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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:icalendar-ruby
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
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DTSTAMP:20260525T043524Z
UID:33-590437@goem.us
DTSTART:20260601T050000Z
DTEND:20260603T220000Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
CREATED:20260524T183227
DESCRIPTION:This is halfway of the year. We see the tribulation times that 
 we are in. Let's come together and seek God!\nWHY DO WE FAST?\nPeople fast
  for three main reasons: spiritual discipline\, religious observance\, and
  physical health. By abstaining from food or specific activities\, fasting
  is used to center the mind\, deepen religious devotion\, and allow the bo
 dy's digestive system to reset.\nFasting serves different purposes dependi
 ng on the core motivation:\n\n1. Spiritual &amp\; Religious Reasons\n\nAcr
 oss major religions\, fasting is a centuries-old practice designed to humb
 le the body\, clear the mind of distractions\, and draw closer to the divi
 ne.\n\n\n\n\n\nChristianity: Often tied to prayer\, believers fast to seek
  God's guidance\, express repentance\, or rely on spiritual rather than ph
 ysical nourishment.\n\n\n\n\n\nIslam: During the month of Ramadan\, health
 y Muslims fast from dawn to sunset as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It
  builds empathy for the poor and self-discipline (Taqwa).\n\n\nJudaism: Fa
 sting on holy days like Yom Kippur is a means of atonement and afflicting 
 the soul to seek forgiveness.\n\n\nBuddhism &amp\; Hinduism: Monks and pra
 ctitioners often fast to promote mindfulness\, break attachments to worldl
 y desires\, or as part of a meditative lifestyle.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Health &
 amp\; Wellness\n\n\nIn recent years\, protocols like intermittent fasting 
 (IF) have surged in popularity for health and fitness. Common protocols in
 clude the 16:8 method (fasting for 16 hours\, eating in an 8-hour window) 
 or alternate-day fasting.\n\n\n\n\nMetabolic Switch: When the body runs ou
 t of sugar (glucose) to burn\, it begins breaking down stored fat.\n\n\nCe
 llular Repair: Fasting may stimulate autophagy\, a process where cells cle
 ar out damaged components\, which some studies suggest could aid in longev
 ity.\n\n\nBlood Sugar Control: It is sometimes utilized to improve insulin
  sensitivity and manage weight. \n\n\n\n\nWhether practiced to quiet the 
 mind for prayer or to improve metabolic health\, fasting is fundamentally 
 about intentional self-control and resetting the body or soul.\n\n\nDiscla
 imer: Fasting for physical health should be done with caution. Always cons
 ult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before starting an exten
 ded fast\, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions like dia
 betes.\n\n\n\nPurpose of Fasting\n1. To strengthen prayer (e.g.\, see Ezr
 a 8:23)\nNumerous incidents in the Old Testament connect fasting to prayer
 \, especially intercessory prayer. Fasting does not change whether God hea
 rs our prayers\, but it can change our praying. As Arthur Wallis says\, 
 “Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into o
 ur praying\, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven.”
 ²\n2. To seek God’s guidance (e.g.\, see Judges 20:26)\nAs with prayer
 \, fasting to seek God’s guidance isn’t done to change God but to make
  us more receptive to his guidance.\n3. To express grief (e.g.\, see 1 Sa
 muel 31:13)\nExpressing grief is one of the primary reasons for fasting. E
 ver notice that when you’re moved to tears by grief you lose the urge to
  eat? When we grieve\, our family and friends often have to plead with us 
 to eat because our body’s appropriate response to grief is to fast. A pr
 ime example occurs in 2 Samuel 1:12\, where David and his men are describ
 ed as having “mourned and wept and fasted till evening” for their frie
 nds\, their enemies and their nation.\n4. To seek deliverance or protectio
 n (e.g.\, see 2 Chronicles 20:3 – 4)\nAnother common reason for fasting
  in the Old Testament was to seek deliverance from enemies or circumstance
 s. In Scripture\, this type of fast is generally carried out with other be
 lievers.\n5. To express repentance and a return to God (e.g.\, see 1 Samu
 el 7:6)\nThis type of fasting helps us to express grief over our sins and 
 shows our seriousness about returning to the path of godly obedience.\n6. 
 To humble oneself before God (e.g.\, see 1 Kings 21:27 – 29)\n“Rememb
 er that fasting itself is not humility before God\,” reminds Donald Whit
 ney\, “but should be an expression of humility.”³\n7. To express conc
 ern for the work of God (e.g.\, see Nehemiah 1:3 – 4)\nAs with Nehemiah
 \, fasting can be a tangible sign of our concern over a particular work Go
 d is doing.\n8. To minister to the needs of others (e.g.\, see Isaiah 58:
 3 – 7)\nWe can use time we’d normally spend eating to fast and ministe
 r to others.\n9. To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God (e.g.
 \, see Matthew 4:1 – 11)\nFasting can help us focus when we are struggl
 ing with particular temptations.\n10. To express love and worship for God 
 (e.g.\, see Luke 2:37)\nFasting can show\, as John Piper says\, that “w
 hat we hunger for most\, we worship.”⁴
LAST-MODIFIED:20260524T183227
LOCATION:GLOBAL
SUMMARY:Summer FAST for Strengthening
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.goem.us/events/summer-fast-for-strengthening/2026
 -06-01
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