The key to Christian living is a thirst and hunger for God. And one of the main reasons people do not understand or experience the sovereignty of grace and the way it works through the awakening of sovereign joy is that their hunger and thirst for God is so small.
John Piper
What is fasting?
Abstaining from food for spiritual reasons.
Why fast?
We fast not to get something we want from God, but for God to change our wants. We fast because Jesus fasted, He expected we would fast, and we see that the early church fasted.
We are fasting in this season because at the 20-year mark of our history as a church, we want what God wants more than ever, as we step into the next 20 years. It is a season in which we are placing this desire into concrete action. In fasting, we choose a period of time in which we forsake what we need to live physically (food), in recognition that our greater need is to live spiritually, and that means we need God.
How are we going to fast?
We are inviting everyone to pray throughout the 40-day season and to choose one day between October 9th and November 17th to fast. (By the way, prayer and fasting are never separated in the Scripture.) Whether you are skipping a meal or skipping all meals for an entire day, take that meal time (or a specific, scheduled time) to pray, read your Bible, listen to God, meditate, and reflect.
How do I fast?
Here are some possible fasts you may wish to do:
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Normal Food Fast – Going without food for a predetermined period of time. It could be one day or several days. One must drink water, and be cautious of existing medical conditions.
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Partial Food Fast – Going without a meal during the day, or multiple meals for one day. A partial food fast may also mean going without a certain kind of food for a set period.
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Juice or Fruit Fast – Choosing only to have a certain juice or fruit for a meal for a period of time (adapted from a fast guide from Perimeter Presbyterian Church, Atlanta GA).
Our prayer is that individually and corporately the fruit of our time of prayer and fasting is a deeper hunger and thirst for God, that results in a greater hunger and thirst for the things of God – His glory made known through the gospel that changes lives, that change the world.
Learn more about the what, why and how of biblical fasting from Richard Foster’s article.
