ReSet in 2020 with Praying and Fasting at c3 Church in Loganville, GA

Published by Linda Simon on January 7, 2020

Isaiah on Fasting

In the book of Isaiah, Chapter 58, fasting is explained: “by fasting and praying – we make sure we place God first in every area of our lives.”

ReSet at c3 on 78

We ask that you check in with yourself. Are you placing God first in your life? During January’s Praying and Fasting, we all have an opportunity to give up something that is taking center stage in our lives, to reset and put God first.

Pray about what that might be specifically for you? Is it overeating, overworking, worry, fear, social media, television, sports, sleep, or a sin you want to give up? This is a very personal decision. It doesn’t literally have to be fasting of food. It can be figuratively fasting of something else that is occupying too much time or space in your life and is unhealthy or out of balance. It may be something different for each person.

This reset is as simple as 1 2 3.

We pray to build our relationship with God.
We fast something that is important to us.
We put those things aside to put our attention on God.

Fasting

Fasting focuses our prayers, which then launches our prayer into action.

Fasting is not a diet. It is not going day to day feeling unhappy because you’ve given something you like up. It is not meant to be a punishment. It is a reset to focus on God and reflect on him. It is possibly going off social media so your mind can slow down to hear God’s messages for you.

If you choose to fast one meal a day, what are you replacing that meal with of substance and meaning? It is all a personal decision. You could replace that meal with bible scripture, resting, helping someone out, volunteering in the community, or anything else that would give you a deeper connection with God.

How Long Did Jesus Fast?

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed. Right after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, He fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judaean Desert.

Is Fasting Good for Your Body?

From a health standpoint, regular fasting and better heart health are linked to the way your body metabolizes cholesterol and sugar. Fasting may improve the way your body ultimately metabolizes the sugar in your body. This can reduce the risk factors of any heart disease.

Is Fasting Good Mentally?

Fasting from anything that has a hold on us like food, alcohol, social media, etc. gives you a feeling of physical “lightness,” which provides a boost of energy physically and mentally. It is definitely a resetting for us, which can create an energy-surge. In a regular diet, our body generally converts foods through sugars and carbs. Fasting resets or retrains our body to convert energy from fats, which boosts our natural energy levels.

Health Benefits

Healthline.com states that there are eight health benefits of fasting, which are all backed by science. Here are the health benefits associated with fasting:

Reduces insulin resistance which promotes blood sugar control
Promote better health by fighting inflammation
Can enhance heart health by improving blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels
Can boost brain function and prevent future neurodegenerative disorders
Assists weight loss by limiting caloric intake and boosting metabolism
Increases growth hormone secretion, vital for growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength
Can delay aging and extend longevity
Is considered to aid in cancer prevention and increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments

How to Start Fasting?

The good news is that there are many different types of fasts, which makes it easier to find a method that fits your lifestyle. If you are selecting a food or liquid to fast, make sure you talk it over with your medical professional first?

Regarding a food or drink fast, here are a few of the most common types of fasting:

Water fasting, which involves drinking just water for a set amount of time.
Juice fasting that entails only drinking fruit or vegetable for a certain length of time.
Intermittent fasting is a partial or complete restriction of intake of food for a few hours up to a few days at a time, and a regular diet is resumed on other days.
Partial fasting involves selected certain foods or drinks such as processed foods, animal products, or caffeine that are eliminated from the diet for a set period.
Calorie restriction means restricting calories for a few days every week.

If you are thinking about resetting by fasting something other than food or drink, pray about what it is in your life that needs adjusting and set aside time for God and the essential things in life. This is a great time to establish a new habit.

c3 Church on 78 has a FaceBook event page for the Praying and Fasting Reset at c3 Church if you want to join the conversation!