If you're reading this, you're at least interested in what it means to fast and what the benefits might actually be. In the Jewish culture, fasting was a part of their tradition and actually rules of Jewish law that were expected to be followed. Just like so many other rules and laws, Jesus came to fulfill all of them. We are free in Jesus and not under rules or law. However, there are so many benefits that God set up for the Jewish people before Jesus made his appearance as a man that we can glean from today, and I personally have found fasting to be one of them.
In all of my 53 years on earth, I was never once encouraged to fast. I wasn't familiar with it other than reading it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, but I just assumed it didn't apply to me since I had never learned about it in any of my Bible classes or sermons that were preached. Not once. In 2021 that changed. An entire church had committed to do this together as they prayed specifically for things in their community, their families and individually. I found this inspiring and intriguing as, again, I'd never even considered doing this.
Fasting is an immediate way to point yourself to Jesus. We all know the pang of hunger in some form or fashion. The idea of fasting is to push through that pang and look to Jesus, asking Him to fill you instead of rushing to the fridge, pantry or nearest drive-thru. It's definitely not what we're used to here in America.
If you've made it this far, you may be truly considering it. I'm so so impressed with you! Fasting is an individual decision. However, you must commit to it BEFORE you start, or you will be tempted to change it and rationalize that change as you move forward. Here is what I have done for the last 3 years, and it is what I will do for 21 days starting January 1 of 2025:
Week 1
4 glasses of juice per day. I'm not a juice-girl, so this was already a challenge for me. I bought quite a few small bottles in the produce section at the grocery store the first year and narrowed it to what I can actually get down. Some people also substitute one or two of these glasses per day with broth. That was a line too far in the sand for me. I also drink water all day long.
Read one chapter of the book of John each day. Get to know Jesus by his own words and actions as an adult man. Learn how he interacted with his disciples, his enemies and how he treated those around him. His goal was (and is) to lead us to the Father. Read in His own words how He does that. There are 21 chapters. Kinda perfect.
Watch at least one episode of The Chosen. Start from the beginning. It's on Amazon Prime, but it also has its own app which is FREE to download and watch on any of your devices. Watch it alone the first time if you have not yet started. It's so very personal, and you don't want to miss even a moment of each episode, so don't have your phone nearby. Unplug from everything and everyone for that hour each day and soak in the visual images and audio elements of what Jesus could have been like in real flesh.
Pray. Pray specifically for what God has in store for you over the next few days, weeks, months, year. Watch. Listen.
Week 2
4 glasses of juice per day + a dinner meal of strictly vegetables. Get creative. You can start chewing this week, ha! Water all day long.
Keep reading one chapter of John.
Keep watching at least one episode of The Chosen. (When you get to Season 2, Episode 1, go back and read John 1:1-18 again. You will be moved to tears at how personal Jesus is for you. I can't wait to hear about this from everyone!)
Pray. Pray specifically for what God has in store for you over the next few days, weeks, months, year. Watch. Listen.
Week 3
4 glasses of juice per day, a dinner meal of strictly vegetables, a protein drink at lunchtime. Water all day long.
Keep reading one chapter of John.
Keep watching at least one episode of The Chosen.
Pray. Pray specifically for what God has in store for you over the next few days, weeks, months, year. Watch. Listen.
This is my personal journey. Choose one that is right for you.
One note I'd like to address: Biblical fasting is restricted to food. Others may "fast" from social media, hobbies, alcohol, etc. God set up fasting to include food. If you'd like to "abstain" from those other things, that sounds fantastic, but it's not a fast. Fasting is difficult at best and causes some days of physical suffering, but you will be SHOCKED at how God will pull you along. Some days, and this may sound crazy, you might not even feel hungry, and you will have to remember to go drink that glass of juice.
Days 2 and 5 are usually the hardest for me at first. It's like my body is saying, "ok, i know you probably forgot yesterday, but let's get back to this eating thing..." You'll have a couple of days when you don't think you can do it. YOU CAN WITH GOD! Cry out to Him. Once completed, you will have accomplished something you may have never thought you could. Your body will feel great, your soul will feel refreshed, and your relationship with Jesus will become closer than you ever expected.
