HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND POWERFUL FAST

Today marks Day 3 in our 21 Day For Breaking Free Fast.

Fasting has been somewhat of a lost art but beautifully important in the life of a believer. If you are interested in more information on fasting, a favorite source of mine is Dr. Bill Bright. He was an amazing man of wisdom in this area.

This post begins a five-part series entitled, "How to Have a Successful and Powerful Fast." In the next few days of our fast, I will post nuggets in these key areas:
Fasting Preparations

The power of the fast
How to manage your schedule while fasting as well as what to tell your friends, co-workers and loved ones
Nutrition
How to break or finish your fast in a healthy way!

DAY 21

Today is the FINAL day in our 21 days of Focused Prayer, Word and Fasting.

Today's prayer focus:
New Chapters in our Journal of Faith | Mark 11:23; Romans 10:17, 12:3; Hebrews 12:1-2; James 1:2


It is day seven in our one week of fasting. Congratulations! Take time to journal your thoughts, feelings, what God is speaking. How are you going to break the fast?

I am going to keep a journal with me as well as take time to stop and allow room to hear the Lord speak. This avoids what I lovingly (or frustratingly) term "auto-pilot." I will celebrate more and be anxious less. I always find, in times of prayer, that prayer is the ticket to being anxious for nothing. Phil. 4:6 tells us "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Basically, take it to God before I fret. I know, it's simple. Even the best athletes have to practice the fundamentals...daily.

I think I may have some of a good friend's ribs! In the very near future...my favorite Daniel's Broiler. I'll spare you the list of menu items as the fast isn't over yet.

DAY 20

Today is Day Twenty of our 21 days of focused prayer, word and fasting.

Todays prayer focus:
New Beginnings | Isaiah 43:18-21; 2 Corinthians 5:17



It is day six of our seven days of fasting. I have found myself asking God for an increased heart for the pre-Christian. How about you?

DAY 19

Day 19
Today's prayer focus:
New Influence | Proverbs 3:3-4; Acts 9:31; 11:21; 17:6

Today marks day five in our fast. Incredible testimonies are coming in.

DAY 18

Today is day eighteen of our 21 days of focused prayer, word and fasting.

Today's prayer focus:
New Church Isaiah 62:3; Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:42-47


Day four, over half way to our seven day fasting goal. Congratulations! Keep going.

DAY 17

Today is day 17...

Today's prayer focus is...
New Church Plants | Acts 1:8, 6:7, 13:49, 16:5


Day 3 in our Fast. What is working for you?

DAY 16

Day sixteen...
Today's prayer focus:
New Buildings and Lands Leviticus 20:24; Deut 6:10-11; Joshua 1:10-11



Day two of seven in our fast. Is there anything I can agree with you in prayer for? How are you doing in your fast?

See you at a Regional Reach Team in your area, tonight!

DAY 15

Today marks day fifteen of our Focused prayer, word and fasting.

Today's focused prayer:
New Leaders, Workers | Exodus 18:21; Luke 10:2


It is day one of the fast. What are you sacrificing? T.V., caffeine, a meal, food, technology?

Take some of the time you would normally spend doing whatever it is you're fasting and spend it with God.

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND POWERFUL FAST PART V

Breaking your fast:

Take it from experience, don't go to Skippers for the all-you-can-eat buffet or greasy fast-food!

• Understand that while you fast, your intestines and stomach shrink. It is important to not stuff your face. Introducing solid food right away can cause a serious stomach ache or worse.


• Break a fast with vegetables, either steamed or raw. Eat lightly. Stop before you feel full.


• Even a 3-day fast requires reasonable precautions. It is wise to start with a little soup - something thin and nourishing such as vegetable broth made from onion, celery, potatoes, and carrots - and fresh fruits.


• In terms of resuming exercise, start slowly.

Fasting is a tremendous weapon and a source of power to every believer. God not only delivered Jehosaphat and many others due to fasting and prayer but annihilated their enemy and prospered His people.

In the book of Joel the Lord said, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions…(Joel 2:28-29). God was going to pour out revival – afterward. He was revealing His will for His people-afterward. After what? After a fast. His promise to them was to pour out revival and blessings on the land.

DAY 14

Congratulations, you've have reached day fourteen!

Today's prayer focus is: *revised!
New People | Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:2; Titus 2:11

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND POWERFUL FAST PART IV

Nutrition:

• Continue to take daily vitamins.


