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PREPARING SPIRITUALLYConfess your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spiritto reveal areas of weakness. Forgive all whohave offended you and ask forgiveness fromthose you may have offended (Mark 11:25;Luke 11:4; 17:3-4). Surrender your life fully toJesus Christ and reject the worldly desiresthat try to hinder you (Romans 12:1-2).PREPARING PHYSICALLYIf you have health concerns, consult yourdoctor prior to beginning a fast and explainwhat you plan to do. This is especially importantif you take prescription medications or have achronic ailment. Some people should neverfast without professional supervision.HOW TO BEGINStart with a clear goal. Why are you fasting?Do you need direction, healing, restoration ofmarriage or family issues? Are you fasting forthe salvation of loved ones? Are you facingfinancial difficulties? Ask the Holy Spirit forguidance. Pray daily and read the Bible.DECIDING WHAT TO FASTWhat you fast is between you and God. It is adecision made in your prayer time with God.You may choose a full fast in which you onlydrink liquids, or you may desire to fast likeDaniel, who only abstained from sweets andmeats, and drank only water.There are a few other things to focus onduring this time that will help you maintaina “clean vessel.” For example, refrain fromcritical speaking and spreading negativewords about or to anyone else. Also, considerlimiting how much time you watch TV, andhow much time you spend on things thatare distracting. Remember to replace thattime with prayer and Bible study. That timewith Jesus will produce dramatic change inyour life.DECIDING HOW LONGMost people can easily fast from one to threedays, but you may feel the grace to go longer,even as much as 21 to 40 days. Use wisdomand pray for guidance. Beginners are advisedto start slow.WHAT TO EXPECTWhen you fast, your body detoxifies, eliminatingtoxins from your system. This can cause milddiscomfort such as headaches and irritabilityduring withdrawal from caffeine and sugars.Naturally, you will have hunger pangs. Limityour activity, and exercise moderately. Taketime to rest. Fasting brings miraculous results.You are following Jesus’ example when youfast. Spend time listening to praise and worshipmusic. Pray as often as you can throughoutthe day. Get away from the normal distractionsas much as possible and keep your heart andmind set on seeking God’s face.HOW TO ENDDon’t overeat when the time comes to endyour fast. Begin by eating smaller portions offood or snacks.jentezenfranklin.org11

Start theyear off rightby applying God’s formula for success!To help you stay connected during the January fast—and throughout the year as youmake fasting part of your lifestyle—we have prepared our NEW 2013 Fasting Kit!This special kit includes exciting resources to help you stay focused andunderstand the benefits that come from this intimate spiritual discipline.You will receive The new December Connection MagazineSpecial Fasting IssueFilled with challenging teaching articles, fasting recipes, exciting stories of blessingsand breakthroughs experienced by believers who have joined us in the fastingmovement, and much more!Jentezen’s message, “Formula for Success” on DVDDo you sometimes feel like you just can’t overcome the battles of life? Too often wewait to cry out to God after we’ve tried everything else in a crisis. God’s formula forsuccess boils down to four words: “In the Beginning God.” Discover the secrets ofputting ‘God first’ in all things and live in victory as He intended!Fasting 2013 BraceletA handy daily reminder that you are not aloneas you fast—thousands of others are also goingafter God in fasting and prayer.While Supplies Last

nitionew2013 FASTINGkit!dgEtinFasialecSpThe Fasting Edge:Recover Your Passion, Recapture Your Dream, Restore Your JoyIn this fresh look at the spiritual practice of fasting, Jentezen Franklin takes you beyondthe basic concepts, discipline and personal benefits of fasting to reveal how dangerous itis to lose your edge—and how easy it is to regain it. He reveals in-depth how fasting isthe gateway to the supernatural to empower you to walk in to God’s calling on your lifeand impact the world around you for eternity. You CAN live to your fullest potentialand regain your spiritual edge!Request your 2013 Fasting Kit today: jentezenfranklin.org/fastingBecause there’s morePlease join us for our 2013 annual FastJanuary 6-27, concluding with a miracle prayer serviceon January 27. Register online at jentezenfranklin.org/fasting.

