PREFACE
If this is your first time joining our 40-Day Fast, welcome aboard! If you’ve done this with us before, we hope this time is even more impactful than ever. We pray this guide and devotional provide encouragement along the way.
Over the next 40 days, we aim to remove distractions so we can increase the time and focus we give to our relationship with God. However, removing distractions is not the point of the fast. Abstaining from certain foods or meals is not the point. “Getting healthier” is not the point. We’ll even go so far as to say that praying more and reading Scripture more are not the points of the fast. All of those things are good and even necessary, but they are not the ultimate mission. The point of the fast is to intentionally grow closer to God, and we do that by removing distractions (social media, secular media, foods, etc.) to increase the time and focus we give to our relationship with God through prayer and Scripture.
This devotional booklet is the first in a series of three booklets that work through the apostle John’s writings. This first booklet will cover the gospel of John and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. Because we are covering four books in 40 days, the readings may be uneven or seem to break in unexpected places. To get the most out of this, we suggest that, before we start each of the books, you read or listen to the whole book (John, 1st, 2nd, 3rd John) in one sitting. This helps us see the unity and flow of the book before breaking it down.
We are excited to participate in this fast with you and to see how God uses this time to draw you closer to Himself.
BEFORE WE BEGIN
WHAT IS FASTING?
To fast means to voluntarily abstain from certain foods or certain activities for an extended period of time. Biblical fasting is a discipline of voluntarily denying one’s self in order to be available for prayer and communion with God. Since it’s an ultimate act of self-denial, you are entering into an intense training in righteousness.
WHY FAST?
There are many reasons why people fasted in the Bible, and all of them are good. Some wanted wisdom while others were repenting of their sins. However, there was one aspect of the fasting experience each had in common: a personal encounter with the living God. As you begin to consider reasons for your fast, there is one that will override all other reasons and that is to have a powerful, life-changing encounter with God.
WHAT WILL WE BE FASTING?
During the 40-day fast, we will alternate our fasting in 10-day increments. On days 1–10 and again on days 21–30, we will fast from meat and sweets. On days 11–20 and again on days 31–40, we will eat only one meal a day (or you can choose to abstain from one meal a day). We plan to fast from secular media for all 40 days of the fast.
We also encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit about giving up other things for the duration of the fast. These can be things that are unique to you as you are led, such as caffeine, video games, social media, etc.
WHY GIVE UP SECULAR MEDIA?
As followers of Christ, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). Just as nothing unclean was allowed to enter the temple, we should be careful with what we allow to enter our hearts through our eyes or ears. As Christians, we are called to discern whether what we watch, what we listen to, and what we think about are leading us to God (see Philippians 4:8).
PREPARE
SPIRITUALLY
Ask God to help you make a list of your sins. Confess every sin the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God’s forgiveness. Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you as the Holy Spirit leads you.
PHYSICALLY
Eat smaller meals before the fast and avoid foods high in fat and sugar. If you have a chronic ailment or are on prescription medication, consult your doctor and consider modifying your fast.
HOW-TO GUIDE
We have composed a devotional for you to read for each day of the fast. Take your time to contemplate the Scripture and the devotional–don’t rush.
- Grab your Bible and read the Scripture referenced for that day. This will give you context for the devotion.
- Read the daily devotion.
- Write notes, thoughts, and prayers in the spaces provided on the left and right side of your pages.
- End with about 10 minutes of prayer, using the Psalm at the bottom as a prompt.
PRACTICAL TIPS AND GUIDELINES
EXERCISE MODERATELY
During the days when we’re fasting a meal or only eating one meal, avoid strenuous exercise and excess physical activity.
STAY HYDRATED
- Make sure to drink plenty of water while fasting.
- Drinking fruit juice during the fast will decrease your hunger pains and give natural energy.
- The best juices are made from fresh watermelon, lemons, grapes, apples, cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, or leafy green vegetables. In cold weather, you may enjoy a warm vegetable broth.
- Mix acidic juices (orange and tomato) with water for your stomach’s sake.
REST AND PREPARE MENTALLY
- Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
- Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and episodes of anxiety.
- Expect some physical discomfort, especially on the second day. You may have hunger pains and dizziness.
- Withdrawal from caffeine and sugar may cause headaches.
- Physical discomforts may also
BREAKING THE FAST
- End the fast by eating certain foods gradually. Suddenly reintroducing your stomach to foods you haven’t eaten in 40 days will likely have negative, even dangerous, consequences.
- Practice moderation and wisdom in what media you introduce back into your life after the fast is over.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BE CONTENT THROUGHOUT
Avoid complaining about what foods you can’t eat, movies you can’t watch, etc. Don’t appear gloomy for people to feel sorry for you or think how spiritual you are. On the contrary, do what Jesus says and “put oil on your head and wash your face” (Matthew 6:17)! Act normal and carry on. We have the privilege and honor of giving things up for Christ, knowing He gave everything up for us. Complaining negates the very purpose of this fast. We don’t have to fast, we get to.
AVOID VIEWING THE FAST AS A “DIET PLAN”
Some people will see the chief benefits of these next 40 days as getting a little slimmer, getting off caffeine, or not taking desserts for granted. But if we look at Scripture, we see it as a time set aside for deep spiritual urgency, when God’s people really wanted Him to show up in a big way.
REPLACE SACRIFICE WITH GOD
Sometimes we can get caught up in the “whats” of fasting without thinking about the “who.” For these next 40 days, there are things we should want to give up in our lives so we might replace them with God. As Jared Wilson says in his book Gospel Deeps, “the soul has a palate and a throat, else Jesus would not bid us drink.” John Piper says, “It is not just our bodies that are built for enjoyment, but our spiritual senses, the insidest of our insides.” The problem, of course, is we are bent on thinking our insides will have joy when our outsides do. But it doesn’t work that way. It’s actually the other way around. Food and drink will not truly satisfy our bodies until the bread and wine of Jesus’ body satisfies our souls. For the next 40 days, we get to savor and enjoy Christ without any distractions. If we just give up food and don’t replace it with the presence of God, it is of no benefit to us. We’ll only be unnecessarily hungry people. Let’s all take a moment to breathe in, slow down, and remember not just what we’re about to do, but who we are doing this for.
FASTING SUCCESSFULLY
If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God’s face, you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (see John 14:21). A single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all. Just as we need fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit daily, we also need new times of fasting before God. It takes time to build your spiritual fasting endurance. If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not be discouraged. As soon as possible, undertake another fast until you do succeed. God will honor your faithfulness.