ALSO, please comment on this blog each day or any day you feel encouraged or discouraged. Let's share together what verse hit you directly or how God revealed something to you. Some days will be harder while some days will be easier. Let's encourage each other. This is your personal fasting group! Welcome!
Get ready to fall in Love with Jesus in 21 days!
Comments
Amy Warner:
Melissa- thank you for the homemade protein drink recipe. The ones I have bought hurt my stomach, so I was going to revert back to juice and broth. I will give this a try!
The past few days have been an absolute war against my faith. I, like a few of you, have felt so many attacks and have cried out to Jesus for help., speaking his name and commanding the enemy to flee. I have even felt myself just giving up on my own prayers and instead praying “The Lord’s Prayer”. I wrestle between is this good (I don’t know what to pray for but Gods will be done), or have I just gotten lazy asking the Holy Spirit to search my heart and soul and intercede for me because I am throwing my hands in the air and don’t know what to pray for anymore. I can’t decide if this is good or bad?? I am no longer coming with specific prayers and requests…is this the evil one?
Praying for ALL, as these days are hard ones to read in the Word. Simon Peter’s denial, what they did to our Savior, the evil in their hearts that they excused to “religion”, how we also are guilty of denying that Jesus is Lord in vital areas of our lives.
Jan 18, 2025
Tina :
I am only on my 4th day. I saw this post too late and then prayed about it for a few days. I have a binge eating addiction so I am praying I can do this and that He also breaks those chains during this fast. I had a hard time figuring out what I should really be fasting for but He keeps saying it’s for my marriage. I have been married to the same man for 23 years and we have 5 boys and 2 grandchildren. The ups and down have been throughout our marriage, but in 2014 I found out he had a porn addiction. I can’t forgive and he can’t stop. I was drinking to cope but I saw it was affecting me be a mother so I stopped and went back to church in September. Deep down I feel like he will never change and I want to leave. But we have 3 that have ASD and 2 are level 2/3 autistic. Our home is made safe for them and it would be too hard for them to leave their home. I need a breakthrough in our marriage. For my children’s sake. I can’t keep living like this. We don’t even sleep in the same room. Zero affection. He lies alot. He is a compulsive spender. There’s just a lot really. I need a serious breakthrough. I’ve never felt the pain I have felt recently. I pray HE has this! Keep on keeping on sisters!
Jan 18, 2025
Kristina:
Good Morning, friends! I have been thinking about this group of ladies for the past few days. We are on a trip with our seed dealer, so out of the country until Monday. Praying for you all!
Kristina
Jan 18, 2025
Dezy :
Day 17- wow, almost done with the fast! I’ve been feeling Gods presence more strongly the last two prayer nites 🩵 John 17 is filled with so much love!!! I love that Jesus prays for us. That the father chose us. That the Holy Spirit helps us. My body has been craving healthier food and that’s an answer to prayer. Ha! Jumex nectar drinks have been my kickstart replacement and it’s a yummy healthier one fo sho. Praying for y’all as I see your comments.
Jan 18, 2025
Melissa Orsburn:
Happy Friday!
John 17 is so GOOD! I wanted to share this from my study Bible:
This entire chapter is Jesus’ prayer. From it, we learn that the world is a tremendous battleground where the forces under Satan’s power and those under God’s authority are at war. Satan and his forces are motivated by bitter hatred for Jesus Christ and his forces. Jesus prayed for his disciples, including those of us who follow him today. He prayed that God would keep his chosen believers safe from Satan’s power, setting them apart and making them pure and holy, uniting them through his truth.
Boy have I felt the spiritual warfare this week! Every time anxiety starting creeping in, called on Jesus to cast out the evil and replace it with His light, life, and love.
I have been making my own protein drink at home. If you love peanut butter give it a try!
1 cup whole milk
2-4 tablespoons of peanut butter (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon raw local honey
4 ice cubes
Mix really well in the blender and enjoy!
I love coming here daily for encouragement 🫶🏻
Jan 17, 2025
Toni:
Jesus lives here and there is no room for evil.
My little has been sick all week, and I too caught her illness and the home is getting messy. 😬 And then the spoken words of my husband pops up and says “you’re sick because you are not eating.” My sweet husband and father of my children is not a believer in Christ. Often times I feel the evil goes through him to get to me. So I keep telling myself to stay on track. Jesus lives here.