T y p e sof fastsThe type of fast you choose is between you and God. He will honor your bestsacrifice. You may want to include a combination of fasts. For example, you may wantto participate in a Full Fast for 1-3 days and then continue with a Daniel Fast.14CONNECTION with jentezen franklin

Full FastDrink only liquids; water, 100% juice and clear broth (you establish numberof days in your prayer time). CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR!DANIEL FASTEat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Eat fruits and vegetables and drinkonly water. Veggie burgers are an option as well if you are not allergic to soy.CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR!3-DAY FASTThis fast can be any type of fast(Full Fast, Daniel Fast, Give up one food).PARTIAL FASTThis fast is from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. or from sun-up to sundown.A partial fast can also be any type of fast.SCRIPTURE REFERENCESFOR FASTING:RELATION TO PRAYER ANDREADING OF THE WORD:CORPORATEFASTING:Matthew 6:16-18,Matthew 9:14-15,Luke 18: 9-14.1 Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18,Nehemiah 1:4,Daniel 9:3,20,Joel 2:12,Luke 2:37,Acts 10:30,Acts 13:2,1 Corinthians 7:51 Samuel 7:5-6,2 Chronicles 20:34,Ezra 8:21-23,Nehemiah 9:1-3,Joel 2:15-16,Jonah 3:5-10,Acts 27:33-37Remember that it is the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking Him to which God responds with a blessing(Isaiah 58; Jeremiah 14:12; 1Corinthians 8:8). May God greatly bless you as you fast!jentezenfranklin.org15

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Get Rid of the“Side-Dish” mentalitySometimes our greatest cravings miss the mark and fail to satisfy our true hunger. Have you ever intenselycraved something to eat, like a juicy steak, a loaded hamburger or a delicious dessert? Once you finally gotyour hands on whatever you were craving, have you ever taken those first few bites and been disappointed thatit didn’t taste like you hoped it would?jentezenfranklin.org17

Iwant to you to know that God neverdisappoints. The psalmist wrote, “Tasteand see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8NIV). He is the Living Water and the Breadof Life. He fills those who hunger for Him tooverflowing.Bread was a key factor in the lifestyle ofancient Israel. Throughout the Old Testamentwe see evidence of the importance of breadas a main sustenance. That’s why the followingwords of Jesus were so shocking and pivotaleven for some of His most faithful followersMe, without bread, you will perish.”I can do without a lot of things, but Icannot do anything without Jesus. He’s not aside salad. He’s not something at the end ofthe table in a basket that I can take or leave.He is the source of life.The problem is, the Body of Christ hasdeveloped a Drive-Thru brand of Christianityof late, where we simply “take it or leave it” atwill. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that TheBread of Life is merely a side dish! How oftendo we act as though we can pinch off a littleThen Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you thebread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the breadof God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger,and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”What a statement! Remember, bread wasnot merely an after thought or a side dish tothe people who heard His words. Bread wasthe main part of their diet. When Jesus said,“I am The Bread of Life,” in that culture, it gottheir attention. He was trying to get them tounderstand, “You need Me every day. Youneed Me not just on Sunday. You need Meevery hour. You need Me every minute. Youcan’t make it without Me. I Am The Bread ofLife. I’m the central issue of your life. Without18CONNECTION with jentezen franklin— John 6:32-35nibble of God here and there, fold the napkinback over the dish and do our own thing therest of the week? Have our lives becomeso full that we only have room for a taste ofGod on Sunday and maybe another tasteon Wednesday? Do we come into churchso full of the world that we have no room forThe Bread of Life, then hustle out to what weconsider to be the main course in our lives?We need to cultivate a genuine hungerand thirst for the Lord. We cannot focus on

fasting and prayer and expect to get far whenwe have the wrong understanding of Jesus inthe first place. Jesus continued to explain tothe arguing crowd,I am the bread of life. Your fathers atethe manna in the wilderness, and aredead. This is the bread which comesdown from heaven, that one may eatof it and not die. I am the living breadwhich came down from heaven. Ifanyone eats of this bread, he willlive forever; and the bread that I shallgive is My flesh, which I shall give forthe life of the world.”— John 6:48-51Whenever you hunger and thirst afterJesus you will be filled. The Bread of Life isthe most important thing in your home, in yourfamily, in your marriage, in your life. I believewe are to diligently pursue the dreams Godgives us, but we must never allow that pursuitto eclipse Jesus at the center.Fasting makes you hungry for what reallymatters in life. You realize that nothing elsewill satisfy. I want The Bread of Life more thananything else because everything else leavesme hungry. If that is not true in your life then itis time to fast and pray until that hunger arises.One of the biggest problems in the churchtoday is that we are so full of everything thatthe world has to offer that we have nothing tooffer a spiritually starving world.Portions excerpted from The Fasting Edge,Jentezen Franklinjentezenfranklin.org19

