The very first time I decided to do a 21-day fast I had no idea what the heck I was doing. Or why I was doing it for that matter.

I decided that after years of being in relationships that lead to breakups, something had to change. And after figuring out that each "thing" I ended up having after my biggest breakup ever wasn't really helping me find joy and peace in my life (nor was it helping me find Mr. Right), I realized that the change I was seeking had to come from within myself.

So I decided to go to church. But not just any church. Not the church I grew up in-- that was too safe. There, I never said a word to anyone and no one ever really cared about who I was. It would've been too easy for me to slip in the cracks and not grow. I needed something different. A place where I could really (finally) connect with God.

You see, after having such a rough patch in my love-life, I needed some answers. I was desperate for them!

I just had to know what on earth was wrong with me and why I couldn't find a good guy. And the only one who was gonna be able to help me figure all of this out was God.

So I went visited a church close to where I lived. Their website mentioned that there would be coffee there so that was promising. I've visited there before in the past once or twice, but only to check it out. Never really to... you know... commit.

Anyways, I went for the sole purpose of finding God. To fall in love with God and create a real relationship with Him just like I've been doing all this time with all these guys who didn't matter anymore. I wanted to get personal with Him. I wanted to be able to speak to Him and hear Him speak back to me in return. And if that didn't happen then at least there would be coffee.

On the first Sunday of 2011, I attended a church service and it rocked my world.

The entire message was encouraging people to fall in love with Jesus! I can't make this stuff up.

To me, that was my indication that I was at the right place at the right time and it was time for me to stick around.

Then they mentioned something about a fast. A 21-day fast. A "Daniel" fast, to be exact.

"Ummm... ok, who is Daniel, why do they keep mentioning that he's so fast, and why is he only fast for 21 days?"

Clearly there was a lot for me to learn. I had no clue. They mentioned something about eating certain foods and that everyone would be doing it. After the service was over, I stuffed my coat pockets with the notes regarding the fast (assuming I could read about it later) and left.

It wasn't until I was wondering at Walmart that I remembered the notes in my pocket regarding the fast! I quickly pulled it out and read over every word.

This course is A1 in my book. 1 thing that still stands out to me is when Selina mentions the 3 things we need to focus on when establishing a new relationship, I won't go to into detail (take the course, it's worth finding out) but one thing she mentions is Time+Experience= Deeper connection... 🤯 To me it seemed pretty obvious but it was never something I even related when it came time for the things of God (sad but true) . This totally changed my perspective, time to make some changes. God bless Selina, and thank you for this!

Ingrid C.

Prayer is one thing. It's essential. It's direct communication to God Himself. Prayer is powerful. And when you add your faith to your prayers, you get way more than you could ever imagine.

But then you have fasting. And when you fast, it's like prayer 2.0. It takes you to a higher level of faith and closeness with God.

Because you're choosing to opt-out of things that bring you comfort and ease (such as sweets, foods, drinking, social media, etc.) it forces you to lean completely on God instead. And that's the key! That's why fasting is so awesome!

Going on a fast creates the opportunity for you to draw near to God during times when you would often go to worldly things instead.

So each year, while the fast has been the same, the breakthroughs have all been wonderfully different.

One year, I fasted and prayed for a peaceful engagement season that leads up to a great wedding. The most common word that was used throughout my wedding season was, "effortless". Needless to say, we had a perfect wedding!

Another year, my husband and I prayed for a new house. But during our fast, God put on our hearts that it was the season to have another child. Our second son was truly Godsend and a complete light during one of our most difficult seasons!

Sister, I don't know where you're at in life. I don't know if you've been feeling frustrated or confused about something. Maybe you're at your end with some things and you recognize that in order to see that change has to start with you.

Perhaps you've been praying and truly seeking God for some answers and some clarity. Well, have you ever thought about taking those prayers to the next level? If so, then you should consider fasting.

Need help getting more facts to going on a spiritual fast? Check out my latest ebook below and save yourself the time trying to research it all. This book will give you all of the need-to-know-basics to help you determine if fasting in this particular season is right for you. There's even a list of other resources you can look into to take you deeper into the study behind fasting included!

What's been your experience with fasting? Have you gone on one before? Share in the comments below!

Also, be sure to shop the entire collection of tools and resources to help you strengthen your relationship with God!