24 days of prayer
and fasting for 2024
STARTING THE YEAR WITH JESUS
Thu 4th-Sat 27th Jan + Feast on Sun 28th Jan*
* Or start on 1st Jan and join in with the Vineyard across the UK & Ireland
We want to start the year well. What better place to start than together spending more time with Jesus. After all, prayer and fasting is ultimately about seeking Him, and with or bodies saying “Lord, I need you more…”. After all, if we fast, but don’t pray, we are just hungry!
We’re giving 24 days in total for fast and prayer together (with optional ‘days off’ on Sundays), starting on Thursday 4th January (though you can join from 1st January – see prayer points), and ending with a feast on Sunday 28th Jan at Manor School.
You may also find ‘Fixed Hour’ prayer helpful during this season. Click here to learn more.
FASTING
“Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear.” – Dan B. Allender
We’re joining our wider Vineyard family in the UK and Ireland in 21 days of prayer and fasting (plus some of our own!). We’re starting on 4th January and ending on 27th January. We want to seek to be with God as much as possible, to be in his presence and to let him change and transform us.
You may fast from food, or certain meals – perhaps food types. But you may also fast from other things that distract us from God – social media, Netflix etc. Below is a daily plan of prayer to help guide us.
We’ll be fasting Monday-Saturday, with Sundays off optionallu (or whatever pattern you opt for)
If you have medical concerns do seek advice from a medical professional before fasting from food.
WHAT MIGHT FASTING LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
There are a number of different ways you might want to fast. And, it is not “more spiritual” to deprive yourself more – do what you feel is right to do.
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Water fast: Drinking only water during fasting days.
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1-meal per day: this does what it says on the tin! Eating just one meal per day, or fasting for 23 hours per day.
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2-meals per day: dedicating one meal time per day to seek Jesus.
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A media or habit fast: in our modern culture, some of us barely sit down to eat… but we’ll lose hours scrolling through Instagram, or binging Netflix. Maybe give up a few apps, or a particular habit for this season to give more time to God.
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Abstaining from certain foods: this may be sacrificial, particularly fo those with medical concerns. Maybe give up meat, or alcohol, or chocolate etc – something that is a sacrifice.
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There are loads of variations you can use. The important part of fasting is submitting something we love and/or need to the Lord in order to seek Him.
sunday 28th january - time tbc @ manor school
A FEAST - CELEBRATING WHAT GOD HAS DONE
So often we get busy fasting and prayer, forgetting to celebrate together all that God has done. Yet, in the Bible, from beginning to end, eating together and giving thanks to God is present! So, we want to give a Sunday morning/afternoon to do things a little differently. We’ll have time to worship, prayer and then celebrate and eat together.
BRING + SHARE
On Sunday 28th January we want to have a bring-and-share feast! Bring enough food for yourselves, and someone else, and cook whatever food you love – from you cultural background, your favourite growing up, or something simple and easy to do, hot or cold! We’ll put on some hot drinks, and provide the communion bread and juice. If you need help knowing what to bring, please email us.
READ SCRIPTURE
We’ve also prepared a bunch of ideas and tools to help you engage with Scripture in 2024 and beyond.