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GoodFor the body?We know that fasting has spiritual benefits, but what about physical benefits?Solomon said, “That which has been iswhat will be, that which is done is whatwill be done, and there is nothing newunder the sun” (Eccl 1:9 NKJV).Though men and women of God havefasted since ancient times, today we havemany new books on the shelves touting thehealthy physical benefits of the practice.Even Hippocrates, the Greek physician(approximately 460-377 BC), was known asthe “father of modern medicine.” His conceptshave influenced the development of medicalpractices for centuries, and he believedfasting was very healthy for the body.In his book, 101 Reasons to Fast, PastorBob Rodgers sites many statements fromHippocrates and others who discovered themany medical benefits fasting can have onthe body. Fasting cleanses your body. As youbegin a fast, you will notice a sort of coatingon your tongue for a few days. It is a sign thefast is helping your body eliminate toxins.Tests have proven the average Americanconsumes and assimilates 4 lbs. of chemicalpreservatives, coloring, stabilizers, flavoringsand other additives each year. These build upin our bodies and cause illness and disease.Periodic fasts are necessary to flush out thepoisons. Fasting gives your body time to healitself. It relieves nervousness and tension andgives your digestive system a rest. Fastinglowers your blood pressure and can loweryour cholesterol. [[Bob Rodgers, 101 Reasonsto Fast, (Louisville, KY, 1995).]]Dr. Don Colbert, is a medical doctorwho has researched and studied the body’sneed to rid itself of toxins which cause illness,disease, fatigue and many other ailments.While I do not attempt to cover every medicalaspect and benefit of fasting in this magazine,jentezenfranklin.org23

I would recommend his book, Toxic Relief,for specific medical guidelines for fasting. Hischapter, “Finding Healing Through Fasting,”is an excellent source of information andcautions. He says, “Fasting not only preventssickness, if done correctly, fasting holdsamazing healing benefits to those of us whosuffer illness and disease. From colds andflu to heart disease, fasting is a mighty key tohealing the body.” [[Don Colbert, MD (LakeMary, FL: Siloam Press, 2003) 155.]]Dr. Oda H. F. Birchinger, who supervisedmore than 70,000 fasts, stated, “Fasting is aroyal road to healing, for anyone who agreesto take it, for recovery and regeneration of thebody, mind, and spirit.” Dr. Birchinger went onto say, “Fasting can heal and help rheumatismin the joints and muscles, diseases of theheart, circulation, blood vessels, stress-relatedexhaustion, skin diseases—including pimplesand complexion problems, irregular menstrualcycles and hot flashes, disease of respiratoryorgans, allergies such as hay fever and othereye diseases.” [[Bob Rodgers, 101 Reasons toFast, (Louisville, KY, 1995).]]To test the results of fasting on the humanbody, Dr. Tanner, another medical doctor,decided at the age of 50, to fast 43 dayswithout food. He did so under strict medicalsupervision. At the conclusion of the fast, hewas much healthier. At age 60 he fasted 50days. In the middle of his fast he said he sawthe unspeakable glories of God. At age 77,Dr. Tanner fasted 53 days and among otherthings, his once thin, gray hair was replacedby new black hair! It was the same color that itwas when he was a young man. What’s more,Dr. Tanner lived to be 93 years old. [[Bob24CONNECTION with jentezen franklinRodgers, 101 Reasons to Fast, (Louisville, KY,1995).]]Fasting slows your aging process. Mosesfasted often, including two forty-day fasts,and the Bible said in Deuteronomy 34:7,“Moses was 120 years old when he died andhis eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigorabated.” Doctor Tanner passed on someadvice from his own experiences, stating,“When you fast, drink plenty of water.” Wateris the great flushing agent in fasting. One ofthe signs these toxins and poisons are beingeliminated can be seen by the concentrationof toxins in our urine. These toxins may beten times higher than normal when you’refasting. The urine turns darker because thepoisons, the toxins that are locked into yourbody that cause all of the diseases that plagueus as Americans because of our terrible diet,begin to be washed out. [[Bob Rodgers, 101Reasons to Fast, (Louisville, KY, 1995).]]It is also proven that fasting sharpensyour mental processes, aides and improvesour sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and allsense faculties. Fasting breaks the addictionto junk food. Fasting can break the power ofan uncontrollable appetite. Some are boundby nicotine, alcohol, drugs, but fasting canhelp break those addictions. [[Bob Rodgers,101 Reasons to Fast, (Louisville, KY, 1995).]]Clearly, fasting has benefits not only foryour spirit, but for your body as well!Portions excerpted from Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper,More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God,Jentezen Franklin.

recipesfor fastingMany people have shared their favoritejuice and vegetable fasting recipes with us So we wanted to share them with you.jentezenfranklin.org25

