[cs_content][cs_section bg_color=”hsl(0, 0%, 13%)” parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Title” class=”cs-hide-xs cs-hide-sm cs-hide-md” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_gap size=”150px”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-center”]

THE LCA PRAYER & FASTING PROGRAM

[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section bg_color=”hsl(0, 0%, 13%)” parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ _label=”Title – mobile” class=”cs-hide-lg cs-hide-xl” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_gap size=”100px”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-center”]

THE LCA PRAYER & FASTING PROGRAM

[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_element_section _id=”11″ ][cs_element_row _id=”12″ ][cs_element_column _id=”13″ ] [/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”14″ ][x_video_embed no_container=”true” type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed][x_gap size=”25px”][x_button size=”global” block=”true” circle=”false” icon_only=”false” href=”https://join.slack.com/t/lcacademy/shared_invite/enQtMjkzMzY5ODIxNDQ3LWMxMGM2MWU4NGIxYmZjZGJiYjFkNzZjYTE4MGE4NDk1OGZmNDk1NWExZTBhMzk0Y2E0ZDc4YTMxZWY0YmI3NzQ” title=”” target=”blank” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][x_icon type=”external-link” class=”mvn mln mrs”]JOIN PRAYER & FASTING SLACK CONVO[/x_button][/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”18″ ] [/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”19″ ][cs_element_row _id=”20″ ][cs_element_column _id=”21″ ][x_custom_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h3″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-left man” style=”color: hsl(0, 0%, 100%);”]P/F VIDEOS[/x_custom_headline][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”23″ ][cs_element_row _id=”24″ ][cs_element_column _id=”25″ ][cs_element_text _id=”26″ ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”27″ ][cs_element_row _id=”28″ ][cs_element_column _id=”29″ ][x_custom_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h3″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-left man” style=”color: hsl(0, 0%, 100%);”]PRAYER[/x_custom_headline][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”31″ ][cs_element_row _id=”32″ ][cs_element_column _id=”33″ ][cs_element_text _id=”34″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”35″ ][x_accordion link=”true” ][x_accordion_item title=”>> INTRO TO PRAYER” open=”false”]

Prayer is God’s way of opening up communication between us and Him. He has made Himself approachable to us through prayer.

Prayer is literally conversation with God. Us speaking to Him. Him speaking to us. A dialogue between God and man.

He LOVES talking with us and is moved when we pray. He loves coming through for us. He loves when we cry out to Him and depend on Him. He loves to speak to us and with us, and He loves to carry our burdens.

Even though He knows exactly what we’re going to say before we say it, He loves it when we choose to express our hearts to Him in prayer. He loves it when we choose to listen for His response and for what He is saying to us in any moment.

It’s WAY more than just thanking God for the food. Although we are so grateful any time we have food that He has provided for us to eat.

We can pray for healing. We can pray to know Him. We can pray for someone. We can pray with someone. We can pray over someone. We can pray in groups. We can pray alone. We can pray out loud. We can pray in silence. We can pray for our leadership & government. We can pray for our enemies. We can pray for our families. We can pray for salvation. We can pray for breakthrough. We can pray for our cities and countries. We can pray for our schools, and our friends, and our teachers, and that random person on the street. We can pray to God any time, anywhere, for anything according to His will, and He will hear us and answer us and come through for us.

And when things seem to go silent, we can persevere in prayer and keep coming boldly before the throne of grace for breakthrough in certain areas in Jesus name.

[/x_accordion_item][x_accordion_item title=”>> INTRO TO MONTHLY PRAYER FOCUSES” open=”false”]

We have monthly prayer focuses here in LCA, as well as a Slack Community forum completely devoted to Prayer & Fasting, so that we can all pray together, and for each other.

Make sure you join that conversation (JOIN HERE NOW!), ask any prayer & fasting questions you may have there, and pray for each other with passionate Christ followers all around the world.

[/x_accordion_item][x_accordion_item title=”>> MONTHLY PRAYER FOCUSES” open=”false”]

APRIL – Identity (Sonship, Daughtership, who we are in Christ, transformation, authority, power, loved, for ourselves, for others, for our churches, for our children, for our friends, etc.)

