As 2019 gets underway, Pastor Gregg Matte is inviting the Houston's First family to pray and fast on behalf of our church and our personal lives, as well. Read ahead to learn about when to fast in January, what to pray for, and fasting in general — as well as helpful resources.

What is fasting?

Many people equate "fasting" with simply "not eating" — but there are several different types of fasts. A Daniel Fast, for example, is considered a partial fast, allowing you to consume certain types of food and drink (PDF). The fast is based on one that Daniel followed:

• Daniel 1:12 — "Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink."
• Daniel 10:1-2 — "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks."

Timing

While the staff and deacons participate in a Daniel Fast the week of Jan 7-11, Pastor Gregg invites you to participate in a fast on any dates of your choosing in January. In particular, he suggests three options as you consider how you will join in on the fast this month:

• Follow the Daniel Fast for 5 days or longer
• Fast at least one day in January
• Fast at least one meal in January

What To Eat

The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, allowing you to eat a wide variety of foods. You can find a list of food and drinks that comply with the fast here. Essentially, you can eat:

• All fruits
• All vegetables
• All whole grains
• All nuts and seeds
• All legumes
• All quality oils

Prayer Guide

During your fast — whether for one meal or longer — join with Pastor Gregg, staff members, and deacons as we pray for our personal lives and our church. Pastor Gregg and the others followed this prayer guide during their five-day fast. We invite the church family to pray for these, as well, during your fast — whenever and for however long that might be!

Day 1

• Your walk with Jesus Christ — for example, pray for stronger faith, a consistent devotional time, deeper trust in God
• Gathering Our Hearts — for example, pray for power in our worship services, for God to use our events to reach people

Day 2

• Your friends and family — for example, pray for relationships to be strengthened, for forgiveness to be extended and received, for health and security
• Growing Our Souls — for example, pray for spiritual growth and strong community in our Life Bible Studies, for spiritual growth in our Milestones classes

Day 3

• Your school or workplace — for example, pray for your classmates or coworkers who do not know Jesus, for opportunities to share the Gospel, for fellow believers to be united
• Giving Our Lives — for example, pray for our many volunteers, our 2019 mission trips, our prayer ministry, our Faith Centers

Day 4

• Your impact — for example, pray for someone to share Jesus with, for a place to serve regularly, for increased generosity in attention, resources, and time
• Multisite Campuses — for example, pray for our Cypress, Downtown, Español, and Sienna Campuses to reach more people in their respective communities in 2019

Day 5

• Your worries and anxieties — for example, voice your concerns to God, give them over to Him, trust that Jesus will carry them
• Our Missionaries — for example, pray for boldness to share the Gospel, for strategic relationships in their communities, for health and safety

Resources

These resources were compiled by Houston's First staff members and other contributors to help you and your family if you opt to follow a Daniel Fast:

• List of foods to include and avoid on the Daniel Fast (download PDF)
• The Daniel Fast board on Houston's First's Pinterest page (visit board)

The following external resources are not associated with Houston's First, but they might provide you with additional information and ideas — especially recipes! Some of these websites reference registering for a Daniel Fast in January, but those are separate from the one we're doing at Houston's First.

• Ultimate Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola
• The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory

CornerBooks

Finally, CornerBooks at The Loop Campus has books to borrow if you want to learn even more. These titles are available to borrow for free using your CornerBooks library card. If you do not already have a card, fill out this form to gain access to over 14,000 titles in their collection! (Each title's call number is provided in parentheses so you can locate it on the shelves, but don't hesitate to ask a CornerBooks staff member or volunteer for assistance if needed!)

• The Daniel Fast for Spiritual Breakthrough by Elmer Towns (248.47 Tow)
• The Daniel Plan Cookbook: Healthy Eating for Life by Rick Warren (641.5 War)
• The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren (613.2 War)
• The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations by Anne Graham Lotz (248.32 Lot)

You can search CornerBooks' entire collection online for other books related to fasting, prayer — or any topic you have in mind — by visiting their online search tool.