asbc seek devotionals 2025 2 - Flipbook - Page 4
FASTING
DEVOTIONAL JOURNAL | ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
FASTING SCHEDULE
Entire Fast
No social media & No shopping!!!
From January 20 until February 28 please post on all
social media platforms the ASBC Seek 2025 graphic
symbolizing you will not be available for any social
media engagement.
Additionally, during this time frame we are asking
each participant to abstain from non-essential
purchases. By non-essential we mean all luxury and/
or discretionary expenses.
Week One (1/20–1/26)
Food: No Coffee, Caffeine, Sweets, Alcohol, or Fried
Food
Financial: No Retail or Online purchases
Entertainment: Limit Gaming, Technology,
Entertainment, social media (2hrs/day)
Week Two (1/27–2/2)
Food: Week One restrictions + No Dairy and No
Animal Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb, Turkey, Chicken, Fish)
Financial: Week One restrictions + No gift
purchasing to include use of gift cards.
Entertainment: Week One restrictions + no gaming
+ no Entertainment Streaming
Week Three (2/3–2/9)
Food: Week One and Two restrictions + No
Processed Foods (Foods w/ artificial colorings,
chemicals, additives, preservatives)
Financial: Week One and Two restrictions + No CC
purchases
Entertainment: Week One and Two restrictions + no
non-essential texting
Week Four (2/10 – 2/16)
Food: Week One thru Three Restrictions + Daniel
Fast (Whole Grains, Fruits, Nuts, Legumes, Vegetables,
Fruit Juices, Water)
Financial: Week One thru Three Restrictions + Create
a budget and Check Credit Report
Entertainment: Week One thru Three Restrictions +
no non-essential phone calls
4
Week Five (2/17–2/23)
Food: Week One thru Four Restrictions + No Fruit
Juice
Financial: Week One thru Four Restrictions +
Commitment to Tithing
Entertainment: Week One thru Four Restrictions +
15 Mins of Daily Bible Reading + 15 Mins of Daily
Prayer
Week Six (2/24–2/28)
Food: Continue with Week Five or INTENSIFY
(Liquid Only)
Financial: Week One thru Five Restrictions + No
non-essential spending.
Entertainment: Week One thru Five Restrictions +
No Distractions – an entire week of silence outside
of business calls and family calls. This week is purely
devoted to hearing the voice of God speak in the
silence.
All fasts are for the entire 40 day period, no break.
WHAT IS FASTING?
As you prepare to embark on Seek 2024, you may
be shocked to find out that scripture does not
require Christians to fast. You might ask yourself, if
scripture doesn’t require us to fast then why should
we? While scripture does not require Christians to
fast, scripture does reveal the importance of fasting.
In the Old Testament, fasts were frequently called
forth by leaders of a congregation during critical and
despairing times (Jeremiah 26:9, Joel 1:14, Daniel
1:8). In the New Testament, Jesus’ earthly ministry is
preceded by 40 days of prayer and fasting (Matthew
4). Likewise, in the early church, Christians would
couple prayer and fasting as a means to hear from
God, especially before making important decisions
(Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting is an opportunity for
Christians to practice the fruit of self-disciple, by
abstaining from personal pleasure and fixing their
entire attention on God. Although many people will
choose to abstain from food during their fast, food is
not the only means of fasting. Believers can choose to
abstain from anything that can potentially serve as a
distraction in their pursuit of seeking God.
