As we enter 2025, we want to corporately start the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting to grow deeper with the Lord, especially in our understanding as the Bride of Christ.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 19:7-9
A devotional guide written by Pastor Pitts will be distributed during Sunday service at the end of December to help guide you for this 21 days of prayer and fasting. To commemorate these 21 days, on Sunday, January 26, we will dedicate our entire Sunday service for worship and prayer. To celebrate as one whole spiritual family, there will be no Whole Word Kids or Youth Group.
HOW TO FAST
Although there are sometimes medical constraints, we are encouraging everyone to fast in one of the following ways:
Complete Fast - Water only.
Partial Fast - Intermittent Fast. Fasting for a specific period of time each day (usually sun up to sundown).
Daniel Fast - Abstaining from meats, sweets, processed treats, and alcoholic drinks.
How to Prepare Yourself Spiritually and Physically For a Fast
By Bill Bright
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
In preparation for this special time with God, I urge you to examine your heart through prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin. Scripture records that God always requires His people to repent of their sins before He will hear their prayers. King David said:
“Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
(Psalm 66:16-20, New Living Translation)
In your prayers, confess not only the obvious sins that come to mind, but allow yourself to linger in His presence, giving Him time to show you the less obvious ones as well. You may want to ask God if you are experiencing any of these signs of leaving your first love: worldly-mindedness, self-centeredness, spiritual indifference, unwillingness to share your faith in Christ with others, not spending sufficient time in God's Word and in prayer, a poor relationship with your spouse, your children, your friends, or other members of your church community.
Another great way to prepare for your fast is to practice what I call “spiritual breathing.” The concept is simple, but it has changed my own life and that of countless others.
Like physical breathing, spiritual breathing is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure. If you knowingly sin, breathe spiritually to restore the fullness of God's Holy Spirit in your life. You exhale by confessing your sins when you become aware of them, and you inhale by inviting the Holy Spirit to re-take control of your life. As an act of faith, trust Him to empower you. During the fast, spiritual breathing-constant reliance on the Holy Spirit-will enable you to resist temptation, not only to sin but to abandon your fast.
PHYSICAL PREPARATION
Although fasting is primarily a spiritual discipline, it begins in the physical realm. You should not fast without specific physical preparation.
If you plan on fasting for several days, you will find it helpful to begin by eating smaller meals before you abstain altogether. Resist the urge to have that “last big feast” before the fast. Cutting down on your meals a few days before you begin the fast will signal your mind, stomach and appetite that less food is acceptable.
Some health professionals suggest eating only raw foods for two days before starting a fast. I also recommend weaning yourself off caffeine and sugar products to ease your initial hunger or discomfort at the early stages of your fast.