Imagine 21 days from now …

• You’re closer to God
• You’re able to see into the future with greater clarity
• You’re walking towards a new set of God-given goals
• You’re enjoying His fresh direction
• You’re experiencing incredible favor
• You’re anticipating an incredible year
• You’re speaking with increasing boldness
• You’re enjoying greater faith

… and …

• You’re at Peace!

Join us in January!

Every year, for the first 21 days of the year, Dr. Smith steps into God’s presence, pleading his heart, seeking God’s face, and putting away the distractions the normally divert him from God’s incredible plans. He encourages you to join him this year and then watch God work!

Every January, Dr. Smith sets aside the first three weeks of the New Year to practice an ancient biblical discipline that yields all of these benefits and so much more.

In 2022, Dr. Smith will lead us into Our Year of Audacious Faith!

Audacious Faith? “Audacious” means showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks. Think Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Elijah, Elisha, Micah, John, Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, and John. And consider Hannah, Jehosheba, Esther, Jaal, Ruth, Deborah, Abigail, Mary of Nazareth, and Mary Magdalene, just to name a few.

The Bible is filled with men and women who took surprisingly bold risks for God and are remembered in God’s journal of faith – the Bible. Do you want to be remembered for audacious faith – we do!

Join Kate, Doc, and the whole Eagles In Leadership team as we go before the Lord asking for AUDACIOUS FAITH in 2022! We will pray and fast from January 2 – 22 as we start 2022 seeking God’s answers to THREE questions …

Week 1 – January 3-9: What is “Audacious Faith?”
Week 2 – January 10-16: What does “Audacious Faith” look like?
Week 3 – January 17-23: What will my “Audacious Faith” seek to accomplish in 2022?

Go to EaglesInLeadership.org today, click on the BOTTOM of any post and “Sign up for Notifications.” We will lead you through the preparation and the process so you can watch your faith EXPLODE and become AUDACIOUS in 2022!

We will be asking these questions of God so we can reap a bountiful harvest in the coming months in all areas of our lives …

Our Spiritual Lives
Our Physical Lives
Our Intellectual Lives
Our Family Lives
Our Social Lives
Our Vocational Lives
Our Financial Lives

If you would like to join Dr. Smith in this incredible journey, keep reading and discover how you, too, can find God, hear his heartbeat, discover his direction, and enjoy his favor and peace.

This ancient biblical discipline it’s called fasting. Now don’t panic! Fasting is simply the removal of food for a short period of time in order to devote yourself to more conversation with God. As you’ll see below we have three plans depending on where you are in your spiritual walk and what you desire to accomplish with God.

Choose one of three plans …

Plan A: Simple Fast

Remove ONE major food (something you crave and / eat often) from our diet for 21 Days. Whatever we choose to remove, we do so because it has a major hold on our life.

Some people choose fast foods. Other choose soft drinks. Some choose meats. You are the one that knows what foods have a hold on you. Giving them up for three weeks shows God we’re serious about listening to Him and not our cravings.

Plan B: Daniel Fast

No bread, no meat, no wine, no sweets for 21 Days. This is the type of fast Daniel and his three friends chose in Daniel 1. Essentially, we can eat a lot and not feel hungry because we haven’t stopped eating. We have simply chosen to eliminate the things we fixate on when we eat.

This fast is about removing the things we crave to focus on the Lord and His voice. Remember, we fast to hear God speak life into us for the coming year!

Plan C: Day Fast

No food DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS for 21 Days. Of course, we can drink liquids. Many think we only have to drink water – which IS very necessary for this fast. In fact, water should be our main drink while we are on this plan. We eat dinner each day after the sun sets.

However, we are also able to drink other liquids as well. We are giving up food DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS for three weeks so we can concentrate on the Lord and His voice. We don’t have to remove everything we can drink also unless we want to drink only water.

You will also notice that each evening you will eat less and less as your stomach shrinks back to it’s normal, God intended size. You will also lose weight this way.

Plan D: Full Fast

No food for 21 Days. Of course, we can drink liquids. Many think we only have to drink water – which IS very necessary for this fast. In fact, water should be our main drink while we are on this plan.

