Fasting Resources
> What is Fasting?
> Purposes of Fasting
> Daniel’s Fast Details
What Is Fasting?
The fast is a spiritual discipline designed to better connect us with God. As a church, we are fasting to prepare our hearts for what God is going to do, and to stretch our faith to believe Him for big miracles. The best way to do this is to redirect our food source. This is accomplished through substituting our regular food intake with Bible reading, praying, and journaling. The overall goal is to experience a genuine hunger for spending time with God and to grow our faith in what God can do!
Normally, fasting means to abstain from food or drink for a certain period of time as a religious practice. However, it may extend to anything that may be a source of pleasure, satisfaction, or personal gratification. Some examples from the Bible include:
A) Normal fast, going without food for a specified period of time. (Ex. 34:28; Ezra 8:21, 23; Luke 2:37; Matt. 4:2; Acts 13:2-3, 14:23)
B) Partial fasting, abstaining from certain foods. (Daniel 10:3)
C) Absolute fasting, going without any food or water for 3 full days. (Esther 4:16) This is very rare.
D) Voluntary group fast, called for a specific reason for a specific group of people. (1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Jonah 3:5)
Purposes of Fasting
A) To express love and surrender toward God through an act of sacrifice personal to ourselves.
B) To express distress, grief, or repentance.
C) To prepare for a time of spiritual struggle, decision making, or service.
D) To declare our willingness to put aside things in this life that may hinder our spiritual growth or relationship to God.
E) To remind ourselves that the physical world, and the life we live in it, is temporary, partial, and fading…and that the spiritual world is real, complete, and eternal.
F) To help us find balance in our lives between the physical and the spiritual.
G) To express discipline over our physical lives.
Daniel’s Fast Details:
The Daniel’s Fast is a partial fast, which means that we will eliminate some common things from our daily diet, but will have generous options available. We will focus on eating fruits and vegetables that are pure and simple. We have included a list of foods to eat and goods to avoid.
If you have any condition which would prohibit you from being a part of the Daniel Fast, there are other options. Choose something from your daily routine (i.e. specific foods or beverages, television, other technology, etc.) and fast in that manner for the 21 days. Remember, the details are not as important as the spirit in which you participate.
*If you have any known medical conditions or suspect such conditions, consult your doctor before beginning the fast.
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