2020 is finally behind us and we now look to a fresh start to a new season.  We are "Determined" at McDonough First to start things off right with a Church Wide Fast starting January 3rd.  When Jesus was teaching the disciples to walk in the anointing and power that is available to us all who believe, he expressed in a teachable moment that "These kind come only by prayer and Fasting." (Matthew 17:21)  Some of the incredible things God has planned and wants for our lives in 2021 are going to take our "determined" effort to see become a reality.
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Fasting is a Spiritual Discipline of abstaining and refraining from something in order to spend more time in prayer and focused attention on our relationship with Jesus.  A common way to "fast" is the example we find in the book of Daniel where Daniel and his friends abstain from the Kings table in order not to defile themselves.  They ate only vegetables and drank only water, so the format of the fast is "No Wheat, No Meat, and No Sweets."  Although these items are not intrinsically evil or sinful in their nature, we all love the vast majority of foods that fall into these categories, and so laying them down for a 21 day period creates a substantial hunger that takes a "determined" focus on Jesus to accomplish.
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The "Daniel Fast" is what the majority of our church leaders will be participating in but everyone is free to allow the Holy Spirit to lead in what to Fast in this special season for our church.  The only requirement is to fast something you will actually miss for the 21 day period so it is truly an act of worship and sacrifice.  We also ask that you be careful to not restrict yourself from eating in such a way that would be medically and physically dangerous to your health.
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Jesus Fasted and Prayed often and demonic strongholds were broken. Daniel and his friends fasted and were found to be ten times better than anyone they were compared to.  Fasting captures the attention of our Heavenly Father.  As we start 2021 with prayer and fasting, we believe Jesus is going to meet our needs and we will see incredible breakthrough in our church and community!