Seven Days of Fasting

My contemplative disciplines class is taking a week to try fasting from some of the comforts of our lives in an attempt to stir up prayer and learn greater dependence. Feel free to join us in one or all of them.

Day 1: THURSDAY, fast from hot water. Most of the world doesn’t have it. Try to live a day without it (still take a shower, just experience what that’s like).

Day 2: FRIDAY, fast from your bed. Most of the world doesn’t sleep on the kinds of beds we do.Tonight, lay out a blanket and pillow on the floor beside your bed and experience that).

Day 3: SATURDAY, fast from your phone and internet. Take an entire day and turn off your phone and computers and experience the freedom of being disconnected.

Day 4: SUNDAY: fast from money. Try to spend an entire 24 hour period without spending any money. This means cash, check, credit cards, online purchases, everything.  Just make do with what you have, borrow or ask for others help.

Day 5: MONDAY, fast from your car. Where ever you have to go today, try to walk, ride your bike or take the bus. A car is a luxury that we often take for granted, experience a day without it.

Day 6-7: TUESDAY, fast from food.  Try from sundown on Tuesday until sundown Wednesday (the time of our class) to not eat any food. If you would like to try a longer fast, consider sundown on Monday until sundown on Wednesday. I would like the whole class (unless you have health reasons not to) to try one of these fasts and we will break it all together at our usual time on Wednesday, 630).

Keep a fasting journal. Write down your thoughts, prayers and observations during each day of this week.