Fasting Stories

We’d love to hear your story of fasting back in August—whether it’s a quick reaction, something you felt God showing you, or even just how the fasting experience went for you personally. Take a moment to share your thoughts with us by filling out this short form, and your story might encourage others as we celebrate what God has been doing together!

So, how’d it go for you?
Let Us Know

9/2/25 - "I felt great during fasting—my mind was clear and my heart was open. It was challenging at times, but asking the Father to help me beat the flesh taught me to trust Him more. I grew up Lutheran and drifted from faith during college, but in this season I’ve been searching for something to keep me grounded for myself and my family. One night in prayer, I heard the word Fidelis—“faithful”—repeated in my mind, and I then discovered it was pronounced in ancient Latin the same way I heard it. It was God’s direct answer to my prayer: faith is what matters, no matter what. Paired with the sermons, fasting has helped me to “consider my ways.” It was a critical experience, one I believe should be practiced often to draw closer to God. This was my first fast, and it was a great experience. I plan to continue fasting in the coming months."
—Ashley

8/25/25—"I noticed that when I felt hunger pains, I was drawn to pray, and God was always there to meet me. The late afternoons were the most challenging, when I felt weak and foggy, but in my weakness God comforted and sustained me. I’m surprised to find myself seriously considering continuing the Monday fast beyond August, because it truly focuses my heart on God at the start of a new week. Sharing the experience with my husband and friends at Jacob’s Well made it even more meaningful, knowing we were seeking God together. Only God satisfies completely, and I plan to continue fasting in the coming months. Thank you for calling us to this fast—it was a beautiful and rewarding experience, even though I don’t often choose hard things willingly."
—Angie

How to Fast

Fasting Guide (PDF)

August 2/3, 2025 - So let's talk about this thing of fasting just for a minute. You're gonna go ahead and grab one of these fasting guides and maybe say, “I've never done it, I don’t know anything about it.” This is everything you need to know.

You might be thinking, “I don't think I can fast a long time.” Well, maybe you just start with the first level of fasting and miss a breakfast. During that breakfast time, you pray, and you look and think. You do the devotions. We’ve included prayers in the devotions that you can say. If you get hungry or distracted, there are prayers to guide you. You learn how to slow down your mind.

I know fasting has become one of the great joys in my life. When I fast, I find I just get calm. My energy level changes. I’m still able to do my stuff, and yet I’m just more sensitive to God. I become more aware of my hungers and my passions. There are at least 50 good things about fasting—it's actually really healthy. (Of course, check with your doctor—we talk about that in the guide.)

Maybe you just miss a breakfast the first week. Then maybe you try a half-day fast or go a full day the next week. Eventually, you could even try a 48-hour fast, really pursuing the things of God.

Why do we fast? Because the Bible calls us to fast. It calls us to this thing. It says we are called to repent. If you are broken about the state of your life, you should fast. If you’ve got people in your life who don’t know Christ, but you deeply want them to know Christ—pray and fast. If you have prodigals in your life you're hoping will come home—you should fast and pray.

If you understand that we as a church are about to hit 25 years, and while we will celebrate and reflect on that, we know God has a big challenge ahead—so that this church is still relevant for the next generation, when many of us are gone—then you should fast and pray.

When you are concerned about our nation—yes, there are things going well, but also so many hard things, injustices, and evil—you should fast and pray. Oppression, enemies, spiritual darkness—these are things we bring before God in prayer and fasting.

All of this is laid out in the Bible. Just like we saw in Joel, the Bible regularly and routinely tells the people of God to call a solemn assembly—call a fast.

The Fasting Challenge

Fasting Guide (PDF)

July 26/27, 2025 - Hey church, Pastor Paul here. I want to take a few minutes to share my heart about something I believe God is calling us, as a faith community, to step into together.

We are coming into a powerful new season as a church—one that I believe will shape our future in a meaningful way. There are many challenges before us as individuals, as families, as a culture, as a nation, and as a church. That’s why I believe God is calling us to join Him—by joining each other in a fast.

Each Monday in August, we’ll be participating together in a church-wide fast. I’ll be sharing the full vision and challenge on August 2nd and 3rd as we kick off our new teaching series in the Minor Prophets: Fall Fast, Fall Forward.

For now, I want to invite you to begin praying about how God might be leading you, your family, and each of us into this fast. On this page, you’ll find the fasting plan to help prepare your heart and start this season with purpose.

As we look ahead to our 25th anniversary in 2026, these August fasts will be a sacred time to seek God’s direction—for our lives, our church, and the generations to come.

So take a few moments to explore the fasting plan. Pray through your next steps—whether it’s fasting from food, tech, or something else—and get ready for what God wants to do in and through you.