21 day Churchwide Devotion & Fasting

Wednesday, March 26 we begin a 21 day period of seeking the Lord as a church, for a renewed first love for Jesus. For many, this will involve some level of fasting food; for all, we hope this will be a time of commitment to "turning down the noise" and seeking intimacy with our Savior.

We will be having a night of Worship and Intercessory Prayer at the end of the fasting period, Tuesday, April 15, 6:30pm at the Esperanza High School Library (across the courtyard from our regular Sunday meeting place).

Why We're Fasting

At a very basic level, fasting is simply a choice to deny ourselves for a time in order to declare to the Lord that He is more valuable to us than our desires. Much like prayer, fasting is aligning ourselves with God's heart, not an effort to twist His arm to have Him do what we want. We are always in the business of doing His will.

Biblically, people fast to call out to God for Him to move, lead, bring rescue, and as an act of repentance.

We will be fasting for four specific things:

1. A Recovery of First Love. We want to be a people deeply in love with Jesus, so that all the activity of the Kingdom flows out of that love. As the Bride we want to recapture the excitement so many of us experienced when first encountering the presence of Jesus in the Holy Spirit (Revelation 2:1-5).

We also want to commit to turning down the noise of the hostile, counter-Christian world around us—especially the online noise. We've allowed it to crowd out the still, small, voice of the Holy Spirit. We want these 21 days to be a time of resetting what we allow into our spirit and discover what that can do to our ability to hear His voice. (Matthew 6:22-23)

2. The Harvest. There is a profound desperation in the culture today. People are looking for a rock in a world with no stability. We simply need to connect with them and introduce them to the Rock. We want to pray that family members who have lost faith in the church would draw near again this Easter, and that those who have never known God but are being drawn would overcome resistance and come to Him, both in our fellowship and in the many other churches where men and women are seeking to pursue Jesus.

3. Harvesters. We are told to pray for harvesters (Matthew 9:38). While we may partly be the answer to our own prayer, we are also expecting that God will bring us evangelists—especially among the youth—who are skilled at inviting and drawing people to discover Jesus. Be praying for God to bring those people to partner with us in the work of the harvest.

4. A building. For us to engage the lost we need a hub to hold events, invite people to, and create community. This may be a place to meet for ALL our meetings (including Sundays) or it may be a community center in addition to our Esperanza Sunday meetings. We defer to the Holy Spirit's plans. But be praying that someone would hand us the keys to a place that will become the epicenter for the salvation of many.

PLEASE BE PRAYING INTENTIONALLY INTO THESE FOUR THINGS THROUGHOUT THE 21 DAYS! APPROACH GOD IN PRAYER WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT HE WILL ANSWER THESE REQUESTS! (James 4:2, Matthew 7:7-8, John 16:24, Mark 11:24, John 14:13-14)

Mark 11:24

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Now, as to how to fast...

How to Fast

First and foremost we want to be a people of our word, both before God and before men. So however you choose to fast, be confident you have the grace to fulfill the commitment. If you're brand new to fasting, a twenty-one day water-only fast is not only setting yourself up for failure, it's potentially dangerous to your health. Better to do one day water fasts to learn how your body reacts. (The third day of a water-only fast is actually one of the worst, as your body starts to adapt its strategy for drawing nutrients from your body's energy stores.) For this 21-day period, consider a different strategy. Pray about what the Spirit would have you do and ask Him to show you what there's grace in your life for.

Here are some suggested fasts:

1. Bland fasting (often called the "Daniel fast"). Simply choose foods that provide sustenance but not enjoyment. This is probably the best fast for people with medical conditions. By choosing foods lacking rich flavor you are still declaring to God a decision to forgo pleasure for the sake of seeing Him move, without taking unnecessary health risks.

2. Juice/Soup fasting. Fast solid foods and either drink juice or soup, or both. In many cases you may want to supplement your fasting with a banana smoothie in the afternoon, to avoid muscle cramping at night due to potassium deficiency.

3. Skip a meal. This is often not a great idea for fasting, mainly because the temptation is there to "make it up" on the next meal. So a fast becomes a feast, which is not ideal. If you feel you have the self-discipline for this though, it's certainly an option

4. Water-only fast. As mentioned before, if you've fasted water-only before, this is an option, although for 21 days you would need to be experienced in this kind of fasting and also potentially confirm with a GP that you're medically in a position to do so. If not, consider doing a few 24 hour fasts over the coming months in preparation for the next churchwide fast. Or perhaps even try a single 24 hour water-only fast as part of the total fasting period.

