Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.  Joel 1:14 

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"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."  Matthew 6:16-18

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Preparations to make before the fast begins

Make sure you understand the goal.

Check your heart for any wrong motives.

Pick and prepare your plan.

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Our Fasts

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THE THREE, you have options within specific categories.

(1) A food/drink   

(2) A media or social media item   

(3) Something of your choice.

 

A FOOD / DRINK

This is the most important of The 3 because every example of fasting found in scripture involves some type of food fast. Take an honest look at your eating/drinking habits and ask what the Lord might need you to give up in order to hear from Him more directly. It could be as simple as coffee/caffeine or as involved as removing wheat/grain from your diet. The main thing is to "starve the flesh" to focus on God, so be intentional about what you choose. If your family is fasting together, you might have your kids choose something else entirely that more suits their habits (i.e. chips or candy).

 

A MEDIA OR SOCIAL MEDIA ITEM

Considering the way we consume media in so many areas of our lives, it could be argued that if Jesus called us to give something up today it might be media even more than food. But within this constraint there must be some forethought. For instance, it may be possible to give up Facebook or Instagram but impossible to give up email or texting because your work depends on it. It might be more beneficial to cut out TV time at night so that you can spend time reading scripture or leading your family in devotionals. The goal is to cut out media that would keep you from focusing on spending more time with God or that would distract you from hearing His voice. 

 

SOMETHING OF YOUR CHOICE

What else in your life is God calling you to do without? In the first two of the three it will likely be easier to choose what to fast from because so much of our daily choices revolve around food and media. For this third item, spend some time in prayer asking God what He wants this item to be.  It could be that He asks you to fast from one more thing or it could be that He ask you to add or enhance disciplines for your life such as....

• tithing/financial stewardship

• daily quiet times

• how you spend your day off

• exercise

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GATHERING/CONNECTING FAST

Getting together, breaking bread, having a coffee.etc, with someone you don’t know during the 21 days.

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TIME FAST

You commit to attending the daily services for the next 21 days. We will be meeting for prayer and worship at 6:30p every night. We will have childcare up to age 7 only.​