THEME FOR 2025: “THE SEASON OF VISIONS,” 

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: : ACTS 2:14-18 (KJV)

“SEASON OF VISIONS"

As we embark upon this next season of the divine timeline of God I’m reminded of the account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God upon the early Church in these end times as indicated in the text, in which was prophesied in Joel 2:28-29 (KJV): ²⁸  And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
²⁹  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. The timing of these events is crucial to understanding the significance of them as it relates to the Church and what the Church ought to be doing, 1 Chronicles 12:32 (KJV): ³²  And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. The Church must understand the times and what it ought to be doing.

Now is our time! The time is now for the Church, according to our text. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit had only begun on the day of Pentecost. That outpouring continues until the second coming of Christ as seen in the next 3 verses in our text, Acts 2:19-21 (KJV) ¹⁹  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ²⁰  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ecclesiastes reveals that there’s a time for everything under the sun. Then in Ecclesiastes 3:9,10 (KJV) warns us against the deception of thinking that we can do anything without God. Ecclesiastes 3:9-10 (KJV): ⁹  What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
¹⁰  I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. There’s a time and a season for everything under the sun, with God. When men look for fulfillment, joy, success, their purpose, and their destiny without God, then these things that we do are in vain regardless of how much money it brings, fame, notoriety, popularity, prestige, or any of the other things that are out of the plans and purposes of God for our lives. These things mean nothing without Him. From Genesis to Revelation, from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to the Apostles in our text, the Lord uses visions and dreams to get His apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors, and His Church to see His plans and purposes.
 

PRAYER OBJECTIVES

1.   CCC’s 21 Day Consecration will be held Jan. 1-21, 2025. The theme for 2025 is “The Season of Visions.”  Background scripture is Acts 2:14-18.  The ministry will not have Bible study during the 21 Day Consecration but will have prayer each Monday night of the Consecration from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

2.   The Holy Bible, King James Version: ^{Lk 18:1} And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

3.   The Holy Bible, King James Version: ^{Eph 6:18} Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

4.   The Holy Bible, King James Version: ^{Ro 8:26} Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

5.   The Holy Bible, King James Version: ^{Jude 1:20} But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

6.   The focus of all of CCC’s Consecrations are to make ourselves available to God and to focus on our personal relationship with the Lord, to get in the presence of God and spend time in His presence. As the above objectives convey, pray, pray, and to pray. 

GENERAL GUIDE

If you are taking any medication and are under doctor’s care, please check with your doctor before modifying your diet. Several days before fasting begin weaning away from caffeine products as these will cause headaches if in your system when fasting.

Prepare your body by slowly easing away from fried foods, eating late at night (while fasting don’t eat anything after 6:30 p.m.), and no sweets. Drink water before, during, and after fasting, and abstain from any unhealthy eating habits not only during the fast but maintain good eating habits after the fast as well. The 21-day consecration is a partial fast whereas water and some foods may be consumed as the Lord leads each individual person. I encourage everyone to drink plenty of water as your body detoxifies itself and goes into a type of hibernation during the fast. The following is only a suggestion and guide for the 21 day consecration. If for whatever reason you come off of the fast, regroup and get back in there. The rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.

WHY FAST? 

The very idea of someone actually fasting today seems strange to most Christians. They view fasting as being to extreme or fanatical and perhaps used this as a basis to instinctively oppose fasting. Why such negative attitudes to a practice that is obviously scriptural?

“I humbled my soul with fasting (Psalm 69:10)…Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).” If humility is the basic ingredient of true holiness, the soil in which the graces flourish, shouldn’t we, like David, humble our souls with fasting. Behind many of our sins and personal failures—behind the many ills that infect our Church fellowships and clog the channels of Christian service—the clash of personalities and temperaments—the strife and division—lies that sinister pride of the human heart. “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness,” Ezek. 16:49. God foresaw that pride and full feeding would be one of Israel’s pitfalls when they entered the land of promise. “God has led you these forty years in the wilderness,” Moses reminded them. “He humbled you and let you hunger…,” Deut. 8:2, 3. Now those days of discipline were over, and the land of plenty that they were about to possess would provide new temptations, so Moses went on to warn them, “Take heed…Lest, when you have eaten and art full…your heart be lifted up,” Deut. 8:1-14.

Fasting, then, is a divine corrective to the pride of the human heart. It is a discipline of the body with a tendency to humble the soul. “I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble (afflict) ourselves before our God,” Ezra 8:21; Is. 58:3. If, then, to the devout Israelite—fasting meant humbling, it also meant mourning. In Old Testament days it was practiced as a sign of mourning for the departed, 1 Sam. 31:13. It is associated with the rending of the garment and the wearing of sackcloth and ashes, Ezra 9:5. There is a natural sequence as we move from self-humbling to the mourning of repentance.