However, we are also able to drink other liquids as well. We are giving up food for three weeks so we can concentrate on the Lord and His voice. We don’t have to remove everything we can drink also unless we want to drink only water.

Why Do I Fast?

The core reason to fast is to reconnect with God! Life has a way of causing our spiritual life to drift in the currents of our hectic lifestyle. Connection with God gets sketchy. Time alone with God can be diminished and almost non-existent. A recent poll revealed that about 1 out of every 2 people doesn’t pray daily.

“When you fast, you abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is doing without food for a period of time, which generally causes you to leave the commotion of normal activity. Part of the sacrifice of fasting, seeking God and studying His Word is that normal activity fades into the background. (Jentzen Franklin, Fasting, 111)

God wants us to draw away with Him, to focus on Him, to cry out to Him, to pour out our heart to Him, to humble ourselves before Him … to reveal our real selves to Him! The best way to do that is to fast … to set the physical hunger of this life aside for the spiritual hunger of knowing God deeper … Jesus said it this way:

“But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face, so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:17–18)

Often God rewards those who fast in the present … answering their deepest needs at their most desperate moments. The Bible tells us of many reasons and people who fasted …

People who fasted for a breakthrough from God when everything they did seemed to meet only obstacles! (David)
People who fasted and heard God’s assignment for their lives, for their next step of direction! (Cornelius)
People who fasted to recover their passion for God! (David)
People who fasted to remove the demonic oppression of loved ones! (Jesus)
People who fasted to get God’s instructions for their people! (Moses)
People who fasted to gain understanding from God! (Daniel)
People who fasted to maintain their spiritual purity! (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)
People who fasted to save their people from certain death! (Esther)
People who longed to conceive a child! (Hannah)

Fasting opens the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God! Do you need a breakthrough?

Do you have an unsaved loved one? Fast!
Suffering from a medical problem or disease? Fast!
Do you need a job? Fast!
Do you have a wayward child? Fast!
Are you struggling for finances? Fast!
Don’t know where to turn next? Fast!
Need a fresh touch from God? Fast!
Want a relationship repaired? Fast!

How Long Do I Fast?

How long you fast is really up to you. The length of time you choose to fast should depend upon your circumstances, but don’t get bogged down in the details!

Jehoshaphat called for a 1 day fast (2 Chronicles 20:3)
Esther fasted for 3 days (Esther 4-7)
Hannah “would cry and wouldn’t eat anything.” (1 Samuel 1:7, CEB)
David fasted 7 days (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah fasted for 10 days (Daniel 1:6, CEB)
Daniel fasted for 21 days (Daniel 10)
Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days (Exodus 34:27-28; Luke 4:1-15)
You can also fast all day, from dawn to dusk.

You will be amazed at the difference even a one-day partial or normal fast will make in your life.

What Practical Tips Do I Need to Know About Fasting?

Begin with a purpose! You need to fast for a reason. While you are seeking God’s face during a fast, it is best to write out a specific goal or reason.

Pray often. The purpose of a fast is to spend less time eating and more time in conversation with God. Using lunchtime and an extended time in the evening in prayer is what fasting is all about.

Drink plenty of water. In reality, fasting is like “spring cleaning” for your body. Fasting releases the toxins that have built up in our bodies. Water helps cleanse the body of those toxins.