MAY – Salvation (thankful for ours, praying for friends & family & outpouring of salvation on our lands, celebrities, those in prison, freedom for the captives, discipleship of those who come to know Him, connection with healthy Spirit-led local churches, etc.)

JUNE – Boldness & Confidence (walking in true identity & power, authority in Christ, motives, focus, who to please, who to fear, keeping in step with the Spirit, obedience to His voice, surrender fears to what matters more, audience of one, etc.)

JULY – Healing (Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Social, Racial, Spiritual, Mental, etc.)

AUGUST – Forgiveness (asking forgiveness, forgiving others, forgiving the most unforgivable things & people, completely set free, mastered by nothing, letting go of bitterness completely, not a single root left, fresh soil of gladness, forgiveness, & newness, etc.)

SEPTEMBER – Purity & Connectedness (of thought, of mind, of action, of eyes, of marriages, of spirit, of media, of faithfulness, of innocence, of strength, pray for marriages, pray for protection, freedom, newness, overcoming Jezebel, etc.)

OCTOBER – Government & Local Churches (Big to small, small to big, school board all the way to presidents & leaders etc., local churches, pastors, systems, people of the city, etc.)

NOVEMBER – Thankfulness (Thankfulness Journal, every morning, start every prayer with thanking Him for things, list of people to thank for things, Lord make us incredibly thankful, etc.)

DECEMBER – Selflessness (Others First, grace, benefit of the doubt, actions, thoughts, Christ-like, Vs. Selfishness, giving, etc.)

JANUARY – Missions (for The World, for The Nations, for countries, for trips, for the poor, for people in other religions, for freedom, for hope, for healing, for missionaries, for finances & support, for governments, for specific struggles in specific locations, for protection, for natural disasters, for healing & salvation, etc.)

FEBRUARY – Character (to become more like Jesus, fruit of the Spirit (GALATIANS 5:22-23), keep in step with Him, live like Him, goal to please Him in our thoughts, actions, reactions, motives, in relationships, in our weak spots, in our frustration triggers, that we may LOVE in every aspect of 1 Corinthians 13, etc.)

MARCH – Marriage & Family (Dating) (for marriages, for spouses, for purity, for adoration, for faithfulness, for strength, for support, for deep love, for forgiveness, for grace, for Christ-like love, for HOPE, for fresh newness, Song of Solomon adoration, for belonging to each other, for families, for kids, for callings, for calling them out, for dating relationships, for singles, for focus on calling, for not getting derailed of distracted, for Adam & God focus & letting Him bring Eve when He’s ready to, for purity in dating, healthy boundaries that lead to life, etc.)

APRIL – The Vulnerable, Hurting, & Taken Advantage of in our World (orphans, aborted babies, people who have been through abortions, people considering them, children, trafficking victims, etc.)

MAY – Hearing God’s voice more clearly & more often. (drawing ever closer, taking extra time to be lead by Him, taking an entire month to focus on tuning our hearts to His voice more & developing a greater desperation & hunger for His closeness.)

[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”40″ ][cs_element_row _id=”41″ ][cs_element_column _id=”42″ ][x_custom_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h3″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-left man” style=”color: hsl(0, 0%, 100%);”]FASTING[/x_custom_headline][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”44″ ][cs_element_row _id=”45″ ][cs_element_column _id=”46″ ][cs_element_text _id=”47″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”48″ ][x_accordion link=”true” ][x_accordion_item title=”>> INTRO TO FASTING” open=”false”]

When it comes to fasting, it is super important that we understand what it is, what it’s for, why we fast, what different types of fasts there are, etc.

There are some basic HOW’S and WHAT’S and WHY’S that it is important for us to understand.

The purpose of fasting is always to commune more with God. It is for connectedness. Sometimes to hear Him more clearly. Sometimes to spend more time with Him. Sometimes to know each other more deeply. It’s almost like an anniversary trip or a marriage retreat.

