2024 Easter Fast

Doug Hene annually leads the Easter Fast, which commences at sundown on Thursday and concludes at sunrise on Sunday. Fasting, a practice spanning millennia, serves various purposes:

1. **Reminding Dependence**: Fasting serves to remind us of our dependence, echoing the words from Matthew 4:4, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (as quoted by Jesus from Deuteronomy 8:3).
2. **Heeding the Call**: Jesus exhorts in Matthew 6, “when you fast,” not “if you fast.”
3. **Preparation for Challenges**: Fasting is embraced in preparation for significant decisions, moments of testing, humility, strength, discipline, and more.
4. **In Remembrance**: It is also observed to commemorate acts of repentance, adoration, and during times of suffering.
5. **Drawing Closer to God**: Fasting generates a persistent hunger, serving as a reminder of our spiritual journey. It is both a physical and spiritual discipline.

As we gear up to celebrate Jesus’s victory over death and our salvation, fasting becomes a means of preparation. Lent, in particular, is a period of readiness, drawing us closer to God as we approach the commemoration of His death and resurrection. Fasting from Good Friday to Easter intensifies the sense of preparation and remembrance.

The nature of your fast is a personal choice. You have the freedom to shape it according to your preferences. Some may abstain from both food and drink, while others may allow water. A few might choose to eat only during sundown, in line with Jewish tradition. Alternatively, some may opt for a digital detox, fasting from social media and electronics.

Stay tuned for further details as the event draws nearer.