We are just days away from the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Can you believe it? It’s been 10 years since Y2K. I don’t know about you, but I want to start out this new year, this second decade spiritually strong, alive, and alert. One way to do that is through fasting.
What is fasting? Fasting is abstaining from certain foods for a spiritual purpose.
There are different ways to fast. One is to totally abstain from food, and drink only water. Another way is to do a partial fast, abstaining only from certain foods. We find that the prophet Daniel did a partial fast for 21 days. This kind of fast has become known as a Daniel Fast.
Notice Daniel 10:3 - I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.
Daniel fasted from meats, sweets, and alcohol, and drank only water and juice, and ate vegetables and fruit for 21 days. For some, instead of alcohol it may be meats, sweets, and caffeine. It was after this time of fasting that he had a great spiritual breakthrough.
We are going to have our first church-wide Daniel Fast starting on Monday, January 4th through Sunday, January 24th.
Maybe a Daniel fast is too much for you. You can still participate! Daniel’s fast was a partial fast. What do you feel God wants you to fast from personally? You can fast from just one thing like soda, sweets, TV, movies, tobacco, coffee, shopping, or the Internet.
During our fast we are going to take the time we would normally spend on eating and drinking, and use that time instead to pray and read the Bible.
We believe that like Daniel, God is going to give us personally and as a church a mighty breakthrough in 2010. Will you participate?
Big thanks to all those who helped on Saturday hand out coffee, candy canes, handwarmers, and hot chocolate at the Manassas Christmas Parade. Who would have thought it would snow? I wondered who would come to the parade in such difficult conditions. Who from our church would show up to help? Many showed up to watch even in the cold, and all of our volunteers were there as well. The hot drinks and handwarmers were much appreciated by all.
