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
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
Amy:
Praying for all of you sweet ladies! I agree with Kimberly (and eek one felt like three weeks & here we are already at week 3). God is good and will sustain us, we need only to cry out to Him. Kimberly, what an honor, to teach God’s word to others, Romans 12 contains so much and I know God will work through you, I will continue to pray over you.
Rebecca- I am excited to see what God does with the word bread…..to see what He is baking up to feed many. Keep us posted & I will be praying!
Keisha-continuing to pray for your son and husband and for patience as He works all things for your good.
I am praying for this whole group, for their love and relationship with Jesus (the vine) to be strengthened and produce good fruit for the glory of the Father.
John 15 is SOOOO good, “This is my command: Love each other.”
May I ask for prayers for God to show me my next steps? God cut off my last job in March ‘24, I was definitely NOT bearing fruit, The job was so stress filled that I was breaking out in shingles. He has since been doing work on my heart, healing me and preparing me, however I still am not clear for what he is preparing me. Please pray for Him to speak clearly and for me to have eyes and ears to see and hear where He is leading me. I am praying for a way to supplement income for our family while balancing a schedule that allows me to be home a lot too.
Please pray also for my husband and his father. They have a family business (farm) and are in the midst of a split. I am praying for God to restore relationships, to be with us in this process, and that we bear His fruit, trusting that He is working all things for our good. I keep having fear creep in, and have to cry out, “help me, Jesus”, this split could financially devastate us.
Thank you for your prayers and for sharing your beautiful hearts and lives.
One thought is have had is to share my talents/degree (Organizational Leadership) with the farming community. How to work well together, develop and grow teams, trust, communication and culture ina family business. The family business has all of the same hurdles that organizations do, but with an additional layer of family relations. Perhaps my going through this split in my husband’s family will give a gift of helping other families walk through it? Praying for God’s guidance.
Jan 16, 2025
Dezy:
It’s day 14 but I wanna talk about Day 13. I worked a 10hr shift yesterday and I didn’t post anything. The 13th was a bit more rough. I’ve been having bad dreams for awhile now, maybe a few weeks. I’ve prayed and prayed and they still happen. Hopefully it stops soon. Also, I take my lunch at different times at work and I’ve noticed even with juices,etc. that I have to eat a meal at least once in 24hrs or else I start feeling really bad. I’ve gotta figure that out. This fast has been helping me to see how I need to work with my body while being obedient to God. I had what I would call a really precious moment with God in prayer yesterday.felt like a breakthrough tbh 🩵 Learning to say no to my hunger has helped me to say no in another area, like being on my cell phone when I shouldn’t lol. It’s a small thing I know but if we’re faithful with little I know God sees that as important too.
Jan 16, 2025
Kimberly:
Day 14: It’s day 14! Week 1 seemed like 3 but here we are about to begin week 3 already. I’m amazed.
Rebecca, I love that the Lord has done this for you! ❤️
I am praying for you all, not just on this journey, but for your individual prayer requests.
I’m loving reading John this way, y’all.
Also I was approached to lead a small group at my church, and I gotta say…wow. me??? Lol I didn’t solicit this, mention it, or anything and there’s like 200 people that go to my church, so I am so honored I’m beside myself. It’s part of our women’s ministry for the year and will be focused on Romans 12. I’m just…wow. What a gift! ME? Haha I can’t wait though, honestly.
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ~John 1:16
Jan 14, 2025
Keshia:
Hello again! Day 12 and I felt hunger today, I opted to eat my dinner earlier since I woke up early for work! I am loving reading John again, Jesus raising Lazarus in Ch. 11 is so amazing, I wish I could have been there! I see God answering prayers, he answered one yesterday and I would have taken it for granted if he hadn’t put it back on my mind that I had prayed for it earlier yesterday!
If you will, please pray for healing in my son Owen, he has autism, some may have different opinions about this but I have a deep desire for his healing and I have faith that our God can do it miraculously or by leading us in the right direction with his diet and interventions.
A second request for prayer is also for healing with my husband’s Plaque Psoriasis, we have been working and praying about it for years and we are starting to finally see progress, praise God🙌🏻 we just want it to continue.
Jan 13, 2025
Jenn S:
I am on day 8 and I was able to have some veggies yesterday. I truly did enjoy but I felt a sense of guilt for eating them. I know that had to be from the enemy so I rebuked those thoughts. I am praying for all of you ladies and I thank you for being so open, it is encouraging me thru this fast and I don’t feel as alone on this journey.
Have a blessed day!
Jan 13, 2025
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