twenty-one days of fasting to begin 2024

“This is the fast that i have chosen…”

Daniel 10:12-13 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Twenty-One Days: Start: January 8 / Break: January 28

Fasting is not for the strong. Fasting is for the weak.

Fasting is for the ordinary people who realize that they desperately need God in their life; that’s who fasting is for. We encourage you to begin this journey.

If you’ve never fasted before, or if you are a veteran faster, and you’ve fasted many times, we are believing God will do great things on this journey if you step up and say, “God, I want You, and I’m coming after You in prayer and fasting.”

The greatest time of the year to fast is at the beginning of the year. God will add blessings to your life over the coming months all year long. What you do right now affects the rest of the year. In 2024, we will be fasting from 24 items, for 21 days, to start the year the right way.

The following is a list of 24 specific items to use as a guide. Use this list in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit. For instance, if you feel led to fast from more than what is listed here, or if you feel led to fast from less, that is between you and the Holy Spirit.

We will break the fast on Sunday, January 28 together after our 10:00 am service with communion and a luncheon.

Fasting SCHEDULE & DETAILS

Sunday, January 8 - Sunday, January 28

We believe the new year is an opportunity to reflect and seek God's voice. As a church, we collectively engage in prayer + fasting and believe this sets the tone of the new year for our church family. There is so much strength when we bind all together! Please take a look at the following fasting pathways:

Fasting Option 1: Full Immersion Fast, also known as a “Daniel Fast”
Fast all items, for all 21 days

Fasting Option 2: Scheduled Immersion Fast
January 8-10: No entertainment, social media, sugar, sweeteners, sodas
January 11-13: All the above, plus no beef, pork or lamb
January 14-16: All the above, plus no chocolate
January 17-19: All the above, plus no poultry or seafood
January 20-22: All the above, plus no dairy
January 23-25: All the above, plus no yeast
January 26-28: All the above, plus no refined grains

Fasting Option 3: Partial Fast, also known as a “Jewish Fast”
This type of fast involves abstaining from eating any types of food in the morning or afternoon. This can correlate to either specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, or from sun-up to sun down. This fast has 3 components, 1) total fast for a significant portion of you day, 2) only eating in time period before sun-up and after sunset, or in your choice of time, and 3) only drink water during fasting period.

Fasting Option 4: Soul Fast
This type of fast is great for people who have never fasted before, or who do not regularly fast. Essentially, you will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and fast for 21 days at your own pace, from whatever you feel led to fast from. It could be as much or as little as you feel led to do. The point of this fast is simply to deny your flesh, nourish your soul, and start the year off with noticeable spiritual discipline.

Break Fast Together: Sunday, January 28

IMMERSED / DANIEL FAST - DETAILS

What to eat:
• Whole grains
• Beans and legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetables and fruit
• Plant-based products (such as soy, tofu)
• Unprocessed, unsweetened, natural foods, oils and spices
• Unleavened natural bread (whole grain bread made without yeast, sugar, or preservatives)

What to fast from:

Four general guidelines to follow for the duration of your 2023 Fast:

1. Fast from all animal products:
• All meat (beef, pork, poultry, etc)
• All seafood (fish, shrimp, etc)
• All dairy (milk, eggs, butter, cheese, etc)
• Any other products derived from animals
2. Fast from all processed & modified foods, preservatives and chemicals
3. Fast from all sugars and sweets
4. Fast from all worldly entertainments

Specifically, you will fast from the following 24 items:

MEATS
1. Beef
2. Poultry
3. Pork
4. Lamb
5. Fish
6. Shellfish

DAIRY
7. Cheese
8. Butters
9. Creams
10. Eggs
11. Milk
12. Yogurt

OTHER
13. Sugar
14. Low Calorie Sweeteners
15. Soda
16. Chocolate
17. Yeast
18. Refined Grains (white flour, white rice)
19. Deep fried foods

ENTERTAINMENT
20. Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, etc)
21. Television (including streaming)
22. Movies (including streaming)
23. Sports
24. Gaming (video games)

FAQ’s

What about honey? Honey is a gray area since a honeybee is not a mammal or a bird. Still, most people will tend to fast from honey on this fast. However, many people take honey as a supplement for health purposes or other reasons, so this should be prayerfully considered and the decision is between you and the Lord.

What about maple syrup? Plant-based syrups (maple, date, etc) are another gray area, along with monk fruit and cacao. The point of the fast is to deny your flesh, so this should be considered prayerfully and decided individually.

What about alternative meats? Many meat substitutes, even the so-called “plant-based” options are highly modified and engineered in food labs, and most contain a large quantity of chemically-produced ingredients. Most store-bought alternative meats generally are not considered “Daniel-fast-friendly”. Instead, opt for completely natural meat substitutes such as jack fruit, portabello, eggplant, etc.

What about coffee, tea, etc? There is nothing in the Daniel Fast that excludes naturally derived coffees and teas (including matcha and chai)! Coffee is simply a roasted fruit seed, and tea is simply dried leaves and herbs. When on this fast, you should avoid chain coffee like Starbucks and Coffee Bean as they chemically modify their coffee for longer shelf life, and instead opt for locally roasted coffee, and of course avoid the sweet milky coffees in favor of unsweetened plant milks such as almond or oat.