The goal is more connectedness & closeness with the Father.

Jesus said that His disciples didn’t fast because He was right there with them all the time. Now that He is gone to be with the father & has given us His Spirit, we fast again to spend more time together.

And someday when we’re together in Eternity with Him in heaven, we won’t fast anymore, because we will be together forever.

Right now, to get closer and closer, we spend time with Him fasting on a regular basis.

Most of the time fasting involves some sort of adjustment in our eating, and sometimes it is something else.

Usually it is either a water only or juice only fast. Sometimes nuts and berries and things. The types of fasts are listed below as well as our specific LCA Prayer & fasting Calendar for this year so that you can join in with us in our fast & prayer focuses.

[/x_accordion_item][x_accordion_item title=”>> TYPES OF FASTS” open=”false”]

• A Water Fast (includes fasting all media) – only drinking water for a specific number of days. Here in LCA we usually pick 1, 2, or 3 days (could be any number of days). This is the basic fast that goes along with most other fast additions. (*you can choose to do a juice fast instead sometimes, in that case it works the same but allows 100% juice as well as water.)(also, sometimes, people choose to allow themselves to have an electrolyte supplement such as gatorade, etc every now and then during a water fast. That is up to you.)
• A Media fast – fasting all media (TV, movies, computers, social media, etc.). Usually along with any other fast so that we can focus on time with Jesus. Sometimes we continue the Media fast for the whole month even after a 1, 2, or 3 day fast.
• A Social Media Fast – fasting all social media. Social Media is included in a media fast & therefor we fast social media as well during all fasts (since we fast media during fasts), but sometimes extended to being a month long Social Media Fast on it’s own (allowing other forms of media, but abstaining from social media for a certain period).
• A Sugar fast – not eating anything with sugar for a certain amount of time (or not eating anything that has sugar in the top 3 or top 5 ingredients). In LCA this is usually a month long fast, but can be any length of time.
• A Word fast – fasting from certain words (push ups if we end up saying those words). Usually a month long focus fast for discipline, self-control, transformation.
• A Daniel fast – eat no meat, no sweats, no bread (eat fruits & veggies & nuts/drink water & 100% juice). Any length of time.
• A Sexuality fast – 1 Corinthians 7:3-6 (abstaining from sex for a period of time so that you can pray, but then coming back together again – for married couples) (singles – you should already be abstaining from sex until you are married so that you can live in the ultimate freedom that God wants for you. So this should be a fast where your actions are the same, but your focus is on fellowship with Christ & allowing Him to speak to you about your connection with Him as well as any relationship you might be in now or in the future, allowing Him to shape your character & life. But especially if you’re single and not currently abstaining from sex, then abstaining from sex for a period of time, and letting God have that part of your life, also in hopes that He will help you decide to change your lifestyle from here moving forward.) If you struggle with lust or porn, this in connection with intentional accountability will help you overcome & walk in freedom. (Altogether, this fast is powerful. We as a body of believers finally walking in the purity & freedom He calls us to. So powerful!)
• A Solitude fast – getting alone with God for a time period (1 day / 3 days / etc.), with no other interaction. No media, no talking to others, etc. Just you, the Word of God, & The Holy Spirit. (make sure you let someone know where you are going to be so that you are safe in the case of any accidents, etc.).
• A Partial solitude fast – alone with God & no food from sun up til dinner. Then break the fast each day with fellowship & dinner. Do this for 1 , 2, or 3 days together with friends, staff, family, etc.

[/x_accordion_item][x_accordion_item title=”>> FASTING NEED TO KNOWS” open=”false”]

*NOTHING IS MANDATORY – All LCA fasts are editable for your needs & situations. Nothing is mandatory. It’s all on your volition. But we would love to have you with us on these if you can and want to join us 🙂

*PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING – Please don’t fast food if you are pregnant or breast feeding. But you can definitely substitute in a solitude, media, or some other kind of fast, and just join with us on the prayer focuses, time frames, & community discussion forums if you want to.