Examples of Fasting In the Bible

Who Fasted?	Why Did They Fast?	How Long Did They Fast?	What Did They Fast From?	What Was The Result of Fasting?	Where Is This Fast Recorded?
Moses	To receive the Law from God	40 days and nights	Total fast from food and water	Received the Law of God and the warning about Israel’s rebellion	Exodus 24:13-18; Deuteronomy 9:7-11
Moses	To receive the second set of the Law from God; to stop the Lord from destroying Israel	40 days and nights	Total fast from food and water	“The Lord … wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.” (Exodus 34:28, CEB)	Exodus 34:1-28
David	To save the life of his child born out of adultery and murder	7 days	Fast from food	The child died but Solomon – the greatest King of Israel – was born the next year after David repented and married Bathsheba	2 Samuel 12:15-23
Nehemiah	Jerusalem was in ruins and its gates had been destroyed by fire	Several days between Chislev and Nisan (a 4-month period)	Not specified	God gave him the mission to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem, favor from King Artaxerxes, supplies and authority	Nehemiah 1 and 2
Esther	A government authorized genocide of all Jews	3 days	Food and water	The plotter and family were all killed, the plan was reversed	Esther 4:16
Daniel	Understanding of the visions of the future of Israel	Unspecified in Daniel 93 weeks in Daniel 10	“I didn’t eat any rich foods. Neither meat nor wine passed my lips, and I didn’t clean up at all until the three weeks were up.” (Daniel 10:3, CEB)	Gabriel explains the vision of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9An angelic visitor arrived to explain the vision after being delayed by satanic opposition in Daniel 10	Daniel 9 and 10
Jesus	Led by the Spirit to Wilderness	40 days and nights	Total fast from food	“Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee …” (Luke 4:14, CEB)	Luke 4:1-15
Jesus	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Demon cast out of boy	Matthew 17:14-21
Church at Antioch’s Prophets and Teachers	Ministering to the Lord	Not recorded	Not recorded	Spirit separates Barnabas and Saul for a mission trip.	Acts 13:1-4
Paul and Barnabas	Wisdom as they appointed elders in every church	Not recorded	Not recorded	Elders appointed in every church	Acts 14:23

This material was prepared by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith.

By Susan Gregory

If you plan to start the New Year with a consecrated period of prayer and fasting you will want to prepare before you begin.

Some of the saddest messages I receive are from men and women who have not adequately prepared for the fast and then quit after one or two days. Instead of a blessed time with the Lord, they feel like failures and defeated. I always say, “Try again, but learn from your mistake and prepare first.” Set yourself up for success by learning about the fast and then preparing for it.

Prepare your spirit by praying about the fast and seeking God’s direction about what your focus of prayer and study should be. Learning about prayer, getting your finances in order, healing relationships or drawing closer to God are among some of the most common purposes for men and women on the Daniel Fast.

Consider areas in your life that cause you concern, worry or stress. Lift these needs to the Lord during your fast. Hear from Him. Ask Him to direct you, to change your heart, to renew your mind and to show you how to bring peace and resolution.

Prepare your soul by gathering study materials and establishing a routine you can use during your fast to have a daily time for prayer, Bible reading, and study. What do you want to learn about? What good habits do you want to develop? These can all be part of your fasting experience.

Prepare your body to avoid painful and even debilitating withdrawals. Taper off caffeine, sugar and processed foods. Start flushing your body of toxins by drinking more water. Also, begin to plan your meals by gathering recipes and planning menus.

If you have questions, please go to the Daniel Fast website where you will find all the information about that fast. If you still have questions, you can go to the Daniel Fast Blog. (Each of these resources can be found at Susan’s website: http://daniel-fast.com/)

Prayer and Fasting!

By Susan Gregory

The New Year Fast is growing in popularity as more and more men and women around the world discover the amazing spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.

There are no “official dates” for the fast, however, most churches and individuals will begin their 21-day New Year Fast on [the first Sunday of January]. Some people begin on the 1st or on other days as they feel led.

The Daniel Fast is the method of fasting widely used by men, women and young people for the 21-day period. The great blessing is that most people when they prepare properly, can fast and still fulfill their obligations at work, home, and church.

Now is a good time to plan if you are going to start the New Year with a consecrated period of prayer and fasting. You will want to start preparing your body for the fast about a week before you begin. And you will also want to define your purpose for the fast and gather your study materials.

To prepare, consider a copy of The Daniel Fast book, which is written especially to guide men and women into a successful fasting experience.

If you have questions, please go to the Daniel Fast website where you will find all the information about that fast. If you still have questions, you can go to the Daniel Fast Blog.

Be blessed as you seek God and His kingdom!

(Each of these resources can be found at Susan’s website: http://daniel-fast.com/)

21 Days of Fasting for 2022!