The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. Proverbs 19:23

This will be a two week progressive fast that begins on Monday, January 15, 2024, and will end on Sunday, January 28, 2024 with a communion feast that we will share during service.

WEEK ONE

The first week we will do what is commonly called a Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is based on the prophet Daniel’s fasting experience as recorded in the Scriptures. This is a “no pleasant bread” partial fast where we set aside all sugar, dairy products, alcohol, sweet drinks, processed snack foods, convenience foods, and fried foods (including shortening, margarine, lard, foods high in fat).

Instead we will choose the whole foods that God has given us in abundance: Vegetables and fruits, nuts and whole grains or healthy meat. Make simple meals. Plan ahead so cooking isn’t a distraction.  Encourage the whole family to participate. 

We will also go dark on all media (television, social media, internet scrolling) until 6PM daily.

WEEK TWO

During the second week, starting Monday, January 22nd, we will move to a liquids only diet: natural fruit juices, waters, healthy smoothies, and broth. We will abstain from coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, etc. During this week, we will abstain completely from all media.

BOTH WEEKS

We will gather for prayer every morning on Zoom at 630A, and Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays at 7P at a location listed below. Additionally, we will set aside secular music, sports, and all hobbies/habits we frequently enjoy.

Keep in mind this is designed for us to go hard after God. That starts with posturing our hearts, minds and attitudes to fully seek Him as we make these sacrifices. There may be some of you who feel led by the Spirit to start the liquid only and complete media fast on Day One. Listen to Him and obey what He tells you to do.

In the past, Detroit Church has set up a prayer room with various prayer stations for individuals and groups to come and have space to engage with God. As we seek a fast that is pleasing to the Lord, we are encouraging our Body to bring the active creative prayer to our homes. We humble ourselves before Him in prayer. We put our faith in action to love those around us. We give ourselves to the relentless pursuit of justice. We step out of the common rhythms of life to engage God in prayer. Below are ways we can make space for more creative prayer and action in our daily lives.

To unify our efforts and to help aid us in forming a rhythm of prayer, we will utilize a familiar prayer guide called ACTS. ACTS is an acronym that stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

ADORATION (Morning focus 6a-12P)
Begin your day by praying in adoration and praise of God. This is an opportunity to set our focus directly on God, as we adore Him for Who He is, His attributes, His names, etc. This also helps to remind our hearts of who He is as we are filled with wonder at who God is.

CONFESSION (Afternoon focus 12P-4p)
As we come into God's presence, we can see who we are more clearly and that we fall way short of His holiness and have great need of His forgiveness. During this time ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your sinfulness and need for God’s mercy and grace. Call out specific sins you need forgiveness for. Remember our sin can fall into the category of things we have done (commission) and things we haven’t done (omission).  

THANKSGIVING (Evening focus 4P-9P)
Spend some time now thanking God for the gifts in your life. Try to notice the gifts you often take for granted. This is a time for prayers of thanks for what God has done. Thank Him for salvation, His peace, protection, and provision. Thank Him for family, friends and the many blessings in your life. And thank Him for the greatest gift of all, Jesus!

SUPPLICATION (Throughout the day)
This is an opportunity to ask God for His power to help to meet needs, address problems, and to receive divine solutions of how he wants to use us to serve someone else. Start by asking the Holy Spirit to show you who you can pray for and serve directly. Pray for the people in your life, for those who are suffering here in Detroit and around the world.

What is Fasting?

The spiritual discipline of temporarily going without something that may be good, to more permanently go after something greater–God.

Why Do We Need to Fast?

Because we want to hunger for God more than anything. And because Jesus expects it of his followers. In Matthew 6:16, he says, “When you fast,” not  “if you fast.” 

Is Fasting basically a diet?

Simply forfeiting food is not a biblical fast. A biblical fast has an emphasis on prayer, often substituting time spent eating with prayer or serving others with good deeds.

What are the benefits of fasting?

• Greater dependency on God

• Self control

• Decreased desire to satisfy self

• Spiritual strength

What if I need social media for work?

We are also asking you to be very circumspect regarding your social media engagement. Many will refrain entirely. However, there may be some that need to log on for various reasons. If this is you, we encourage you to be very guarded with your scrolling, and Spirit-led with your posting and commenting.

Do Not Fast

• Water

• Food, if you are pregnant or a nursing mom, or have not been cleared to do so from your doctor

• Sex, if you are married and have not discussed this with your spouse