*RECENT HISTORY WITH DRUGS – You definitely shouldn’t be doing drugs. The Lord wants you to be free of all of that. So get some help there and get free of that. But if you do have a recent past in drugs or alcohol, don’t be surprised if you experience some after affects of those during the fast. Sometimes the spine will store some of that and a fast will work as a body detox. You’re not going crazy or experiencing an attack. It’s normal for the body to be detoxing that stuff during a fast. Stay steadfast, get in community, fast together with friends and stay safe.

*IMPORTANCE OF SCRIPTURE – No matter who you are or where you are fasting, fill your life & time with Scripture reading & prayer (alone & with others). Lots & LOTS of reading Scripture, WAYYYY more than usual. Read for hours on end. Read morning noon & night. FILL your life & spirit with the Word of God. And if you’re fasting in a group together, read the Bible out loud together, each taking a chapter going around the circle as much as you want to. Maybe even read the whole Bible that way together over a weekend. Whatever you do, fill your life with Scripture & time with God during a fast.

*THE HEART OF FASTING – Fasting is not about the letter of the law or the “RULES” of the fast, but more towards the heart of the fast. Understand the heart of the fast. Stick to the “rules” & guidelines of the fast out of faithfulness and wanting to make the most of it, but if you mess up, don’t get yourself down or beat yourself up about it. Just get back in & keep going with the fast again. Work through all of that with God & He will teach & grow you through it.

*WHY AM I SO TIRED? – Don’t be surprised if you take lots of naps during a fast. You aren’t giving your body daily nutrients, so you are going to be getting more tired than usual. Also you might be colder than usual as well. Dress warm if necessary, drink lots of water, and take naps with Jesus if you want to. There’s almost nothing better than falling asleep reading the Bible and waking up reading the bible a few times during a solitude fast haha. Just saying! Don’t be afraid to nap and fall asleep in the presence of the Lord.

*FASTING AND WORKING – If you aren’t able to get away during a fast, as in, still having to go to work, carry a water bottle with you (you should do this every day anyways), walk slower, stand up slower, and do less physical labor if you can. If your work IS physical labor, try to adjust your fasting days to be on off days, or adjust a Water Fast to a Daniel Fast until the weekend and then do Water on the weekend. Something like that. It’s up to you and Jesus.

*FASTING BREATH –  Also be aware that your breath is going to wreak haha. Fasting breath is a real thing and it’s super awful, but it’s just what it is. Chew sugarless gum or something. Brush your teeth a lot. Or just do a solitude fast haha. Just be aware, it happens, no worries.

[/x_accordion_item][x_accordion_item title=”>>> LCA PRAYER & FASTING CALENDAR” open=”true”]

***Join with us in our LCA Prayer & Fasting Calendar, where people all over the world are fasting & praying together about the same things, crying out to God in one voice, all over the world, month after month. This is SO POWERFUL! (*See “Types os Fasts” section above for more details on how to do each fast.)

APRIL – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

MAY – 1 week Daniel Fast

JUNE – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

JULY – Partial Solitude Fast (with friends, family, staff, etc.) – 1, 2, or 3 days – whatever you can plan for – (PLUS a 1 month Media fast for all of July)

AUGUST – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

SEPTEMBER – SEXTEMBER! – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media PLUS a Sexuality fast – Singles, abstaining all month. // Married couples – abstaining 1 week, then coming back together. (You can even add our married couples sex challenge to the end of your week long Sex fast. This would mean that you challenge yourselves to have sex every day for the rest of the month. Sex inside of marriage is a gift from God. Holy & pure. You both have to be willing in order for this to work right, because it’s more about the intimacy and closeness that it brings. Take the rest of the month to have sex in physical intimacy every day together. It may sound like a lot, but it will do wonders for your marriage to do this once a year. Try it out, and press in to a deeper connection and love together.)

OCTOBER – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media fast

NOVEMBER – NO SUGAR NOVEMBER! – 2 day Water & Media Fast, PLUS a month long No Sugar Fast (with a 1 day exception of Thanksgiving if you desire).

