21 Days of Bold Prayer and Fasting: Sept 5-25, 2023
As Fall 2023 approaches, we are preparing for a 21-day online prayer and fasting encounter. This simply means that we commit to pray and fast together during this time as an online community. We’ll also hold some Zoom meetings to prepare and pray together. The emphasis this Fall will be on bold prayer and seeking God intentionally and consistently throughout these three weeks.
You've heard many times that fasting without prayer is just a diet. That's absolutely true, yet the food element of our fast tends to dominate our focus because it's so challenging and dramatic.
We pray all the time, so it's easy to take the power of prayer for granted. But 2 Chronicles 7:14 calls us to pray not just for ourselves, but also on behalf of others:“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
You are invited to join our free fasting membership group. All of the Zoom links, recordings, and extra emails associated with the 21-day fast will be detailed under the membership site.
Fall 2023 Prayer & Fasting Encounter
Sept 5-25, 2023
Live pre-fast Zoom: Tuesday, August 29th at 7 PM Central Time
All calls will be recorded and available for replay in our free fasting membership group.
Prayer calls 2x a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 AM Central Time Sept 5-21.
Sign up for group fasting membership to find links and receive email updates.
Recap of 2023 Fasting
With abundant grace, my mission is to build an online community and supply resources and structure to help believers engage in spiritual disciplines consistently. We exist to glorify God in all that we do.
Our group started 2023 with a 21-day corporate fast and found great joy in being able to support and pray for one another. So, we have continued to fast on the first Wednesday of every month. Members of the group also expressed interest in doing a longer fast in the fall.
Digital technology and communication can be a blessing when used for kingdom purposes! Although we may be living in different time zones and continents, we are united by a passion for seeking the Lord and restoring wholeness to our body, soul, and spirit.
Jesus said: "Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
We live in a time where our opportunity to gather isn't limited by time or location.
Fasting and prayer are personal spiritual disciplines, but we also see many examples of corporate prayer and fasting in the Bible. You can view a post of 52+ scriptures on prayer and fasting here, but here are a few to consider:
Judges 20:26 - Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
Jonah 3:5 - Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
Acts 13:2-3 - While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
What Type of Fast Are You Doing?
Let the Lord lead you in how and when you pray and fast. There may be times you participate partially in one of our times of corporate fasting. That's perfectly OK! The Daniel Fast is not a "program" to follow. It's a tool for you on your journey to a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Lord.
Many people choose to do a partial fast, such as the Daniel fast, for longer periods of fasting. You do not have to fast in the exact same manner every time, and you won't be expected to announce the specifics of your fast to the group – that's between you and the Lord.
One example of partial fasting is in Daniel 10:2-3, "In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.
Here are four different general types of fasting:
Partial fast: abstaining from certain foods such as alcohol, meat, sweets
Daniel Fast: consuming only vegetables, fruits, beans & legumes, nuts & seeds, and whole grains
Liquid fast: consuming only liquid nutrition such as vegetable or fruit juices
Complete fast: abstaining from all food but drinking water
Another fasting method may involve time-restricted eating, such as limiting to only 1-2 meals daily.
In addition, some members vary their approach throughout the 21 days. For example, you may abstain from all forms of sugar and meat for 21 days but also choose to do a water-only fast for a three-day period each week.
We will discuss different forms of fasting in the Zoom call on August 29th at 7 PM Central Time. This call is a week in advance, so you will have some time to prepare for your fast.
No matter what type of fast you choose, the goal is to separate and set ourselves apart from our normal routines and habits. Whatever we sow physically, we'll reap spiritually. Through prayer and fasting, we are physically, mentally, and spiritually repositioning ourselves to hear from the Lord and engage with Him on a deeper level.
Focus on Prayer and 3x3 Challenge
As we fast this fall, our emphasis is on bold prayer.
Daniel chapter six provides a great example of bold, strategic, and persistent prayer. Daniel prayed three times a day, even with death threats! These weren't half-hearted prayers he threw out there while multitasking. Daniel went into his room and kneeled down on his knees three times a day. He carved out time for connection.
Our 3x3 prayer challenge during this time involves stopping to pray three times a day for a minimum of three minutes. It may sound easy, but the consistency of intentionally connecting with God will yield, I'm sure, some unexpected insights.
The faith prayer of James chapter 5 has always inspired me:
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops." (James 5:16-18)
What is the fervent, effective prayer that moves mountains and brings rain in a drought? This is the question I'm personally asking God.
Let's seek God together this Fall!
You are invited to join the membership group for links to live prayer zooms on the following dates. If that doesn't fit your schedule, you can watch the replays any time throughout the month.
In addition, you can purchase our new digital resource, Bold Encounters: 21 Day Prayer and Fasting Journal, in the store (available September 1st).