21 Da ys of Fasting & Prayer: Daniel Fast. 21 Days of Fasting. January 9 29, Prayer and Scripture Reading

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1 1 21 Days of Fasting January 9 29, 2012 Prayer and Scripture Reading Union city Apostolic Church, We want you to experience a blessed new start to During these 21 days of extended fasting we know that God will do many special things, healings and great signs for each of us. This manual is a brief introduction to the Daniel

2 2 Fast. We hope it helps you better understand this important discipline. We will experience great blessings by starting the new year with a fast. We are so glad that you are joining us in starting 2012 to seek God s direction individually and corporately. God Bless You Greatly, Pastor Adam Lopez III What is Fasting? The Daniel Fast is a biblical method for presenting our bodies in sacrifice before God. Because we are in a spiritual battle it is necessary to enter into that realm and train-up ourselves in discipline. We read of two accounts in the book of Daniel (1:11-14 & 10:2-3) regarding Daniel s fast, abstaining from various

3 3 foods. He used this discipline of fasting to please God and gain wisdom, as well as to subject his body to eating meats, breads and sweets to increase spiritually. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips Daniel 10:2-3 The Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2 & 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God. Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast. Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God.

4 4 Fasting should not be considered a dieting method either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God. By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, 16 And when you fast, don t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. The Bible describes three major types of fasting

5 5 A Regular (Normal) Fast - Traditionally, a regular fast means refraining from eating all food. Most people still drink water or juice during a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says, "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." This verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty. A Partial Fast - This type of fast generally refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods. Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and water: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink." A Full (Absolute) Fast - These fasts are complete - no food and no drink. Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: "For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything." Esther also called for this type of fast in Esther 4:15-16: "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even

6 6 though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'" It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time. Preparing for the Fast Be prepared! First, have the right kinds of foods in the house that you can eat for the Daniel Fast. See the Daniel Fast Food List. Also, plan your menus and prepare the foods so they are available to you. Second, you might want to get rid of or at least put away foods that are tempting. Kind of like the biblical accounts of Jewish women as they prepared for the Passover by cleaning their houses from top to bottom and removed all yeast from their homes. Many Jews engage in this same practice today when they prepare for the Passover. Third, plan time to prepare meals as they will likely take a little longer than when you are not fasting. Most of the meals you prepare will be from scratch since there are so few prepared

7 7 products that don t have chemicals (no processed foods) in them. So you will want to set aside enough time to prepare your meals, not only for those you will have at home, but also those you will have at work or when you are traveling. Of course, you also want to prepare your heart for the 21-Day Fast. Seek the Lord s guidance as you get ready to start the fast. Are there issues in your life that you need to address? Are their needs in your family or ministry that can use special attention? Are you seeking healing? Do you feel oppressed by financial bandages? These last few days of the year are an excellent time to search your heart, open yourself to the Lord, and allow Him to lead you into your personal 21-Day Fast. Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast

8 8 All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon, etc. All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy. All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

9 9 All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter. All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, white beans. All quality oils including but not limited to olive (preferred), canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame. Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters, and 100% juices. Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices. Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.

10 10 All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs. All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey (organic is okay), syrups, molasses, and cane juice. All leavened bread and baked goods (100% whole grain/wheat breads w/o sugar, yeast, and preservatives, etc. are o.k.) All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips. All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat. Sodas, energy drinks, and alcohol.

11 11 Daily Scripture Reading We encourage you to make prayer and scripture reading a vital part of your fast. Yes, this should be a normal part of our every day. But fasting allows us to increase these disciplines by using time normally spent in other areas (such as T.V., social media and other entertainment) and replacing these agenda times with extra prayer time and scripture reading. Please join us in using the schedule below to serve as a corporal biblical focus. Day 1 John Chapter 1 Jesus: The Word; The Lamb of God Day 2 John Chapter 2 The Cleansing Day 3 John Chapter 3 The New Birth Day 4 John Chapter 4 The Living Water Day 5 John Chapter 5 The Healing Day 6 John Chapter 6 The Bread of Life Day 7 John Chapter 7 The Wisdom of Jesus Day 8 John Chapter 8 The Truth Day 9 John Chapter 9 I Am Day 10 John Chapter 10 The Good Shepherd Day 11 John Chapter 11 Death and Resurrection Day 12 John Chapter 12 Anointed Day 13 John Chapter 13 The Servant Day 14 John Chapter 14 The Assurance Day 15 John Chapter 15 The True Vine

12 12 Day 16 John Chapter 16 The Holy Spirit Day 17 John Chapter 17 The Prayer of Jesus Day 18 John Chapter 18 The Kingdom, Not of this World Day 19 John Chapter 19 The Great Sacrifice Day 20 John Chapter 20 The Empty Tomb Day 21 John Chapter 21 The Restoration of Love

NEW BEGINNING Though your beginning was small, Your latter days will be very great. Job 8:7 (ESV)

Gideon Baptist Church NEW BEGINNING Though your beginning was small, Your latter days will be very great. Job 8:7 (ESV) The FAST will begin on Monday January 4th and will end immediately following service