With the start of each new year comes the thrill of possibility. The challenges and struggles of the past are seen through the new lens of curiosity and wonder. What will this new year hold? Could this be the year you actually break free from chains keeping you from living the full, free life God intends for you?

As we jump into this new year, we are focusing on becoming a community of people who are rooted in Christ. We want our lives to be full of the things of the Lord and not the challenges, worries, habits, and struggles that so often take precedence. In order to do that, we must make space for the God-things by clearing out everything else.

This 21 days of seeking God is an invitation to do just that: sweep out the corners of your heart where your burdens of this life are packed away and allow the light of God’s Word and His presence to illuminate His path to your freedom.

In this devotional, we are going to take our time to listen to the voice of God through the Scriptures and then pause to listen and respond to His still, small voice nudging us toward each next step. So do this daily devotional, but don’t stop there! 

Make it a point to gather with your East Coast family each Sunday to worship and hear a word from God. 

As we do this together, we believe God is going to transform us, as individuals and as a community, into people who impact the world around us with the love of Jesus! 

Will you join us for these 21 days as we make space for God so that we can live in fullness of life? We can’t wait to walk into this new year with you. The best is yet to come! 

PASTORS MATT & JESSICA STALLBAUM 

First, we want to encourage you to get a notebook to fully participate in the daily exercises. Then when you sit down to each day’s entry, take these steps:

1. Write the verse.

2. Read the verse aloud.

3. Write down any thoughts and questions that come to mind and try to answer them.

4. Look at the verse and see if your answers line up with the truth found in the passage.

5. Pray and ask God to lead you in His truth.

Second, consider incorporating a fast into these 21 days of seeking God. The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God.

Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out.

It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives.

Remember, your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

TYPES OF FASTS

Complete Fast

In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.

Selective Fast

This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast (more on the Daniel Fast below), during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.

Partial Fast 

This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown. 

Soul Fast 

This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast. 

Scripture References:

Matthew 6:16-18

Matthew 9:14-15

Luke 18:9-14

Acts 27:33-37

Nehemiah 9:1-3

A Daniel Fast is based on the following scriptures:

• Daniel 1:3-8

• Daniel 1:11-13

• Daniel 10:3

Specifically, Daniel 1:12 NKJV says:

"Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink."

Daniel ate only what grew from the ground. 

He avoided meat for two reasons:

1. It was dedicated to idols and would defile the person who ate it knowing it was dedicated to idols (Daniel 1:8). 
2. He was abstaining from this food to seek the Lord.

Daniel avoided sweets, desserts, and sugar. He proposed in his heart to find his joy and fulfillment in God, not in food. 

Daniel 10:3 NKJV says: 

"I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." 

In Hebrew, “pleasant food” translated comes from “chemdah lechem,” which is delightful food, food that one eats for pleasure rather than the purpose of nourishment. 

So what do we eat? Keep it simple and follow the leading of the Lord. The purpose of a fast is to seek God, not just go on a diet. 

A suggested meal plan: 

• Breakfast - Eat fruit until noon. 

• Lunch - Eat a large salad with vegetables. 

• Dinner - Eat beans and rice, vegetables, or salad. 

In the simplest of terms, the Daniel fast is a vegetarian-based meal plan without desserts.