DECEMBER – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

JANUARY – Solitude fast (Or partial solitude fast if you can’t make the full solitude thing work this time, but try) – 1, 2, or 3 days

FEBRUARY – 1, 2, or 3 Day Water & Media Fast, PLUS a 1 month long Word Fast – (Until the end of February). The Words that we’re all fasting together – “Can’t” & Christian cuss words (for example – freaking, shoot, darn, crap, blast, poop, any word that you substitute for frustration or cuss words. Hold your tongue completely. Train yourself in discipline & self-control.) For every word that you slip up on, you do 2 push-ups added to your number count each time. 2 for the first. 4 for the next. 6 for the next, and so on. Do the push ups immediately (people might just join in your fast with you). And if your count just gets so crazy high that you cant do them all in a row, catch up on your count before the end of the day. And make sure to keep up with your own count. You’re either going to get really self-controlled with your words, or really super buff & strong in your arms and core haha. The goal would be strong in your tongue and self-control of course. We’re in this together – join the Slack community forum for encouragement through this together! And if you REALLY want to take this to the next level, get your friends and family to join LCA & join in on this with you.

MARCH – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

APRIL – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

MAY – You choose (make it your own, draw near)

[/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content][cs_content_seo]THE LCA PRAYER & FASTING PROGRAM
THE LCA PRAYER & FASTING PROGRAM

 

JOIN PRAYER & FASTING SLACK CONVO

 

P/F VIDEOS

Click on the Video Links below to view that P/F video.
FAST 01
FAST 02
FAST 03
FAST 04
FAST 05

PRAYER

Click the arrows below (>>) to expand or collapse each section to learn more about that topic.

>> INTRO TO PRAYERPrayer is God’s way of opening up communication between us and Him. He has made Himself approachable to us through prayer.Prayer is literally conversation with God. Us speaking to Him. Him speaking to us. A dialogue between God and man.He LOVES talking with us and is moved when we pray. He loves coming through for us. He loves when we cry out to Him and depend on Him. He loves to speak to us and with us, and He loves to carry our burdens.Even though He knows exactly what we’re going to say before we say it, He loves it when we choose to express our hearts to Him in prayer. He loves it when we choose to listen for His response and for what He is saying to us in any moment.It’s WAY more than just thanking God for the food. Although we are so grateful any time we have food that He has provided for us to eat.We can pray for healing. We can pray to know Him. We can pray for someone. We can pray with someone. We can pray over someone. We can pray in groups. We can pray alone. We can pray out loud. We can pray in silence. We can pray for our leadership & government. We can pray for our enemies. We can pray for our families. We can pray for salvation. We can pray for breakthrough. We can pray for our cities and countries. We can pray for our schools, and our friends, and our teachers, and that random person on the street. We can pray to God any time, anywhere, for anything according to His will, and He will hear us and answer us and come through for us.And when things seem to go silent, we can persevere in prayer and keep coming boldly before the throne of grace for breakthrough in certain areas in Jesus name.>> INTRO TO MONTHLY PRAYER FOCUSESWe have monthly prayer focuses here in LCA, as well as a Slack Community forum completely devoted to Prayer & Fasting, so that we can all pray together, and for each other.Make sure you join that conversation (JOIN HERE NOW!), ask any prayer & fasting questions you may have there, and pray for each other with passionate Christ followers all around the world.>> MONTHLY PRAYER FOCUSESAPRIL – Identity (Sonship, Daughtership, who we are in Christ, transformation, authority, power, loved, for ourselves, for others, for our churches, for our children, for our friends, etc.)
MAY – Salvation (thankful for ours, praying for friends & family & outpouring of salvation on our lands, celebrities, those in prison, freedom for the captives, discipleship of those who come to know Him, connection with healthy Spirit-led local churches, etc.)
JUNE – Boldness & Confidence (walking in true identity & power, authority in Christ, motives, focus, who to please, who to fear, keeping in step with the Spirit, obedience to His voice, surrender fears to what matters more, audience of one, etc.)
JULY – Healing (Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Social, Racial, Spiritual, Mental, etc.)
AUGUST – Forgiveness (asking forgiveness, forgiving others, forgiving the most unforgivable things & people, completely set free, mastered by nothing, letting go of bitterness completely, not a single root left, fresh soil of gladness, forgiveness, & newness, etc.)
SEPTEMBER – Purity & Connectedness (of thought, of mind, of action, of eyes, of marriages, of spirit, of media, of faithfulness, of innocence, of strength, pray for marriages, pray for protection, freedom, newness, overcoming Jezebel, etc.)
OCTOBER – Government & Local Churches (Big to small, small to big, school board all the way to presidents & leaders etc., local churches, pastors, systems, people of the city, etc.)
NOVEMBER – Thankfulness (Thankfulness Journal, every morning, start every prayer with thanking Him for things, list of people to thank for things, Lord make us incredibly thankful, etc.)
DECEMBER – Selflessness (Others First, grace, benefit of the doubt, actions, thoughts, Christ-like, Vs. Selfishness, giving, etc.)