However, God wants to bring us beyond the place of mourning only for our personal sins, to where we are moved by the Spirit to mourn for the sins of the Church, nation, and even the world. God is searching the earth today for the Nehemiah’s who will weep, mourn, fast and pray for the walls that are broken down, and the gates that are destroyed by fire.

The scripture further says, “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off,” Acts 13:3. Not a social tea but a consecrated fast marked the first missionary valedictory. Later in this chapter we see these men appointing elders in every Church, with prayer and fasting, Acts 14:23, and also the local leaders consecrated to their holy office.

Are the leaders of the Churches today set apart in a solemn season of prayer and fasting? If not perhaps this is one reason why office in the Church is so often lightly taken up, loosely held, and readily tossed aside when difficulties or differences emerge.

“When you give alms …When you pray…When you fast…Matt. 6:2, 5, 16. In speaking about giving, praying and fasting, Jesus warned His hearers of the futility of practicing piety before men to be seen by them. Equally important He did not say, “If you pray,” as though praying were optional, but when you pray. Neither did Jesus say, “If you fast,” as though fasting were something that disciples might or might not be led to do, or as though it only applied to a select few. He stated unambiguously, categorically and without qualification to the mass of His disciples, “When you fast.” 

It is significant that the Lord dealt with fasting as a spiritual excise distinct from praying. Though fasting and praying are often linked in scripture and in experiences, this is not necessarily the case. On the contrary, fasting stands on it’s own grounds and on occasion serve a spiritual purpose all it’s own. Just as there may be praying without fasting, so there may at times be fasting, truly acceptable to God, without praying…at least in the sense of intercession.

There is no mention of prayer accompanying the fast we read of in Esther. Because one is not able to give oneself to prayer for the whole of a fast does not mean that the period not accompanied by specific prayer is devoid of spiritual value.

The time is now. If you have been brought low through personal defeat; if there is a call in your soul to a deeper purifying, to a renewed consecration; if there is the challenge of some new task for which you feel ill-equipped—then it is time to inquire of God whether He would have you separate yourself unto Him in fasting.

“When the bridegroom is taken from them…then they will fast,” Matt. 9:15. God is determined to have a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, a bride fit for His beloved Son. It is imperative that we rediscover one of the lost secrets of the early Church, the power that is released through the truly biblical practice of fasting unto God. May those prophetic words, “Then will they fast,” be finally fulfilled in this generation. It will be a fasting and praying Church that will hear the thrilling cry, “Behold, the Bridegroom!” Tears shall then be wiped away, and the fast be followed by the feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb. And so it is.

TYLES OF FASTS

The Normal Fast (or Common Fast)

“He fasted forty days and forty nights and afterward he was hungry,” Matt. 4:2. Jesus fasted…and afterwards He was hungry. It meant abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water. We are told “He ate nothing,” Lk. 4:2, but not that He drank nothing. Afterwards it says “He was hungry,” but not that He was thirsty. Though thirst pangs are more intense than those of hunger, satan tempted Him to eat, but not to drink. This all suggests that the fast was abstaining from food, but not from water. In fact, the human body could not survive forty days without water apart from being supernaturally sustained.

There is nothing to suggest that true fasting involves abstaining from sleep. God may call us to do this for very short periods, such as giving up a night’s sleep. Paul speaks of “watching” as distinct from fasting, 2 Cor. 6:5. If abstaining from sleep was essential to fasting, no long fast would ever be possible, apart from supernatural intervention. The body craves sleep even before water, and is bound to succumb sooner or later, and the fast will be broken involuntarily.

There is a strong inference in 1 Cor. 7:3-5 that the true fast for married persons includes abstaining also from marital relations, but this must be by mutual consent.

The Normal Fast, then, involved abstaining from all forms of food, but not from water, and must be distinguished from any other type fast.

The emphasis here is upon restriction of diet rather than complete abstention. Daniel sought the Lord for understanding of the vision God had given him. “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks,” Dan. 10:2, 3. The partial fast allows a great many variations which yields blessings and benefits. There is a method of living exclusively on one type of food for the duration of the fast. The partial fast is of great value, especially where circumstances make it impossible or inconvenient to undertake a normal fast. Certainly, it requires no less self-discipline. It can be used as a stepping-stone to the normal fast for those who have never fasted before or those with special medical situations.

Seek God for guidance if you have health challenges. It is very important to ensure this spiritual practice characterizes the fast that God has chosen. Ask yourself the following question:

Did I anoint my head and wash my face that I appear not unto men to fast, but unto my Father, which seeth in secret?

