INFORMATION & RESOURCES FOR
ADULTS & KIDS

The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God.

Fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose. Every religion includes some form of fasting, but Christian fasting is unique because it is a recalibration of the Spirit. During a fast, the believer is aligning his/her body and soul under the leadership of the Spirit. Christian fasting hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out! It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God while preparing our hearts for all of the good things He desires to bring into our lives.

Scripture References to Fasting

 Personal Fasting:
  • Isaiah 58 
  • Matthew 6:16-18 
  • Matthew 9:14-18 
  • Mark 2:18-22 
  • Luke 5:33-39

 Corporate  Fasting:
  • 1 Samuel 7:5-6
  • 2 Chronicles 20:3 
  • Ezra 8:21-23 
  • Nehemiah 9:1 
  • Joel 2:15-16
  • Acts 13:1-2
  • Acts 14:23

Types of Fasts

Through prayer, allow the Lord to show you the type of fast He has for you to take part in.

  • Supernatural Fast (Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kings 19:7-8)
    Going beyond the limits of human endurance by the direct hand of God, such as Elijah’s & Moses’ forty day fast in which they did not eat or drink. Humanly speaking, a man cannot survive without water for longer than three or four days. This was a supernatural fast, and is not likely to be repeated.

  • Absolute Fast (Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9)
    This fast is the abstaining of all food and liquids for a short period of time (i.e. one meal – three days).

  • Normal Fast (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2)
    This fast calls for drinking only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.

  • Selective Fast (Daniel 1:12; Daniel 10:2-3)
    This type of fast involves removing certain elements from a diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast (which we have done in the past at Crossgates) during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.

  • Partial Fast
    This fast is sometimes called the Jewish Fast and involves abstaining from eating any types of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6 am to 3 pm, or from sunup to sundown.

  • Media/Technology Fast
    This fast is common for those who do not have much experience fasting foods, who have health issues that prevent the fasting of food, or who wish to refocus certain areas of their life that are out of balance. A good example would be someone selecting to abstain from using social media like Facebook or Twitter, or from watching their favorite television show for the duration of the fast—and then choosing how to carefully bring that element back into their life in an orderly fashion.

Video Resources



Want to learn more about fasting from Teaching Pastor, David Jett?

Watch our Special Prayer & Fasting Resource.

Dig deeper in the idea of Biblical Fasting before you begin your 21-day journey!

Remember, your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your own body, know your options, and most importantly, seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

What about my kids?

Food Resources

Daniel Fast Recipe Guide

As a church, we are fasting in order to deepen our relationship with God and to walk in step with His plan and purpose. The best way to do this is to redirect our food source. This is accomplished through substituting our regular food intake with Bible reading, praying, and journaling. The overall goal is to experience a genuine hunger for spending time with God.

The Daniel Fast food focus is on fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Make God’s food a delight, not something to be endured. Every good and perfect gift comes from God, including fresh and wholesome foods. Learn new cooking techniques, new spices, new recipes. Each time you find a new food you love, give thanks. Make each day exciting as you venture out to new foods and undiscovered tastes. This may be the most fabulous foodie experience you have ever had!

SHARE YOUR
FASTING STORY

If God gives you a special word, does something so special that only He can do, or anything you would like to share with others so that they may be blessed as well, we would like to know!

It only takes a few easy steps...