20/20 Vision

 

Our fast begins with the acknowledgment of who God is: He is our creator, sustainer, greatest love, and the most critical relationship in our life. There is no other who can come between God and us if we are to claim the fullness of our heritage as sons and daughters of God. Through the blood of His Son, and because of His free offer of salvation, we are directly connected to the source of the universe. As a soul, crafted by His hands, made in His image for His delight, and convicted to turn our hearts toward Him, God honors our time of fasting. He wants us to talk to Him – about everything – all the time. When we give God our undivided attention, He fills us with His Holy Spirit. Micah 3:8 says, “But as for me, I am filled with power, by the spirit of the Lord.” That power, from God, will sustain us as we fast. During this season of fasting, I want to challenge you to lay aside not just the foods; include the many other things that can distract us from spending real time talking to – and listening for – God. You’ll be filled with joy with what you discover. Turn off the TV, put your phone on silent, go somewhere you can sit alone, and open your heart to God. Look, He already knows it all, so why put off talking it through with Him? God will answer your prayers.   As we fast and pray, God will make provision for tough times, give you power over temptation, and bind up any wound you will give Him.

God also wants us to do what Christ told us as He was preparing to go to heaven: tell the whole world about the miracle of redemption and love everybody without ceasing. We are called to be witnesses of mercy, forgiveness, righteousness, joy, and abundance, because we trust God. Others must see in us love and the heart of a servant if they are to know what a relationship with Christ looks like. As we fast, commit to praying not just for ourselves, our church, and our family, but pray for God to use us as joyful ambassadors of Christ. Think of what Daniel was doing when he fasted. He was a man who used his influence on other cultures and became a towering figure of our faith because, while he treated those he encountered with mercy, Daniel trusted only in his God. That’s our God too. Let’s not focus on what we are giving up, but on the gain we can make for the Kingdom of God. Let’s start. God will provide, we will pray, and a new sense of purpose will be revealed within us.
 

Reason for Fasting

Fasting is a process for developing a deeper relationship with God by temporarily denying oneself something to better focus on Him(II Chronicles 20:3, Ezra 8:21, Matthew 6:16-18, Mathew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14). Jesus never said, “If you fast” – He said “When you fast…”(Matthew 6:17). I feel that everyone should be involved. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God that we are passionate about a closer relationship with Him. It is not intended to punish our flesh or to serve as a dieting method for losing weight. Fasting is a spiritual practice exercised for the sole purpose of deepening our walk with God and discovering the steps He wants us to take.

Types of Fasts

Abstaining from food for a time is the most recognized fast in the Bible. There are a variety of food fasts. For instance, the Complete Fast excludes all foods and includes only liquids such as water and juices; the Daniel Fast or Selective Fast excludes meat, sweets, and bread, but includes water, juices, fruits and vegetables (Daniel 10:2-3); the Partial Fast or Jewish Fast is abstaining from any type of food during a certain period of the day like 6 am to 3 pm, or from sunup to sundown. 

You may also feel the need to refocus certain areas of life that are out of balance. For instance, you may choose to stop using social media or watching television during the fasting period. Once the fast concludes, you may want to gradually reintroduce it back into your life in a healthier way. This is often called a Soul Fast and is highly effective in combination with fasting food. Ultimately, the type of fast you choose is between you and God.  

Prayer and Fasting 

Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Prayer is our most common way to spend time with God, and since fasting is primarily about drawing closer to Him, it only makes sense that we would pray during the fasting period. As we pray to know God better, we can believe Him for special needs to be met, questions to be answered, decisions to be made, and healings to occur.

At CCC, our 21-day fast is to believe God for…

  • Victory in all of our lives through every bondage being broken and every hindrance put behind us. 
  • Vision to be clarified in individual lives and in the church so we can accomplish all that God has for us.
  • Validation of our ministry through a greater number of salvations, healing, and members added to the church.
  • Visitation of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, our church, our worship services, our country, and in our witness to this community and the world.          
  • Vigilant attention to unity among every member of  the body of Christ. God says that where He finds unity He will command His blessings.              Psalm 133:1

We pray that this 21-day devotional will guide you in this endeavor. As we prepare to receive 2020 VISION this year, let’s go deeper in God, let’s believe God, let’s be led by God, and let’s watch God work in our lives and church.