In all of this, ask the Holy Spirit what the best course of action would be, one that He will release grace for and makes sense to your circumstances. Obviously avoid running a marathon if you're reducing your calorie intake significantly, but regular activity should not place undue stress on your body during a fast.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FAST FROM WATER!!! This is NOT an appropriate way to fast and is extremely dangerous! Fasting is not masochism: It's a form of denying self, not inflicting self harm! (There are only two references in the Old Testament to living without water--Moses and Elijah--and they were both instances of God supernaturally and miraculously sustaining the body in a rarified environment of His presence.) AGAIN, DRINK LOTS OF WATER!

If you are unsure as to what your diet permits, seek the advice of a doctor and err on the side of caution. Again: FASTING is NOT about self-harm! Rather it's (temporarily) choosing to deny cravings in pursuit of God's heart.

Fasting Tips

Make a space to pray. Fasting on its own has benefit, but try to find extra time (when you would have been eating a meal) to devote to prayer. Remember that fasting makes you grouchy, not holy, so be prepared to wrestle with your focus in the process :)
Drink plenty of water. Fasting is actually a great way to restore health to your body, not harm it. The caveat is that we constantly need to replenish water in our bodies
If you drink caffeine daily, don't try to withdraw cold-turkey. For a long fast, better to maintain caffeine consumption during the fast. In other situations you can take several days before a fast to wean yourself off the caffeine.
If you have blood sugar issues, consider choosing a less desirable form of sugar. (I.e. lay off the gummy bears). Obviously, be sensitive to your medical needs.

Breaking a Liquid Fast

After 21 days of fasting solid foods, your stomach can become less stretched and may hold less food comfortably. This can make you feel full sooner when you eat again.

Reintroducing solid foods should be done gradually and gently, since your digestive system has been in a kind of "sleep mode." Here's a safe, step-by-step approach you can follow:

Day 1–2: Raw Fruits & Vegetables

Start with easily digestible fruits like watermelon, oranges, papaya, or cucumbers.
Keep portions small and eat slowly.
Chew thoroughly to help your body digest.

Day 3–4: Steamed Vegetables & Light Soups

Add steamed veggies (zucchini, carrots, squash, etc.).
Try pureed vegetable soups with minimal oil or seasoning.
You can also include small portions of avocado for healthy fat.

Day 5–6: Whole Grains & Legumes

Introduce soft grains like oatmeal, brown rice, or quinoa.
Add lentils or split peas—soaked and well-cooked.
Avoid heavy spices, fats, or processed foods.

Day 7 and beyond: Gradual Return to Normal Diet

Slowly bring in nuts, seeds, and fermented foods (like kimchi or sauerkraut).
Eventually reintroduce lean proteins (tofu, fish, eggs, etc.), if part of your diet.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and highly processed foods for at least a couple more weeks.

Tips:

Hydrate well, but avoid chugging large amounts of water at meals.
Listen to your body — bloating, fatigue, or cramps can be signs you're reintroducing too quickly.
Consider taking probiotics to support gut flora as it wakes up.

Other forms of abstainance

There is a long tradition in the Church of "giving things up for Lent." While not fasting per se, it's just as valid to give up normal habits and activities to devote time to God. This is especially true if medical conditions prevent you from curtailing your diet.

We hope that EVERYONE takes this 21 day period to pull back from "information consumption."

With food allergies, there's the concept of an elimination diet, where all but the most bland foods are removed and then slowly reintroduced to see what causes the allergic reactions. Why not do the same with the information that you consume?

Take these 21 days to cut out all the noise and seek the presence of the Holy Spirit's voice in its place. Post a quick note to Facebook/Instagram/X/[Your platform of choice] letting people know that you're taking a 21 day break so they don't worry that something dire has happened to you. And then see how the Holy Spirit meets you as your mind begins to clear.

You may need to make clear boundaries around your habits and behaviors to achieve this (Matthew 5:29-30). Browsing leads to clicking leads back to social media, so know your impulse limits and plan accordingly.

And don't make meeting with Jesus a chore! Listen to some worship music; sit somewhere comfortable and invite Him to come sit with you; read your favorite Bible stories. Think on those precious moments in your past where He met you powerfully and ask Him to do it again!

Canyon Vineyard