Juice RecipesVery Merry BerryTropical TangoIn blender combine:In blender combine:1/2 - 3/4 cup berries (any combination)1/3 Banana - you can add more, butremember they have lots of sugar2 scoops whey (or other) proteinpowder - 20 grams1/3 - 1/2 cup juice (you can combine –EXAMPLE: orange and pomegranate)1/8 small avocado1/2 - 3/4 cup pineapple and mango1/3 banana2 scoops whey powder1/3 - 1/2 cup orange juice1/8 small avocado4 - 5 cubes iceBlend until smooth, enjoy!4 - 5 cubes iceBlend until smooth, enjoy!Potassium brothBreakfast super juiceMakes a 2-day supply. Cover with waterin a soup pot, approximatelyThis is an excellent juice first thingin the morning. It helps boost energylevels and get you ready to start theday. Mix it 50/50 with distilled waterand drink it slowly. You will need avegetable/fruit juicer for this recipe.3 to 4 Carrots,3 Stalks Celery2 turnips or beets with skin, halved2 Red potatoes with skins (omit ifyou’re carbo sensitive)1/2 Head Red Cabbage1 OnionSimmer, covered, 30 minutes or so.Strain and discard solids.Optional: Add 2 tsp Bragg’s LiquidAminos or 1 tsp miso for taste.Store covered in the refrigerator.26CONNECTION with jentezen franklin1 whole cucumber unpeeled(but washed well)4 stalks celery2-4 handfuls of spinach8 green lettuce leaves(no iceberg lettuce)Add any other greens such as parsleyor fresh alfalfa sprouts.You can also add the juice of a lemonfor a more tart juice

Carrot cabbage juice recipegreen cuisineThis drink is good for cleansing. Juice thefollowing in your juicer and drink immediately (cabbage juice loses its effectivenessalmost immediately)You will need a vegetable/fruit juicer.3 medium carrots1/4 head of cabbage1 stalk of celery5 cherries, pitted1 cup spinach juice1 cup cucumber juice1/2 cup bell pepper juice1/2 cup celery juice3/4 cup carrot juice1 tsp saltAvocado - as much or as littleas you likeExtract your juices, and thenblend all ingredients together.Makes 1 quart - Dilute if you wish.gazpacho blendIn blender combine:1 medium tomato1 cucumber, peeled and seeded1/4 small white onion1/2 - 1 Serrano chili (optional - dependson how hot you like it)1 small or 1/2 large red or orange bell peppercored and seeded1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt1/8 avocadoBlend together, and then strain everythingexcept the avocado.Add avocado and re-blend.Gazpacho can be diluted and is delicious overIce (use small pieces).jentezenfranklin.org27

Partial fast (daniel fast) RecipesKale Soup2 large cans of chicken broth1 can of water –use chicken brothcan to measure1 onion, chopped1 Tbsp fresh garlic, choppedSimmer 30 minutesAdd 1 large pack of KaleSimmer additional minutes.Option: sauté onion and garlic in olive oilbefore adding chicken broth and water.spinach with dillServes 4. A delicious dish prepared withground beef, which I omitted.1 medium onion, chopped1 Tbsp vegetable oil2 garlic cloves, chopped2 Tbsps fresh dill, choppedOne 15-ounce can tomato sauce10 ounces frozen, thawed spinach1/2 cup waterLemon and garlic potato saladServes 5. A light and tasty potato salad.2-1/2 pounds red potatoes1/2 cup parsley, chopped1 clove garlic, mincedJuice of 2 lemons1 Tbsp vegetable oilSalt and pepper to tasteBoil potatoes, and cool.Add remaining ingredients and mix well.Chill and serve.pinto beans: fasting styleOne 16-ounce can cooked Pinto beans1 large onion, chopped1 large tomato, diced1-1/2 Tbsps olive oil1 tsp cumin powder1/4 cup parsley, choppedJuice of 2 lemonsSalt, pepper, and red chili pepperto tasteSalt and pepper to tasteSauté onions in oil. Add garlic and dill tosaucepan and continue to sauté for twominutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to aboil. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.Add spinach and water, then bring to a boilagain. Cover and simmer on low heat for15 minutes. Serve warm over cooked rice.28CONNECTION with jentezen franklinAnd remember, fresh green-leafysalads with Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing,or plain, are excellent sources of nutritionduring a partial fast!

Disclaimer: Jentezen Franklin Media Ministries and Free Chapel make no claim to the health benefits of any of the recipes printed herein.LEntils and rice with tangy tomato sauceServes 6. This is a typical dish prepared during fasts. You can substitute one layer ofcooked elbow macaroni for a layer of ri

Fasting provides physical and health benefits as well as spiritual benefits. 25 reciPes For FasTiNG mix it up. Juice it. Love it. recipe ideas you can enjoy while on a fast. 32 FasTiNG TesTiMoNies Be encouraged by these testimonies of miraculous provision, healing and more! N N 22 CONNECTION with jente