JANUARY – Missions (for The World, for The Nations, for countries, for trips, for the poor, for people in other religions, for freedom, for hope, for healing, for missionaries, for finances & support, for governments, for specific struggles in specific locations, for protection, for natural disasters, for healing & salvation, etc.)
FEBRUARY – Character (to become more like Jesus, fruit of the Spirit (GALATIANS 5:22-23), keep in step with Him, live like Him, goal to please Him in our thoughts, actions, reactions, motives, in relationships, in our weak spots, in our frustration triggers, that we may LOVE in every aspect of 1 Corinthians 13, etc.)
MARCH – Marriage & Family (Dating) (for marriages, for spouses, for purity, for adoration, for faithfulness, for strength, for support, for deep love, for forgiveness, for grace, for Christ-like love, for HOPE, for fresh newness, Song of Solomon adoration, for belonging to each other, for families, for kids, for callings, for calling them out, for dating relationships, for singles, for focus on calling, for not getting derailed of distracted, for Adam & God focus & letting Him bring Eve when He’s ready to, for purity in dating, healthy boundaries that lead to life, etc.)
APRIL – The Vulnerable, Hurting, & Taken Advantage of in our World (orphans, aborted babies, people who have been through abortions, people considering them, children, trafficking victims, etc.)
MAY – Hearing God’s voice more clearly & more often. (drawing ever closer, taking extra time to be lead by Him, taking an entire month to focus on tuning our hearts to His voice more & developing a greater desperation & hunger for His closeness.)

FASTING

Click the arrows below (>>) to expand or collapse each section to learn more about that topic.

