The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel

Page created by Samuel Lloyd
 
CONTINUE READING
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
The Surrender Fast

Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
A C A L L T O P R AY A N D FA S T
                          Watts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
                                   January 9-29, 2020
                              A Prayer and Fasting Guide by
                          Reverend Dr. Harry L. White, Jr., Pastor

Greetings! I am asking every member of the Watts Chapel Family to begin 2020
seeking God through participating in a season of prayer and fasting for 21 days.
Prayer with fasting is a proven method to draw closer to God, experience deliver-
ance from strongholds, and receive answered prayers and to experience God’s su-
pernatural intervention.

Seek the Lord to guide you how He wants you to fast and what to fast for in this
season in your life. We will begin our season of prayer and fasting on Thursday,
January 9, 2020 and conclude our season of praying and fasting on Wednesday,
January 29, 2020.

On Wednesday, January 29, we will have a Victory Night Worship Celebration
at 7:00 p.m.

I have prepared a daily prayer and fasting devotional to direct our season of pray-
ing and fasting at Watts Chapel. I am offering the following suggestions as we
begin 2020 praying and fasting unto God:

        Fresh fruits, vegetables, and water only, or
        Eat one meal per day and eliminate all other meals, or
        Eliminate sugar, soda, starches, and sweets from your diet for 21 days, or
        Give up something you NEED to give up.
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
BECOMING STRONG IN SPIRIT
           Prayer and Fasting Guide
                           by Pastor Harry White
                                As Christians, God expects us to seek Him through the
                                practices of prayer and fasting (Matthew 6:5-18).

                                Jesus prayed and fasted in the wilderness for forty days
                                and nights. Prayer is talking to God who listens and re-
                                sponds because of His love for us. Fasting is voluntarily
                                abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Prayer can
                                be rather easy but the combination of prayer and fasting
                                is challenging. Despite the demanding nature of com-
                                bining prayer and fasting, the rewards of drawing closer
Becoming spiritually strong     to Him far outweigh the cost of seeking Him through
   should be one of our         prayer and fasting.
     priorities in life.
       Ephesians 4:13-16

 There are various spiritual
     practices available to
   Christians that desire to
 develop spiritual strength.
Worship, meditation, study,
fellowship, and solitude are
      among the spiritual                          Ty p e s o f F a s t s
    practices that produce      The normal fast is abstinence from all food except water.
  spiritual strength. Prayer        After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew
                                    4:2)
  and fasting are two God-
                                The absolute fast is to abstain from food and water.
   ordained practices that          For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
                                    (Acts 9:9)
 cultivate spiritual maturity
     and develop spiritual      The partial fast is the restriction of our diet rather than complete
                                    abstinence.
           strength.                “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and
                                    wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile
                                    himself this way (Daniel 1:8).
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
Ten Reasons Christians Should
                          Pray And Fast
 1. To become more like Jesus. Matthew 4:2
 2. To experience God’s intervention in circumstances, challenges and problems
    in life. Jonah 3:5, 10
 3. To more fully praise, worship, and honor God. Acts 13:2
 4. To receive clear direction, deeper insight, and revelation from God.
    Daniel 9:2, 3, 21, 22
 5. To be better prepared, anointed, and usable to God. Acts 14:23
 6. To identify and open our hearts to the hungry. Isaiah 58:7
 7. To intercede on behalf of the sins, challenges, and weaknesses of others.
    Nehemiah 1:4-11
 8. To develop self-discipline, humility, and examination in life.
     1 Corinthians 9:27
9. To experience renewed health and wellness. Isaiah 58:8
10. To glorify God! 1 Corinthians 10:31

Spiritually, you will experience a more successful fast when you spend time each day in prayer
and communion with God. Establish a time during the day for quiet time and meditation on the
Word of God. Study His Word and seek His face.

