Welcome to 21 Days of prayer & Fasting
January 14–February 3, 2024
As we start the year, let’s spend time in prayer and God’s Word during our 21-day fast. And for daily encouragement, we hope you’ll enjoy reading through this new devotional, Know Love Like This: 21 Days of Discovering God’s Heart for You. Follow along with your free digital copy on gatewaydevotions.com or
the YouVersion Bible App.
As we start the year, let’s spend time in prayer and God’s Word during our 21-day fast. And for daily encouragement, we hope you’ll enjoy reading through this new devotional, Know Love Like This: 21 Days of Discovering God’s Heart for You. Follow along with your free digital copy on gatewaydevotions.com or
the YouVersion Bible App.
Why Should I Fast?
If there is something you’ve been praying for, working to overcome, or seeking God’s wisdom on, fasting is a perfect way to quiet all the noise and tune in to what God has to say. The Bible is full of examples of the power of fasting and prayer. In Judges 20, after facing terrible defeat, the Israelites fasted and asked God for guidance ahead of their next battle—which they won! In Daniel 10, Daniel fasted before receiving a vision from God. And in Matthew 4, before Jesus began His ministry, He fasted 40 days.
How Should I Fast?
The best way to get started is to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom on how you should fast. Maybe you need to refrain from indulging in desserts, take a break from social media, or pause Netflix for three weeks. Once you’ve determined how you will fast, stick to it, and watch how God moves in your life!
Read “You Might Be Fasting If …” for some encouragement and joy along the way! If you decide to commit to a dietary fast, be sure to drink plenty of water and please consult your doctor before making any significant changes.
If there is something you’ve been praying for, working to overcome, or seeking God’s wisdom on, fasting is a perfect way to quiet all the noise and tune in to what God has to say. The Bible is full of examples of the power of fasting and prayer. In Judges 20, after facing terrible defeat, the Israelites fasted and asked God for guidance ahead of their next battle—which they won! In Daniel 10, Daniel fasted before receiving a vision from God. And in Matthew 4, before Jesus began His ministry, He fasted 40 days.
How Should I Fast?
The best way to get started is to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom on how you should fast. Maybe you need to refrain from indulging in desserts, take a break from social media, or pause Netflix for three weeks. Once you’ve determined how you will fast, stick to it, and watch how God moves in your life!
Read “You Might Be Fasting If …” for some encouragement and joy along the way! If you decide to commit to a dietary fast, be sure to drink plenty of water and please consult your doctor before making any significant changes.
21 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING
The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
TYPES OF FAST
Complete Fast In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option. Selective Fast This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food. Partial Fast This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown. Soul Fast This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast. |
TIMING OF FAST
| We encourage our Oasis City Family to participate in our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting! It's a time when we together focus on spiritual growth. Our daily prayer focus will be available on Social. It’s very typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more. The timing of your fast is not as important as the strength of your focus on God as you fast. Scripture References
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