12/29/2025
Our corporate fast is starting next Sunday at Sundown. I wanted to share some basic information as reminders for those who have fasted before and for others who may never have. We are all in this together.
What is fasting? Fasting is refraining from food for a limited time for a spiritual purpose.
Fasting is mentioned 69 times in the bible. For every 3 times prayer is mentioned fasting is mentions once.
Several Different Types of Fasting
A. Total fast.
B. Partial fast (“Daniel fast”). *This is our baseline for our corporate fast at Ignite
C. Short term and Extended.
As a corporate body, we do the Daniel Fast. The Daniel fast is a a temporary, partial fast inspired by the prophet Daniel in the Bible, (Daniel 10) focused on spiritual growth by abstaining from "choice" foods like meat, sweets, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine for 21 days, while eating plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds) and water to draw closer to God. The fast realigns, or properly aligns our focus, priorities and desires.
We see fasting coupled throughout scripture with other spiritual disciplines.
Fasting and assembly. (Joel 1:14; 2:15)
Fasting and worship. (Acts 13:1-2)
Fasting and prayer. (Acts 13:3)
Fasting and “seeking God.” (Dan. 9:2-5)
Fasting is for EVERY Believer!
Matt 6
The three duties of every Christian: giving, praying, and fasting! Jesus said "When you Give (V.1-4), When you pray (V. 5-7), and when you fast (V. 16-18)...
What does fasting do?
Fasting brings the flesh off the throne!
You have to choose to dethrone the "dictator" within!
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV)
When we fast we are letting our flesh, hell, and the devil know who the kings in our life is!
We are declaring that our appetite for God is greater than our appetite for food.
Many people are trying to seek God out of a sense of guilt or duty! This will never work!
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23, 24 NASB)
Jesus ministered to the multitudes because it was His calling, but His passion was seeking the Father.
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (Matthew 4:2, 3 NASB)
satan did not come until to Jesus until he was confident that He was weak from fasting. It took him 40 days before he had the nerve to test Jesus! How long does it take for you? Fasting will show you how much of you is in you.
Fasting at the beginning of the year sets the course for the rest of the year!
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NASB)
Fasting keeps you sensitive to the Spirit.
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice..."
Fasting heightens your physical sense of smell but also heightens your spiritual sense or discernment. It brings you to a closer place of hearing the voice of God. The reality is God is always desiring to speak and lead us, it's just that we distance him with things we put between us. Tv, friends, computer etc. when fasting we place ourselves so that God can more easily direct our paths
In NT 15 times the Lord says “he who has ears to hear”. Fasting tunes our spiritual ears.
When you are brought closer to God, you more easily see the junk inside of you
1 COR 6:19-20 glorify God in your body and in your spirit fasting cleanses u spiritually and physically. Fasting breaks the Spirit of Heaviness!
These are just a few examples of what fasting does. As Pastor Curtis mentioned in today’s message, preparation is key. Get with Holy Spirit, get a plan as to what your fast will look like. Don’t just meal prep or focus on the do’s or dont’s. Etch extra time in your schedule to spend time with the Lord. For example, I try to get up earlier, to ensure time, and any time I would normally flip on the TV or pickup my phone to scroll, I’ll replace it with reading the word, or turning on worship music or prayer.
Fasting is a great revealer of how much junk (not just physical) that we are subjecting ourselves to. Each year I am amazed at the revelation I receive from Holy Spirit, but also at the exposing of how much time I spend aimlessly scrolling on my phone and how emotionally taxing that can be. It’s very sneaky, but it is very real.
I’m always excited to start a fast with the Ignite body. Each year we have seen divine transformations and turn arounds. It doesn’t make the food cravings or detox any easier, but the fruit that fasting brings makes it worth it. If you’ve been around me for very long, I’m sure you have heard me say, I do not love fasting for fasting sake, I love the fruit of fasting. And that’s the absolute truth.
If you have any questions, please reach out. No question is insignificant or dumb. We are here for each other, and I love to help people on their fasting journey.
Here is a link to my favorite guide to food guidelines.
https://ultimatedanielfast.com/ultimate-daniel-fast-food-guidelines/
Have an awesome week:
~Pastor Kelly
