Fasting at The Gathering
WHY FAST?
The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God.
That means there is no pressure to perform. Fasting isn’t a way to twist God’s arm or to impress other people. It’s simply saying “no” to something physical in order to say “yes” to something spiritual..
Corporately, our church is setting aside the 21 days from January 8-28, 2024, as a time of focused prayer and fasting. We are asking each member of The Gathering to seek God and ask Him what He is calling them to do personally during that time.
Will we be hungry? Sure, but fasting isn’t a diet and it is so much more than just an empty, growling stomach. It’s an intentional removal of something physical so that we can intentionally replace it with something spiritual.
Fasting is the roar of an army hungry for revival.
Simply stated, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose.
Jentezen Franklin
Looking for a Bible reading plan?
It's so important that we fill up the emptied places when we fast. Taking time away from sweets, or social media, or other time-consuming practices is good, but it's better when we actively and intentionally replace those spaces with the truth of God's word. Click the link below to search for 21 Day Bible reading plans at YouVersion that can fill your soul with God's word as you fast.
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.
- COMPLETE FAST – In this type of fast, you would drink only liquids (water and light juices) for the number of days that you decide. This would not be the best option if you’ve never fasted before.
- SELECTIVE FAST – This type of fast involves removing certain types of food or elements from your diet or abstaining from a specific meal for the number of days you decide. Perhaps you would choose to fast your lunch meal or you decide to fast from coffee or sweets. One of the most popular types of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast (based on the type of fasting Daniel did in the book of Daniel). During a Daniel Fast you would remove meats, sweets and bread from your diet and only consume water, juice, fruits and vegetables.
- PARTIAL FAST – This type of fast might be called the “Jewish Fast” or the “6 to 3” or “6 to 6” fast. During this fast, you would refrain from eating any food during the morning and afternoon (sunup to sundown) before eating a simple meal in the evening.
- 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.
