WHAT WE DO
We encourage you to set aside extra time for prayer, fasting, and spiritual growth over these 21 days. For you, it may be simply starting every day on your knees by your bed for 10 minutes of prayer and Scripture reading. For others, it may be a full 21 day fast. For others, it may be fasting one meal a day for 21 days. For others, it may be Scripture memorization, taking 21 days off social media to spend time in extra prayer and Scripture reading, or reading a book that will stir you towards the Lord. Here are a few resources as you prepare. Let us know if you have any questions at [email protected].
SCHEDULE
Jan 11 – Feb 1 : Prayer, Fasting, and Spiritual Growth
Feb 1, 9am : Testimony Breakfast
Feb 2, 9am & 10:30am Services : Guest Speaker Gary Spell
Feb 2 & 3, 6:30pm both nights : Revival Nights with Gary Spell + Creativity Workshop
WRITE YOUR PRAYERS
One simple practice is writing your prayers on an index card, in your journal, or on your phone. Keep lifting them up before the Lord each day. Then, write down when God answers a prayer, speaks to you about something, provides, or leads you a certain direction. If you don’t know what to write, it is very powerful to simply write out Scripture verses. See some options below. We’ll share testimonies of answered prayers and growth at the Testimony Breakfast on Feb 1 at 9am.
POSSIBLE SCRIPTURES TO READ, STUDY, AND/OR MEMORIZE
Jeremiah 33:3 – Call on the Lord and Learn from Him
Ephesians 2:4-10 – Salvation, Grace, How to Live
Psalm 100 – Gratitude, Praise, and Worship
Matthew 5-7 – The Words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (addresses many topics like Peace, Comfort, Prayer, Seeking God, Trust, Provision, Building a Solid Foundation, Being Disciples, etc)
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Making Decisions
Romans 8:31-39 – Victory in the Love of God
Isaiah 41:10 – Freedom from Fear
Psalm 23 – Walking with the Good Shepherd
Romans 12:1-2 – Renewing Your Mind and Discerning God’s Will
Hebrews 12:1-3 – Perseverance in Running Your Race and Not Losing Heart
POSSIBLE DEVOTIONALS AND BOOKS TO READ
My Utmost for His Highest Daily Devotional (free online)
Bible in a Year (free download)
Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
Fasting by Jentezen Franklin
FASTING RESOURCES
Book Resource:
Fasting by Jentezen Franklin
Below are some excerpts from the book:
FASTING
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” —PSALM 42:1–3
What is fasting? Since there are so many misconceptions about it, I first want to clarify what fasting—biblical fasting—is not. Fasting is not merely going without food for a period of time. That is dieting—maybe even starving—but fasting it is not. Nor is fasting something done only by fanatics. I really want to drive that point home. Fasting is not to be done only by religious monks alone in a cave somewhere. The practice of fasting is not limited to ministers or to special occasions.
Stated simply, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting has always been a normal part of a relationship with God. As expressed by the impassioned plea of David in Psalm 42, fasting brings one into a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
When you eliminate food from your diet for a number of days, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God. As David stated, “Deep calls unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). David was fasting. His hunger and thirst for God were greater than his natural desire for food. As a result, he reached a place where he could cry out from the depths of his spirit to the depths of God, even in the midst of his trial. Once you’ve experienced even a glimpse of that kind of intimacy with our God—our Father, the holy Creator of the universe—and the countless rewards and blessings that follow, your whole perspective will change. You will soon realize that fasting is a secret source of power that is overlooked by many.
During the years that Jesus walked this earth, He devoted time to teaching His disciples the principles of the kingdom of God, principles that conflict with those of this world. In the Beatitudes, specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus provided the pattern by which each of us is to live as a child of God. That pattern addressed three specific duties of a Christian: giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus said, “When you give…” and “When you pray…” and “When you fast.” He made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of Christian life. As much attention should be given to fasting as is given to giving and to praying. The three duties of every Christian are giving, praying, and fasting.
Solomon, when writing the books of wisdom for Israel, made the point that a cord, or rope, braided with three strands is not easily broken (Eccles. 4:12). Likewise, when giving, praying, and fasting are practiced together in the life of a believer, it creates a type of threefold cord that is not easily broken. In fact, as I’ll show you in a moment, Jesus took it even further by saying, “Nothing will be impossible” (Matt. 17:20).
FASTING IS FOR EVERYONE
Perhaps you’re thinking, “I still don’t know how fasting can really be for me.” According to the words of Jesus, it is the duty of every disciple and every believer to fast. When addressing the Pharisees as to why His disciples did not fast, Jesus replied, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:34–35).
Then they will fast. Jesus didn’t expect His disciples to do something He hadn’t done as well. Jesus fasted, and according to the words of Peter, Jesus is our example in all things (1 Pet. 2:21).
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. —LUKE 6:40
TYPES OF FASTS
The Bible records many different circumstances, types, and lengths of fasts. In addition to those I just mentioned, Joshua fasted forty days, and Daniel partially fasted twenty-one days. It is recorded that the apostle Paul was on at least two fasts: one for three days and one for fourteen days. Peter fasted three days, and, of course, we know that Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness.
The three types of fasts found in Scripture are the absolute fast, the normal fast, and the partial fast. First, an absolute fast is extreme and should be done only for very short periods of time. On an absolute fast, you take in nothing—no food, no water. Depending on your health, this fast should be attempted only with medical consultation and supervision.
On a normal fast, you typically go without food of any kind for a certain number of days. You do drink water, and plenty of it! Depending on the length of the normal fast, you may also choose to take clear broth and juices in order to maintain your strength.
And then there is the partial fast. A partial fast can be interpreted many ways. The way it cannot be interpreted is to include that time between about 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.—when you’re sleeping! A partial fast usually involves giving up particular foods and drink for an extended period of time. The most commonly used example of a partial fast is found in the Book of Daniel. In the beginning of his captivity in Babylon, Daniel and his three companions refused to eat the choice meats and sweets from the king’s table, asking instead to have only vegetables and water. They did this for ten days to prove that they would be just as healthy as the king’s men. Later, in chapter 10, grieved over the plight of Israel, Daniel began another partial fast, taking no sweets, no meat, and no wine for three weeks, during which time he was focused in prayer. At the end, his prayer was answered by an angel… On longer fasts, I drink water, juice, and even broth when I feel I need a little extra strength. – Jentezen Franklin in Fasting
*We encourage you to continue using this book as a resource before and during your fast. You can purchase a copy here.