21 days of Fasting and Prayer

January 22nd —February 11th

 

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and, after forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” – (Matthew 4:1-3)

 

Pastor Kevin, the Ministerial Team, and the Deacons Ministry invite the faith family of Second Baptist Church family, and others, to join in a 21-day period of corporate fasting and prayer—a period of decreasing our interests in worldly pleasures and habits in order to make room for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide our congregation according to God’s will.

 

Details of Our Daniel Fast—a 21-day fast

 

Daily Prayer

Prayer should be offered to God at 6 a.m., 12 noon, and 6 p.m. Every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. will be corporate prayer meeting in the sanctuary of our church. 

 

In the Spirit of the Daniel Fast

The purpose of this fast is for FOCUS and CLARITY. In Daniel 10:2-3, Daniel fasted for focus and clarity of a vision he was unable to offer discern. A Daniel fast is a fast of only vegetables, fruit, and water. It includes no bread of any type, no pasta, and no meat. Through a 21-day fast, God will give you understanding of the vision God has given to you.

 

THE FAST WILL LAST FOR THE ENTIRE 21 DAYS—this includes Sundays!!!! You may have fruits and vegetables in any form i.e. 100% fruit juices, vegetable soups, and smoothies with no yogurt. Refrain from all spirits i.e. beer, wine, etc., during your fast. For other fasting options, please see the last page of our Prayer & Fast Calendar.

 

Dietary Restrictions does not prevent you from participating in our church wide fasting and praying.  God does not expect for you to jeopardize your current health hindrances in order to fulfill the call to fast. DO NOT FAST FROM YOUR MEDICATION! The important aspect of the fast is your prayer life. You can pray without fasting, but you cannot fast without praying. Make an attempt to find something you can give up for the glory of God. Please make sure that you are in prayer with us during the designated times. Lastly, please consult your doctor before proceeding with fasting.  Again, if you take medication or have any particular ailment, it is important to communicate with your physician.

Fasting Option for Those with Dietary Restrictions

Fast #1 – REMOVING CERTAIN FOODS OR ITEMS FROM YOUR DIET OR LIFE

One type of fasting is to remove certain foods from your diet such as fried foods, coffee, sweets, sodas, refined sugar and/or flour, wine, beer, spirits, etc.

 

Fast #2 – REMOVING ITEMS OF HUMAN PLEASURE

Another type of fasting is removing the pleasure of items that can result in a non-communicative moment with God such as television, telephone, surfing the Internet, etc. You can set aside time to not engage in these pleasurable items. Refraining from wine, beer, spirits, etc, is required.

 

Increase your Bible reading

 

1.      Reach a personal conviction on the subject through careful Bible study. Get into the Word on your own. See what the Bible really says about fasting.

2.      A physician's note: Make sure you are medically able to fast before attempting it. Some brothers and sisters that I know can only do a one-day partial fast. They drink different types of juice, but take no food or other liquid. God knows and understands their medical condition and does not expect them to harm their "temple" (1 Corinthians 6:19) in order to be spiritual. There are no rigid standards about fasting in the Bible that say you must do this or that.

3.      Begin with short fasts and gradually move to larger periods of time if you desire. If you've never fasted before, you need to start slow.

4.      Be prepared for some dizziness, headache, or nausea in the early going. Most of our bodies have never gone without food for longer than a few hours.

5.      Break a prolonged fast gradually with meals that are light and easy to digest. Trying to gorge yourself following a fast will only make you sick and will leave you with an unpleasant memory of fasting.

6.      Enter with a positive faith that God will reward those who fast with the right motives. - Jesus gave this promise: "When you fast, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:18).

7.      During your fast, mix your fast with prayer, time in Scripture reading, singing, or devotional reading. Remember: fasting is not an end in itself. Seek the Lord, not the experience of fasting.

 

There is a reward for fasting, but only fasting done with the right motives

(Matthew 23:28).