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Prayer & Fasting
A season of focused prayer and spiritual growth
Introduction to Fasting
There are many examples in the Bible where fasting was the key to a spiritual breakthrough and throughout the history of Coastal Church, we have seen the power of God released through these times of consecration. As Hudson Taylor once said, “A life without self-denial is a life without power.”
Before you begin your fast, here are a few things you should be prepared to do:
- Adjust your diet.
- Minister to the Lord. (Acts 13:2)
- Meditate on God’s word.
- Pray with purpose.
- Be expectant.
- Journal your thoughts and prayers.
Why Do We Fast?
The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
Scripture References:
Types of Fasts
Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
The Daniel Fast
A 21 day selective fast taken from Daniel 10:2,3. The basic diet in this fast consists of vegetables, fruits, 100% juices, whole grains and lots of water.
- You can adjust this as you feel you need to. What you choose is ultimately between you and the Lord.
- If you have a medical condition consult with your doctor.
- If you are a vegetarian choose something that will “cut your flesh”.
- You may want to have only one meal a day.
- You may need to make consideration for you family. Some families have included fish or chicken for their children.
- During this time we want to rest and be quiet before the Lord. You may feel you need to turn off the TV and limit your Internet use.
Partial Fast
This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and/or afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.
Soul Fast
This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.
Complete Fast
In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
If you are preparing for21 Days of Prayer & Fastinguse these resources to help
Prayer Locations
our church facilities are open for prayer:
Richmond Campus is encouraged to join Downtown for prayer. Crosstown Campus is encouraged to join Commercial for prayer.
Downtown
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Tuesday - Saturday
Downtown Campus
1160 West Georgia St
Vancouver, BC
Pitt Meadows
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday & Thursday
Pitt Meadows Education Center
#102 – 105, 12099 Harris Rd
Pitt Meadows, BC
Commercial
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Wednesday & Friday
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Saturday
Commercial Campus
1645 N Grandview Hwy
Vancouver, BC
Common Questions
Learn more about fasting and why we fast as a church
In the Bible, God’s people often fasted when they needed a breakthrough. Here are some things fasting is or isn’t:
- Fasting is not legalism or an attempt to impress others.
- Fasting is not “earning” an answer to prayer.
- Spiritual fasting is not a part of a diet plan or weight loss program.
- Fasting is an outward response to an inward attitude and desire.
- Fasting is shutting down the desires of your flesh because you want a breakthrough more than you want food.
- Fasting moves us (not God) from a position of unbelief to a position of belief.
- Fasting, like giving and prayer, is an assumed practice.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV)
- It destroys Satan’s hold on the lives of others. See 2 Cor. 4:4
- It moves you (not God) from a position of unbelief to a position of belief. Your impossibility becomes a possibility as God’s power flows through you. See Eph. 3:20
- It revives your prayer life. See Psalm 35:13
- It breaks the power of oppression in our city. See Isa. 58:6
- Expect God to do great things in your personal life and in our church!
- Adjust your diet.
- Minister to the Lord. (Acts 13:2)
- Meditate on God’s word.
- Pray with purpose.
- Be expectant.
- Journal your thoughts and prayers.
- Join us Saturday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 am for corporate prayer. Join via zoom.
It is when the leader calls for everyone to come together in prayer and fasting for a specific issue.
Then Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
– Joel 1:14 (NKJV)