                        Praying Always...
                       Who Should Not Fast
There are some people who should not fast. Pregnant women, post-pregnant
women, diabetics, heart patients, and persons with gout, liver disease, kidney
disease, cancer, bleeding ulcers, tumors, and blood disease. For those persons,
there is an alternative. Participate in “a replacement fast” and abstain from
watching TV, playing computer games, surfing the net, Facebook, talking on the
telephone, shopping, or some other habit you NEED to give up.
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
Life-Changing,
                                                                   Spiritually Renewing
                                                                        Experience

                                                                    Read Isaiah 58:6-14

Isaiah lists several fruits of fasting. What are the fruits that Isaiah lists about the exercise of fasting?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

                         For Your Information
Begin with a partial fast or eliminate a meal or two meals from your daily eating habits. It's important to keep
in mind that we are on a fast, which is restricting food for spiritual purposes. So, while we can eat as much
food as we want and any time we want...we want to keep in mind that we are fasting.
Fill yourself with God’s Word while you fast. Spiritually, you will experience a more successful fast when
you spend time each day in prayer and communion with God. Establish a time during the day for quiet time
and meditation on the Word of God. Study His Word and seek His face.

                                                      Pray and fast with a partner or a group of people.
                                                      Don’t be legalistic with yourself. If for any reason you eat
                                                      something you shouldn't have during the fast, it is better to
                                                      ask for forgiveness and continue, than it is to stop the fast.
                                                      Don’t pray and fast to force God’s hand.
                                                      Don’t pray and fast to impress people.

                      Be intentional                  Don’t pray and fast for selfish reasons.
                           about praying              You may want to supplement your diet with a
                           while you fast.            multivitamin.
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
Keep your diet simple...avoid highly processed foods in favor of simply prepared or raw foods.
If you are experiencing weakness or headaches...drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Often, we do not
understand just how much our body needs water, especially when fasting. Be careful not to drink too much
water, however, too much liquid can be as bad as not enough.
More liquids, less weight...If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body may have developed a
pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra-unwanted weight. By increasing fluids during the
Daniel Fast, you are flushing out toxins and teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink
warm/hot water with lemon slices throughout your day, especially before eating, to help reduce fluid reten-
tion. Be sure the water is filtered and free from chemicals.
Love those hunger pangs...so often when we have hunger pangs, we rush for snacks or something that will
make it go away. However, a little insight about hunger pangs may have you making a different choice;
hunger pangs actually mean that your body is using stored fat. So if you want to lose some weight during the
Daniel Fast, then welcome those hunger pangs. Dehydration often sends a message that "reads" like hunger.
So instead of grabbing a snack...go for a tall glass of water! Finally, hunger pangs often pass after a few
minutes. So, when you sense hunger...wait it out.
Stick with three modest meals and one or two small snacks. However, it is also advisable that you eat small-
er meals throughout the day instead of three huge “square” meals and overwhelm your body.
Meal preparation can take more time during the Daniel Fast, but you can also adopt some habits to stream-
line this essential part of your fasting experiences.
   •   Meal Planning - Plan all of your meals for one week. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need
       along with snack foods!
   •   Set a Cook Day - Consider using Saturday as the day to plan all meals for the coming week and then
       cook several meals in advance. This saves lots of time and lots of frustration in the coming week.
   •   Salad Prep - Wash and trim all salad ingredients as soon as you purchase them and then store each
       item in a container for easy use later in the week. You can make a salad in less than a minute because
       all the ingredients are already prepared!

                                         When you have finished
                                       fasting...eat light meals and
                                       slowly build back up to your
                                       normal diet. During the time
                                         of the fast your body has
                                      detoxed and cleansed and will
                                        become more sensitive to
                                               what you eat.

