21 Day Fast

 TO REGISTER FOR THIS CORPORATE FAST, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, January 3rd - Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024

As we begin this new year, we desire to make God our greatest priority in very real and concrete ways, specifically through the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer. From Wednesday, January 3rd through Tuesday, January 23rd our church family will be fasting and praying for 21 days. We are expecting to encounter God in profound ways during this season and believe that the prayers we pray will have a ripple effect throughout this year and well into the future of our church.

During this season, we're inviting & encouraging all of the

Hope community to join together in:

Praying Daily

We will be using The Lectio 365 app which is a devotional resource that helps you pray the Bible every day.

Fasting

Wednesday January 3rd - Tuesday January 23rd

**Suggestions for fasting are below - please discern how you feel led

Crafting a “Rule of Life” for 2024

Prayer & Worship Night

Friday, January 19th from 8:00pm to 9:30pm (click HERE to register)

This is a time for our community to spend an extended amount of time in Worship during the fast than would normally be held on a regular Sunday Service.

 

Join us Thursday Night, January 4th @ 8p, for an online workshop on crafting a "Rule of Life". We'll learn how to create a conscious, intentional plan for you to keep Jesus at the center of your life as you begin the new year.

Register HERE

 

FASTING

We believe that God wants to deepen our love for him and for our neighbor in 2024, but first our hearts must be softened in God’s presence. Biblically one of the greatest tools God uses to accomplish this is through the spiritual discipline of fasting. Seasons of fasting help us to eliminate the noise and distractions from our lives in order for us to seek God with greater intensity. God’s desire to restore the lives of the broken in our city come into greater focus in our hearts as the Spirit burdens our souls with God’s love for our world. Fasting also promotes renewed levels of gratitude and service towards others as we are reminded of the poor and hungry during our fast and are challenged to live out the Gospel for their benefit.

TYPES OF FASTS

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. Take time to pray and discern how God is leading you as well as a consult a physician if your health requires before you begin.

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.

COMPLETE FAST

in this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.            


 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.

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.

DAILY PRAYER GUIDE

(Morning + Evening)

During our 21 day fast, we invite you to join in in praying through Scripture both in the morning and in the evening. Together we will be using The Lectio 365 app which is a free devotional resource created by 24-7 Prayer International. The app has short devotionals for morning and evening so you can open and close each day with God. If you'd like to follow along and download the app click HERE.

RESOURCES

Sermon on fasting by Pastor Denise Rhrissorrakrai of Hope Astoria

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by A. A. Calhoun - PDF of chapter on Fasting

Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline has wonderful chapters on prayer and fasting.