Missy if I could randomly teleport him to a duck blind with your husband, I’m sure he would rather listen to the word of the Lord then try and find his way out of the woods. 🤣
Anyhow, Week 3 is hard. I saw a breakfast sausage in the fridge and man I bet it’s the best tasting breakfast sausage in the world. And I’m passing it off. In fact I came to this site just to read the comments for extra encouragement and accountability. I’m drinking my juice. The struggle is real.
John 16:22-24 ❤️
Reading John 17 today and looking forward to it. Tomorrow will be better. Thank you everyone for your encouragement. I’ll be reading about everyone’s experiences again tomorrow. 🙏❤️
Jan 17, 2025
Kimbely:
Day 16.
John 16 is hard for me to read, because I get am starting to get really emotional. It’s just the way he says and how he says it. “This awful thing is going to happen to me and it’s going to happen to you, and you don’t understand, but you will, and it’s all from my glory and your joy.”
This part of the book gets hard because I know what’s coming. While I know how the story ends, it just crushes my heart to think about what my dear Jesus was about to go through and the whole time he’s there providing consolation for their FUTURE grief. And ours.
The fast is going fine. I’m actually going to feel kind of guilty for stopping. I see myself fasting much more often in the future, and I am so glad I did this. I have truly grown in my closeness with Him. It’s different with us now. I actually said “Abba” when I was praying the other day, and I’ve never done that before, and it was just a natural thing that came out without me even thinking about it.
Okay, I’m going to go before I cry. haha
Also, if anyone tries the Remedy protein drinks, they’re at Food Lion in the produce section and the Cacao Essential one is so good. :)
Jan 16, 2025
Dezy :
Day 16 the father loves us dearly and I added several of you to my prayer list. Hope y’all have a great day.!
Jan 16, 2025
Rebecca Grice:
Good blessed 14th day here! I live in kinda southern middlish part of Mississippi and goodness we have had some amazing weather with cool nights but like spring time days and it has blessed me to see His goodness in His creation of even the slightest hints of greens and reds still growing in my garden. And the birds just singing their beautiful melodies. All I can say is He blesses us in His creation if I just slow down and listen to Him.
As I’m watching the Chosen and going through season 3 and just read John 14 today- I see Jesus Christ humanity and compassion showing for His children more than I think I ever have when I’ve read these passages times and times before. Yesterday when I read about Him washing the feet of the disciples and then breaking bread with them and He told satan to be quick with what he had to do- I felt a heaviness I’d never felt before when reading that. I felt sorrow for our Savior as He gave satan permission to hurt Him. I can’t even imagine the weight Jesus felt…
All I know is this fast is opening my eyes to things I don’t know if I ever felt or seen in His love being so far deeper for us than ever imagine able.
The fasting part im okay with but ughhh I so miss my coffee. I didn’t realize I was addicted to it like I am. I most surely need to His strength to not have that food addiction.
Dear sisters- I am praying for you all. Even the ones who don’t post their days or blah moments… Our Abba sees you and I am praying for you.
Jan 16, 2025
Kimberly:
Day 15: I am drinking my Remedy Organics Vanilla Dream Protein drink here on my lunch break. This is a new thing after two weeks of nothing but juice and vegetables! I will say that I noticed yesterday how good I feel. Physically, this has been a great re-set in addition to the spiritual benefits.
I’m taking a new approach to my body and what I am putting in it and taking care of it. It’s a God-given temple and I can do better. I had a bad caffeine and sugar addiction, and I say addiction, because that’s what they were. I quit smoking last year, and I replaced one addiction with a couple of others. The Lord has really opened my eyes to this addiction thing I have going on. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. His love should be the only thing I should ever feel like I can’t live without.
I counted in John 15 – I believe 15 times the word “abide”. I looked it up and the Greek is meno, which means to make yourself at home. And then He says one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard, which is that He no longer calls us servants but friends. When I put those things together, it paints the most beautiful picture. There are so many things the Holy Spirit is saying to me. They’re all different, but they’re all connected.
Okay, until next time, ladies. I pray things are going well for you all. I’m praying for you daily.
PS: I cannot finish this protein drink. I am stuffed after half of the 12 oz. lol
Jan 16, 2025
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