Appalachian Church
Worship Playlists:
21 Day Prayer
& Fasting
"Pray First!"
21 Day Prayer and Fasting January 7th-27th, 2024
2024 Fast - Pray First!
Since the beginning of our church in 2017, we have been a people of prayer. As we finish 2023 and enter into 2024, I want to introduce a new emphasis on prayer, “Pray First.”
In every situation, whether good or bad, we try to pray before we act. Instead of acting first before turning to God, prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.
Understanding the necessity of prayer is not enough. In order for it to become a part of our life, it needs to become something we look forward to. I’m convinced most people don’t enjoy prayer because they have never been taught how to pray. That’s where our prayer resources can help. Using several prayer models out of the Bible and having some guides to make prayer more personal, our resources are designed to help bring joy into your time with God. When you discover the beauty of daily conversation with Him, you’ll experience the presence of God that will change your life.
Once you learn how to pray, prayer can become a part of everyday life. And then…
Before the day begins — Before you go to bed — Before you go to work or school — Before you send that text — Before you react — Before bad things happen — Before you eat, drive, or travel — In every situation — PRAY FIRST!
If you have questions about why we pray, how to pray or what you should pray, we have some resources for you! If you're going through a hard and dark season of life, the Warfare Prayer link below will help you face the darkness with God's word, claiming it for you life, family and friends with serious, warlike prayer!
Why Fast?
The goal of fasting is to seek God and grow closer to Him.
It's like pressing a reset button on your heart, giving God the space to work in your life. Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God. It enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life. It prepares our hearts for future things God desires to bring into our lives.
How do I Fast?
There are many types of fasts, but these are the important things to remember going into any fast:
1- Have absolute confidence in God. Ratios, logic, and math won't stop God from working!
2- Have absolute commitment to God. It’s one thing to say we believe in God can accomplish a particular purpose, but it is quite another thing to commit yourself to God so that He may accomplish His purpose IN and through you.
3- Have absolute courage. When we go forward in the name of the LORD, we go forward in power and in strength to do the work of God!
4. Have absolute concern for God. We don't fast and pray to get what we want but rather to ask God to fill our hearts with what He wants.
Types of Fasts
Complete Fast
In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
Selective Fast
This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.
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.
Partial Fast
This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.
Scriptures about Fasting
Matthew 6:16-20
Matthew 9:14-15
Luke 18: 9-14
Acts 27:33-37
Nehemiah 9:1-3
The focus and heart of your fast is vastly more important than how you fast.
We encourage fasting for 21 days each year in the month of January. This is part of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting season.
You may also choose to fast at other times during the year for your own spiritual development. It’s very typical to fast a single meal, a whole day, or three days or more.