>> INTRO TO FASTINGWhen it comes to fasting, it is super important that we understand what it is, what it’s for, why we fast, what different types of fasts there are, etc.There are some basic HOW’S and WHAT’S and WHY’S that it is important for us to understand.The purpose of fasting is always to commune more with God. It is for connectedness. Sometimes to hear Him more clearly. Sometimes to spend more time with Him. Sometimes to know each other more deeply. It’s almost like an anniversary trip or a marriage retreat.The goal is more connectedness & closeness with the Father.Jesus said that His disciples didn’t fast because He was right there with them all the time. Now that He is gone to be with the father & has given us His Spirit, we fast again to spend more time together.And someday when we’re together in Eternity with Him in heaven, we won’t fast anymore, because we will be together forever.Right now, to get closer and closer, we spend time with Him fasting on a regular basis.Most of the time fasting involves some sort of adjustment in our eating, and sometimes it is something else.Usually it is either a water only or juice only fast. Sometimes nuts and berries and things. The types of fasts are listed below as well as our specific LCA Prayer & fasting Calendar for this year so that you can join in with us in our fast & prayer focuses.>> TYPES OF FASTSA Water Fast (includes fasting all media) – only drinking water for a specific number of days. Here in LCA we usually pick 1, 2, or 3 days (could be any number of days). This is the basic fast that goes along with most other fast additions. (*you can choose to do a juice fast instead sometimes, in that case it works the same but allows 100% juice as well as water.)(also, sometimes, people choose to allow themselves to have an electrolyte supplement such as gatorade, etc every now and then during a water fast. That is up to you.)A Media fast – fasting all media (TV, movies, computers, social media, etc.). Usually along with any other fast so that we can focus on time with Jesus. Sometimes we continue the Media fast for the whole month even after a 1, 2, or 3 day fast.A Social Media Fast – fasting all social media. Social Media is included in a media fast & therefor we fast social media as well during all fasts (since we fast media during fasts), but sometimes extended to being a month long Social Media Fast on it’s own (allowing other forms of media, but abstaining from social media for a certain period).A Sugar fast – not eating anything with sugar for a certain amount of time (or not eating anything that has sugar in the top 3 or top 5 ingredients). In LCA this is usually a month long fast, but can be any length of time.A Word fast – fasting from certain words (push ups if we end up saying those words). Usually a month long focus fast for discipline, self-control, transformation.A Daniel fast – eat no meat, no sweats, no bread (eat fruits & veggies & nuts/drink water & 100% juice). Any length of time.A Sexuality fast – 1 Corinthians 7:3-6 (abstaining from sex for a period of time so that you can pray, but then coming back together again – for married couples) (singles – you should already be abstaining from sex until you are married so that you can live in the ultimate freedom that God wants for you. So this should be a fast where your actions are the same, but your focus is on fellowship with Christ & allowing Him to speak to you about your connection with Him as well as any relationship you might be in now or in the future, allowing Him to shape your character & life. But especially if you’re single and not currently abstaining from sex, then abstaining from sex for a period of time, and letting God have that part of your life, also in hopes that He will help you decide to change your lifestyle from here moving forward.) If you struggle with lust or porn, this in connection with intentional accountability will help you overcome & walk in freedom. (Altogether, this fast is powerful. We as a body of believers finally walking in the purity & freedom He calls us to. So powerful!)A Solitude fast – getting alone with God for a time period (1 day / 3 days / etc.), with no other interaction. No media, no talking to others, etc. Just you, the Word of God, & The Holy Spirit. (make sure you let someone know where you are going to be so that you are safe in the case of any accidents, etc.).A Partial solitude fast – alone with God & no food from sun up til dinner. Then break the fast each day with fellowship & dinner. Do this for 1 , 2, or 3 days together with friends, staff, family, etc.>> FASTING NEED TO KNOWS*NOTHING IS MANDATORY – All LCA fasts are editable for your needs & situations. Nothing is mandatory. It’s all on your volition. But we would love to have you with us on these if you can and want to join us :)*PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING – Please don’t fast food if you are pregnant or breast feeding. But you can definitely substitute in a solitude, media, or some other kind of fast, and just join with us on the prayer focuses, time frames, & community discussion forums if you want to.*RECENT HISTORY WITH DRUGS – You definitely shouldn’t be doing drugs. The Lord wants you to be free of all of that. So get some help there and get free of that. But if you do have a recent past in drugs or alcohol, don’t be surprised if you experience some after affects of those during the fast. Sometimes the spine will store some of that and a fast will work as a body detox. You’re not going crazy or experiencing an attack. It’s normal for the body to be detoxing that stuff during a fast. Stay steadfast, get in community, fast together with friends and stay safe.*IMPORTANCE OF SCRIPTURE – No matter who you are or where you are fasting, fill your life & time with Scripture reading & prayer (alone & with others). Lots & LOTS of reading Scripture, WAYYYY more than usual. Read for hours on end. Read morning noon & night. FILL your life & spirit with the Word of God. And if you’re fasting in a group together, read the Bible out loud together, each taking a chapter going around the circle as much as you want to. Maybe even read the whole Bible that way together over a weekend. Whatever you do, fill your life with Scripture & time with God during a fast.*THE HEART OF FASTING – Fasting is not about the letter of the law or the “RULES” of the fast, but more towards the heart of the fast. Understand the heart of the fast. Stick to the “rules” & guidelines of the fast out of faithfulness and wanting to make the most of it, but if you mess up, don’t get yourself down or beat yourself up about it. Just get back in & keep going with the fast again. Work through all of that with God & He will teach & grow you through it.*WHY AM I SO TIRED? – Don’t be surprised if you take lots of naps during a fast. You aren’t giving your body daily nutrients, so you are going to be getting more tired than usual. Also you might be colder than usual as well. Dress warm if necessary, drink lots of water, and take naps with Jesus if you want to. There’s almost nothing better than falling asleep reading the Bible and waking up reading the bible a few times during a solitude fast haha. Just saying! Don’t be afraid to nap and fall asleep in the presence of the Lord.*FASTING AND WORKING – If you aren’t able to get away during a fast, as in, still having to go to work, carry a water bottle with you (you should do this every day anyways), walk slower, stand up slower, and do less physical labor if you can. If your work IS physical labor, try to adjust your fasting days to be on off days, or adjust a Water Fast to a Daniel Fast until the weekend and then do Water on the weekend. Something like that. It’s up to you and Jesus.*FASTING BREATH –  Also be aware that your breath is going to wreak haha. Fasting breath is a real thing and it’s super awful, but it’s just what it is. Chew sugarless gum or something. Brush your teeth a lot. Or just do a solitude fast haha. Just be aware, it happens, no worries.>>> LCA PRAYER & FASTING CALENDAR***Join with us in our LCA Prayer & Fasting Calendar, where people all over the world are fasting & praying together about the same things, crying out to God in one voice, all over the world, month after month. This is SO POWERFUL! (*See “Types os Fasts” section above for more details on how to do each fast.)

