The corporate fast, was spoken of initially in Leviticus 16,
when God calls for a corporate fast on the Day of
Atonement or “Yom Kippur.” Corporate fasting is still very
important for the local church. The world is coming
together and it is past time for the church to come
together. One powerful way of doing that is through uniting
the vision within the local church by corporate prayer and
fasting.
Jesus says in Matthew 6, not if you will fast, but when you
fast making it clear it is something that he expected that
his followers would do. If you are going to start a fast there
are some important things to remember. First, if you are
going to fast, and you have a medical condition, we
recommend that you check with your doctor. The next
thing to remember is that when you fast and don’t pray,
you are just dieting. Fasting is not a diet and it should not
be treated like one. Finally, using wisdom in the way that
you fast is very important. For example, drinking juices in
place of food is one of the worst things you can do on a
fast. They are full of sugar and will keep your appetite
alive. Sometimes your stomach thinks your throat has
been cut. Your flesh begins to tell you that you need to eat
something. You may have problems here and problems
there, even some physical problems that show up during
fasting. You know what you do when your old flesh starts
speaking to you about breaking your fast? You say, “If you
don’t shut up, I’ll fast three more days!”
There are several types of fasts. Almost all fasts in the
Bible involve some measure of abstinence from food. We
have made a list of types of fasts:
1. Full Fast. This is no food or liquid, as we see in the
book of Esther and Acts 9:9.
2. Partial Fast. This fast is based upon a time frame,
such as fasting from sunup to sundown.
3. Regular Fast. This is no food or liquid except for
water.
4. Daniel Fast. This fast is only fruit and vegetables.
Recommended Pre-Fast for the corporate fast of the
Heritage in the month of January
1. If you have existing medical condition consult with you
Doctor about what type of fast would be best for you.
2. Decide what type of fast you are going to do before you
begin the fast. (In all fast drink lots of water.)
3. Be prepared for certain things to happen if you choose to
participate with us in the fast. Fatigue and headaches may
occur, in the first few days as you eliminate toxins from
your body, as the result of eliminating your normal intake
of food your digestive system will be more relaxed.
4. Reduce the amount of food you eat 2 or 3 days before you
start the fast, even if it is a Daniel Fast or a Half Fast.
(Daniel Fast is vegetables only and a Half Fast is from sun
up to sun down) Some will choose certain days to fast,
others will fast 3 days a week and some will choose to fast
corporately with us for 21 DAYS. My mother fasted on
Thursdays her entire Christian life and my siblings have
reaped the benefit. This was her choice at the prompting
of the Holy Spirit. She found that this aided her in
maintaining spiritual discipline and a continual spirit of
prayer.
5. Other suggestions or as follows: Moderate Exercise is
recommended. Remember your body may need a little
more rest.
If you sense God has more for your life, 21 Days of Prayer
is a great place to start believing Him for all that He has for
you. As you practice seeking Him first, He will move on
your behalf like never before. You will start to see the
power of prayer impact your relationships, work, family,
and every area of your life.
During this season of 21 Days of Prayer, we encourage
fasting as a spiritual next step that can bring clarity and
revelation into your life. You can also choose to fast at
other times of the year as you seek God.
I believe in you,
Pastor Cleddie