                                              TAKE IT SLOW
The Surrender Fast Fasting Dates: January 5-25 l Victory Night Worship: January 25 - Watts Chapel
1. Pray for positive and enthusiastic par-    12. Pray for deliverance from addictions and
   ticipation in this season of prayer and          strongholds.
   fasting.                                   13. Pray for physical healing, recovery and well-
2. Pray to grow deeper in love with God.            ness.
3. Pray for compassionate love for all        14. Pray for church unity.
   people.                                    15. Pray for generosity during the Capital Cam-
4. Pray for safety of schools, colleges and         paign for the construction of new facilities.
   universities.                              16. Pray for global and local missionaries and
5. Pray for victory in spiritual warfare..          missions projects/trips.
6. Pray for educators, professors and         17. Pray for gainful employment for
   teachers.                                        unemployed and the underemployed.
7. Pray for law enforcement officers.         18.    Pray for obedience to the will of God.
8. Pray for military personnel.               19. Pray for ongoing spiritual maturity.
9. Pray for elected officials and politi-     20. Pray for direction and opportunities for
   cians.                                           high school and college graduates.
10. Pray for reconciliation of estranged      21. Pray for increased biblical literacy.
   people.
11. Pray for salvation for the lost and as-
   surance for the saved.
Keep your diet simple...avoid highly processed foods in favor of simply prepared or raw foods.
If you are experiencing weakness or headaches...drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Often, we do not
understand just how much our body needs water, especially when fasting. Be careful not to drink too much
water, however, too much liquid can be as bad as not enough.
More liquids, less weight...If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body may have developed a
pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra-unwanted weight. By increasing fluids during the
Daniel Fast, you are flushing out toxins and teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink
warm/hot water with lemon slices throughout your day, especially before eating, to help reduce fluid reten-
tion. Be sure the water is filtered and free from chemicals.
Love those hunger pangs...so often when we have hunger pangs, we rush for snacks or something that will
make it go away. However, a little insight about hunger pangs may have you making a different choice;
hunger pangs actually mean that your body is using stored fat. So if you want to lose some weight during the
Daniel Fast, then welcome those hunger pangs. Dehydration often sends a message that "reads" like hunger.
So instead of grabbing a snack...go for a tall glass of water! Finally, hunger pangs often pass after a few
minutes. So, when you sense hunger...wait it out.
Stick with three modest meals and one or two small snacks. However, it is also advisable that you eat small-
er meals throughout the day instead of three huge “square” meals and overwhelm your body.
Meal preparation can take more time during the Daniel Fast, but you can also adopt some habits to stream-
line this essential part of your fasting experiences.
   •   Meal Planning - Plan all of your meals for one week. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need
       along with snack foods!
   •   Set a Cook Day - Consider using Saturday as the day to plan all meals for the coming week and then
       cook several meals in advance. This saves lots of time and lots of frustration in the coming week.
   •   Salad Prep - Wash and trim all salad ingredients as soon as you purchase them and then store each
       item in a container for easy use later in the week. You can make a salad in less than a minute because
       all the ingredients are already prepared!

                                         When you have finished
                                       fasting...eat light meals and
                                       slowly build back up to your
                                       normal diet. During the time
                                         of the fast your body has
                                      detoxed and cleansed and will
                                        become more sensitive to
                                               what you eat.

                                              TAKE IT SLOW
Option A
T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 9 - We d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9
Option B
   T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 9 - We d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9

THE NO LIST
NO Dairy
     This includes cheese, milk, sour cream, butter, yogurt, etc.

NO white sugar

NO white bread

NO overly processed foods

NO fried food

NO soda

NO red meat
      This includes pork, beef, etc.

NO pizza

NO white rice

NO white pasta
     This includes semolina & unbleached wheat flour

NO chips

NO microwave/theater popcorn
Fasting Journal
                                  Fasting Without Praying is Just Going Hungry...

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

   Your days should be filled with unselfish prayer. During the fast, increase the frequency of your daily prayer time.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

                            It is important to not brag or boast to others about fasting...
 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others 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 6:17-18
FASTING IS A GIFT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN
TO THE CHURCH IN ORDER TO HELP US
You can also read