• If you are beginning a juice fast, avoid juices with high-acid content, (ex. orange or tomato juice).


• The best juices are fresh carrot, grape, celery, apple, cabbage, or beet. "green drinks" made from green leafy vegetables because they are excellent "de-toxifiers."


• Fruit juices are "cleansers" and are best taken in the morning.


• I suggest not taking products containing protein or fat, such as milk or soy-based drinks. These products will restart the digestion cycle and you will again feel hunger pangs.

How to make your experience the best it can be:

• Prayer and fasting must always go together.


• Arrange special time each day with God. Satan will do everything he can to pull you away from this time.


• Do not become so caught up in praying for yourself and others that you forget about simply reverencing and praising God. True spiritual fasting focuses on God.


• Do not be disappointed if you do not have a “mountaintop experience”. Many people who have successfully completed extended fasts tell of feeling a nearness to God that they have never felt before, but others have sought His face with no report of outward results. Be assured, God honors our commitment to pray and fast.


• Your motive in fasting must be to glorify God, not to have an emotional experience, and not to attain personal happiness. With that, He will bless your time in a very special way.

DAY 13

Today is Day Thirteen of our 21 days of Focused Prayer, Fasting and Word.

Today's prayer focus:
New Harvest | Psalm 22:27; Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:38; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND POWERFUL FAST PART III

How to manage your schedule while fasting:

2-fold reason for schedule adjustments…1st is physical. Throughout the fast, you may feel somewhat weaker than normal. During the first few days, you may feel tired and irritable.

• You may want to lighten your workload and exercise routine.


• If you engage in strenuous physical labor, you may wish to fast only one or more days of the week, limiting yourself to partial fasting. You may look to the weekends for fasting.


• In the morning you may feel like you are on top of the world, but by evening you may be wrestling with the flesh-sorely tempted to raid the refrigerator and counting how many more days are left in your fast. To counteract temptations like these, take extra time with to spend with God. Step outside for a walk and talk to the Lord as you go. In the process, keep on sipping water or juice all day.


• Fasting is not just denying yourself food. It is exchanging the needs of the physical body for those of the 2nd reason for adjusting, spiritual. If you dissipate energy on numerous errands or busy-work to the neglect of spending time with God, you will starve both physically and spiritually.

What to tell friends, co-workers and loved ones:

• “I have other plans for lunch today.”


• Christians should be satisfied when you answer that you are fasting today.


• Don’t try to keep it a secret…allow your Christian friends to support you and pray for you during the fast.


• If friends and family express concern for your health, ease their fears by telling them that you will stop fasting the moment you feel you are harming your body or if the Lord leads you to end your fast.


• There is usually no reason for telling strangers or casual acquaintances that you are fasting. If you do, they may subject you to a lot of questions that you may not want to answer.

DAY 12

Today is day twelve of twenty-one.

Today's focused prayer is New Manifestations
Healing: Isaiah 53:5, 58:8; open doors, miracles, freedom and praise.

DAY 11

Welcome to day eleven! I am excited about today. Ladies prayer was at 10 am and we did some work! Know that today, you are favored. Today, you are blessed to be a blessing. We prayed for your homes to sell, your families and households to be filled with peace. We prayed increased intimacy in your marriage.

We prayed for new levels of wisdom, knowledge, peace, health, relationships, connection at The Rock and with Regional Reach Teams and much, much more!

BE the King's kid you are!

Our focus prayer is for New Levels
1 Cor. 2:9; Eph. 3:20, 4:23-24

DAY 10

Today's focused prayer is on:

New Anointing

Isaiah 10:27, 61:1-7; 1 John 2:20

DAY 9

Today is day nine of our 21 days of focused prayer, fasting and reading the word.

Today's Prayer Focus:
New Strategies: 1 Cor. 16:9; Col. 4:2-4

DAY 8

Today's prayer focus is:
New Territory

1 Chron. 4:10, Isaiah 54:2-3, Romans 16:20

"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt.21:22

DAY 6

It's day SIX of seven days in the word and focused prayer...

Today's reading:Romans chapters 12-14 with emphasis on Romans 12:1-2

Focused prayer for New Peace

Romans 5:1-2, 14:17-19, 15:13; Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

DAY 5

Today is day FIVE in the word and focused prayer.

Today's reading:
Romans chapters 9-11 with emphasis on 10:9-10

Focused prayer is for New Blessings:
Genesis 12:2-3, Proverbs 8:21, 10:22, Ecclesiastes 5:19; 3 John 1:2