APRIL – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast
MAY – 1 week Daniel Fast
JUNE – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast
JULY – Partial Solitude Fast (with friends, family, staff, etc.) – 1, 2, or 3 days – whatever you can plan for – (PLUS a 1 month Media fast for all of July)
AUGUST – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast
SEPTEMBER – SEXTEMBER! – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media PLUS a Sexuality fast – Singles, abstaining all month. // Married couples – abstaining 1 week, then coming back together. (You can even add our married couples sex challenge to the end of your week long Sex fast. This would mean that you challenge yourselves to have sex every day for the rest of the month. Sex inside of marriage is a gift from God. Holy & pure. You both have to be willing in order for this to work right, because it’s more about the intimacy and closeness that it brings. Take the rest of the month to have sex in physical intimacy every day together. It may sound like a lot, but it will do wonders for your marriage to do this once a year. Try it out, and press in to a deeper connection and love together.)
OCTOBER – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media fast
NOVEMBER – NO SUGAR NOVEMBER! – 2 day Water & Media Fast, PLUS a month long No Sugar Fast (with a 1 day exception of Thanksgiving if you desire).
DECEMBER – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast

JANUARY – Solitude fast (Or partial solitude fast if you can’t make the full solitude thing work this time, but try) – 1, 2, or 3 days
FEBRUARY – 1, 2, or 3 Day Water & Media Fast, PLUS a 1 month long Word Fast – (Until the end of February). The Words that we’re all fasting together – “Can’t” & Christian cuss words (for example – freaking, shoot, darn, crap, blast, poop, any word that you substitute for frustration or cuss words. Hold your tongue completely. Train yourself in discipline & self-control.) For every word that you slip up on, you do 2 push-ups added to your number count each time. 2 for the first. 4 for the next. 6 for the next, and so on. Do the push ups immediately (people might just join in your fast with you). And if your count just gets so crazy high that you cant do them all in a row, catch up on your count before the end of the day. And make sure to keep up with your own count. You’re either going to get really self-controlled with your words, or really super buff & strong in your arms and core haha. The goal would be strong in your tongue and self-control of course. We’re in this together – join the Slack community forum for encouragement through this together! And if you REALLY want to take this to the next level, get your friends and family to join LCA & join in on this with you.
MARCH – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast
APRIL – 1, 2, or 3 day Water & Media Fast
MAY – You choose (make it your own, draw near)[/cs_content_seo]