Am I confident that this desire to fast is God-given? Would He have me undertake a normal or just a partial fast?

Are my motives right? Is there any hidden desire to impress others?

What are my spiritual objectives in this fast? Personal sanctification or consecration? Intercession? What special burdens? Divine intervention, guidance, blessing? The Spirit’s fullness for self or others? To loose the captives?

Do my objectives tend to be self-centered? Is my desire for personal blessing balanced by genuine concern for others? Am I looking not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others?

Am I determined above all else to minister to the Lord in this fast?

Do not start with a long period fast unless you are very, very, very sure God has called you to do this. The body grows accustomed to fasting by degrees, and God does not usually ask us to run before we have begun to crawl. Start with a partial fast, or fast one day until supper. Next time extend the fast until retiring, breaking it with just a light meal or fruit only. When you can manage a one day fast without feeling faint or famished, not hungry, you will be ready to increase the number of days.

When you have designated a time to fast do not indulge yourself by overeating in an effort to ease the fast. If the fast is for more than one day it is a good idea to have fresh fruit on the last day before fasting. This ensures that the last meal left in the bowl is fruit, which breaks down easier than other food residues. This aids in the cleansing and elimination process.

Satan is well aware of the value and power of fasting, so he will do everything to get you to break your fast launching every attack he can. Discouragement is one of his weapons. Guard against it by maintaining a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Read through Ephesians chp. 6 and avail yourself of the whole armor of God. Make use especially of the shield of faith to quench all his flaming darts. Use the sword of the Spirit, and tell satan, “It is written…greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.”

This information is not given as the rules and regulations that govern fasting, but only in an ongoing effort to keep in alignment with the word that says seek wisdom and understanding in all things.

To break a fast of only a day or two presents no problem. It is most important, however, that we should understand the rights and wrongs of breaking longer fasts and to avoid considerable pain and discomfort. During prolonged fasts the stomach has been slowly shrinking, so that by the end of the fast it has nothing like it’s previous capacity for food, and the smallest quantity of food makes one feel surprisingly full. Secondly, the organs in the body that are usually engaged in assimilating food goes in to a kind of sleep which becomes deeper and deeper as the fast is prolonged. Because of these two facts, the utmost care should be exercised as to how much you eat, what you eat, and how you eat it. The stomach must be given time to return to normal size. The digestive organs also must be gently and progressively caressed into wakefulness and efficient activity. It may be a good idea to break your fast with fruit or vegetable juices. Many say citrus fruit juices are best. This may well be the case in lands where oranges and grapefruits are picked ripe.  But where they are imported the fruit is picked unripe and the juice can often be too acidic for many stomachs. Apple, tomato or grape juices are possible alternatives, or pure citrus juices canned. Start at first with a small quantity.

Fresh salads (without dressing), homemade vegetable soups (no fat), and cooked vegetables may then be included in the diet, always starting with a little of everything and building up gradually. A little crisp bread or toasted whole-wheat bread with a scraping of butter may next be eaten with the meals, but cakes, pastries and cookies should be avoided. Go very steady on the starchy foods at this stage. Protein is best introduced first in the form of cheese, eggs or nuts, with fish, and meat last of all. Just how quickly you increase your diet in variety and quantity depends on the length of your fast and how you find the body succeeds in coping.

It is of the utmost importance that the food be eaten slowly, and chewed very well, that it is reduced to liquid at swallowing. At the first sensation of fullness in the stomach you should stop, even if you haven’t completed your portion. Discomfort following a meal should be regarded as a signal to ease off, and if necessary, miss the next meal.

It is important to rest as much as possible during this period so as to let the body concentrate on the business of digestion and assimilation. To sum it up, watch your quantities, eat slowly and chew well, stop at the first warning sign. Rest as much as possible. Don’t try to do too much too soon.

Give thought and prayer to your future diet and eating habits. Try not to return to the old ways of overeating, eating between meals, or eating the wrong foods.

Finally, you cannot afford to relax spiritually during this breaking of your fast period, for the thief will still be on the prowl. Beware of talking about your fast that your fasting may be in secret, as Christ commanded. This should be a time of consolation, when you get right through prayer on matters that God has revealed to you.

You should begin to see the fruit of this time set apart for God, with blessings rebounding not only on your own head but also on those for whom you have been interceding. Thus, like your Lord and Master, return from your fasting wilderness “in the power of the Spirit,” expecting that the works of and the graces of Christ will manifest in you, as they were in Him.

“Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son,” Jn. 14:12, 13.

Answers to Practical Questions

For more information about the Theme for 2022, call the Calvary Christian Center at 912-261-0725.