Benjamites.

7) To worship God.

Luke 2 tells the story of an eighty-four-year-old prophetess named Anna. Verse 37 says, “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Anna was devoted to God, and fasting was one expression of her love for Him.

We recognize that each of us comes to this church-wide commitment from different places and with different circumstances. Our desire is simply to walk with you—offering three pathways that make space for everyone to participate in this fast in a meaningful way. We don’t claim to have all the answers or to provide an exhaustive guide to fasting; rather, we’ve chosen these routes as invitations into the journey we believe God is leading us toward in this season.

As a church family, we’ve chosen to anchor our fast in practices connected to food, following the many examples we see throughout Scripture. Our hope is that, together, we would turn our attention toward Jesus with renewed focus, allowing Him to shape our hearts as we seek Him in unity.

Option 1 (Varied Weeks)

Week One: A commitment toward fasting from all food except water, juice, and other broths for the first 7 days.

Week Two: A commitment toward fasting from all meals, except the incorporation of one meal into the schedule during days 8-14. (ex: fasting all day until 6pm)

Week Three: A commitment towards fasting for one meal out of the day, with an intentional time of focused prayer during the time period normally spent eating during days 15-21.

Option 2 (Set Days Each Week)

This will be a commitment toward fasting from all food except for water, juice, and other broths for a set number of days — preferably at least 2-3 days each week.

Option 3 (Some Meals/Altered Diet)

This will be a commitment toward fasting for a significant portion of your day, incorporating only 1-2 meals into your schedule. (ex. fasting all day until 6:00 PM) Or, due to medical and other considerations, it may be necessary to participate by altering your diet for the duration of the fast. (This may be with vegetables only, or something known as the Daniel Fast)

*While we do believe biblical fasting is focused primarily on food, we understand that, because of past struggles, a fast from food may not be beneficial for some of you. In that case, we encourage you to consider abstaining from something else not connected to food during these 21 days. A helpful and beneficial fast will be to abstain from anything you tend to depend on for comfort or coping with difficult emotions. Examples would be television/media, retail spending, or other entertainment and creature comforts. Rather than participating in that thing, a fast encourages spending the time you’d normally allot to that thing and going to God in prayer instead. Use that new time to seek Him for comfort and for help navigating difficult emotions or asking for wisdom regarding next steps in your life. We believe there’s abundant provision and blessing from God to be found when we’re intentional with these days, and we hope you’ll join us.

The practice of fasting is in stark contrast to most of the way we live on a day-to-day basis in our lives. The Bible mentions fasting over 70 times directly, and it is inferred many more. This practice was clearly important to God, as even Jesus engaged in a 40-day fast immediately following His baptism. Below are some effects you may encounter during your fast:

Heightened Emotional Sensitivity

“Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear—if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger; then we know that we are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that healing is available through the power of Christ.” Richard Foster

Physical Effects

Changing the amount and type of nutrients that you intake on a regular basis could possibly affect your energy levels, leading to physical fatigue. Headaches have also been known to be a symptom during fasting.

Intense Hunger

Although this may seem like an obvious point of awareness, it is important to note that you may feel hunger in a way that you’ve not experienced before. This will become the primary indicator and reminder for times of prayer and listening during the fast.

"What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." – Philippians 4:9

Prepare Your Fast (See “How should I fast?” FAQ question)

1. Option 1 (Varied Weeks)

2. Option 2 (Set Days Each Week)

3. Option 3 (Some Meals/Altered Diet)

Prepare Your Prayer

1. Consider the ways we are praying together for our church.

2. Pick up a prayer journal so that you can follow along with a daily devotional.

3. Identify some friends and partners to be praying with through this time.

Prepare Your Mind

1. Take some time to consider the real implications of how the fast will affect your regular life rhythms. For example, think about how your daily schedule may be altered and have some forethought on how to adjust properly.

2. Ask the Lord to prepare your mind for the challenge in the days ahead.

3. Meditate on scripture and stories that are a reminder of God’s faithfulness and ability to sustain us: ex. Psalm 100, Matthew 4:1-4, Matthew 6:25-26

Prepare Your Heart

1. Take some time to ask God to identify potential areas of difficulty during the 21 days. Do you see the potential for emotions like anger, anxiety, and fear to rise up during this fast? Are there areas of sin that you are aware of and have not addressed in your life?

2. Spend some time in confession and repentance concerning these areas to which the Spirit leads you. As it says in 1 John 1:9, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Asking yourself difficult and direct questions and answering them in honesty may help you to enter the fast with a posture ready to receive. (ex. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate? Do I confidentially pass on what has been said to me in confidence?)

3. Ask the Lord to show you any areas of discord or disunity in your life relationally and seek to address them.

Prepare Your Body

1. Drink plenty of water, maintaining proper hydration and water intake leading up to the beginning of the fast.

2. Eat healthier foods (fruits and veggies) directly before the start of the fast in order to make for an easier transition. Avoid overindulging, as well. When the fast is complete, be mindful of easing back into your regular diet, so as to not shock your system.

3. If you have potential medical concerns, you should visit your doctor to make sure you are physically able to participate as you intend. A chronic or severe medical condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, may prevent you from fasting in the manner you’d like. You should also consult your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing in order to enter into the fast in the most informed way.

Prepare Your Schedule

1. Take time to pre-plan what types of juices, liquids, and supplies you will need while engaged in the fast. If you are planning to drink juices for part or all of the fast, then you may prepare for this by purchasing a portable cooler to take with you to work, outings, etc. This practice will keep you from being at the mercy of what's available to you in the moment of avoiding.

2. Think about when you will set aside time to pray and when you will partake in liquids throughout the day.

3. Discuss with family and those in your household about what the upcoming days will look like together.

Prepare Your Response

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:16–18

1. In hopes of avoiding pride and self-appreciation, we don’t want to broadcast our decision to fast publicly. Yet when addressed about it directly, we should prepare a thoughtful response, rather than feeling the need to be dishonest or make a bigger issue of it.

2. When someone asks why you aren’t eating, consider simple ways to communicate that you are dedicating yourself to a time of prayer and listening to God. Seek to respond in a simple and straightforward way without belaboring the point.

3. Consider beforehand how to graciously communicate with those who may invite you to a meal or gathering when it may conflict with the fast. (ex. As you are preparing for the gathering, please note that my family and I are praying and fasting together in this season, so we may not fully take part in the meal portion of the evening. Thanks for understanding.)

As a church, we understand the power of prayer at work among the people of God. Prayer is a powerful tool that allows us to access the full power and authority of Jesus’ name through the Holy Spirit. Our hope as we journey through 21 Days together is that we each develop a practice of hearing from the Lord.

As believers, we have the same Spirit inside us that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit is our counselor. In both prayer and the everyday circumstances of our lives, we can turn our attention to Him, which can produce clarity, nudges, promptings, and sometimes reveal the intentions of God to us. We invite these experiences to become a possibility during prayer by inviting the Holy Spirit into every aspect of our lives since He is alive and active within us.

From a practical standpoint, it is often helpful to have your notebook or a prayer journal nearby to enable you to write anything you feel is revealed during your time with the Lord. These notes can be good to reflect on or return to later in the day or week.

Praying morning, noon, and night will be a simple way to establish a rhythm of listening in the morning, noticing His activity in the middle of the day, and then expressing gratitude in the evening. Each activity may only take a moment or two, but it will bring your heart back to the Lord throughout the day.

It’s our conviction that we will only see the power of the gospel unleashed when the church starts to truly seek God through prayer and fasting. We are excited and hopeful to see how the Lord is glorified as we head into this season.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. – Galatians 5:16–17

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. – Hebrews 2:18