A community guide to direct us during these 21 days of prayer and fasting (January 11 – January 31, 2026) 

As 2026 begins, we invite you to join us corporately as we set apart 21 days to seek God with all our hearts in prayer and fasting. No matter which plan you use, whether one from YouVersion, our guided “21 Daily Prayers for Your Local Church,” or another resource, the following principles and steps should help you whether this is your first or 1,000th fast.

Watch a relevant message on fasting: Sermon on Matthew 6:16–18

"The world is waiting for, and in desperate need of, a vibrant alive-in-Jesus Church…May we be those who, through prayer, remove the obstacles out of the way of God's people and prepare the way of the Lord" - (King 2015, Pray the Word for Your Church).

How To Participate?

• Sign Up Below For Daily Emails

• Come for a spiritual dinner (No actual food will be there). We wil meet at THOP from 6:00pm–7:30pm

What Is Fasting?

In Scripture, a fast is defined as abstaining from all food for a spiritual purpose, often to pray during the hours/time spent preparing and eating. Jesus himself encouraged and expected his followers to fast (Matthew 6:17-18; 9:15). Today, many abstain from food, television, social media, or other time intensive activities during calls to fast. But, the thing that differentiates a fast from a diet or a New Year’s Resolution is prayer. If prayer is not coupled with your abstinence, then what is the point?

(The following steps are sourced from the book Habits of Grace by David Mathis)

How to Start Fasting

STEP 1: Start Small

Don't attempt to go from never fasting to abstaining from food for forty days. In the same way that attempting to run a marathon without training can prove harmful and painful, so could attempting to be too "severe" with your fast.

Perhaps attempt to fast food for 2 days, drinking broth, juice, and electrolyte drinks.

Alternatively, try to fast from something other than food. Not everyone can or should fast from food, some people have health issues that would prevent them from wisely participating in abstaining from food in such a manner. Martin Lloyd-Jones says that "Fasting should really be made to include abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special spiritual purpose." Should you need and/or desire alternatives to fasting all food then consider: a specific diet (eating fruits and vegetables - Daniel 1:9–20), social media, television, YouTube, etc.

STEP 2: Plan What You'll Do In Place of What You'll Fast

Fasting is primarily a spiritual discipline not a mere act of self-deprivation. The purpose is seeking more of God's fullness. Therefore, when you fast you should plan for what to undertake during the time you'd normally be eating, scrolling, watching TV, etc. Scripture often demonstrates that the activity you should participate in during a fast is prayer and meditation on God's word.

Before jumping into a fast, answer a few questions:

• Why are you fasting?

• What's the purpose?

• When in your day will you commit to prayer and meditation on God's word?

Now simply write your plan down and commit to it!

STEP 3: Consider How It Will Affect Others

Abstaining from something to draw closer to God is not an excuse to be unloving to others. Remember Jesus' words, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37–39). Drawing nearer to God should cause you to be even more loving to others, not less.

STEP 4: Try Different Kinds Of Fasting

Often, we participate in fasting on an individual level, ensuring that our faces are washed, that we don't look gloomy so that others won't even notice we're fasting (Matthew 6:16–18). However, Scripture also demonstrates group fasting on a corporate level (Esther 4:16). When you are ready to fast in a group, consider fasting with your family, or perhaps your church. Focus on seeking God's wisdom and guidance, or perhaps a specific difficulty or decision that you need God's direction on.

STEP 5: Don't Dwell On What You’re Fasting

When your empty stomach starts to growl and begins sending your brain every “feed me” signal it can, don’t be content to let your mind dwell on the fact that you haven’t eaten. If you make it through with a commitment that says “no” to your stomach, but doesn’t turn your mind’s eye elsewhere, it isn’t true fasting. Christian fasting turns its attention to Jesus or some great cause of His in the world. Christian fasting seeks to take the pains of hunger and transpose them into the key of some eternal anthem, whether it’s fighting against some sin, or pleading for someone’s salvation, or for the cause of the unborn, or longing for a greater taste of Jesus.