Good afternoon Vine Family,

As I continue my recovery from my recent surgery I want to thank all of you for your love, support, prayers and generosity. I do not take lightly any of it.

Today marks Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season for believers all over the world. While Lent is typically regarded as a Catholic celebration/fast, I want you to know that fasting and consecration are BIBLICAL principles; NOT denominational. As such, I am calling for the next few weeks leading to Resurrection Sunday to be a season of consecration for our church!

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CONSECRATION?

Consecration and fasting are not religious performances or seasonal traditions. They are intentional acts of surrender. They are moments when we step away from what feeds the flesh so we can strengthen what feeds the spirit. Throughout Scripture, whenever God prepared His people for greater clarity, greater power, or greater assignment, He first called them t o consecration. Consecration is about alignment. For where God has us at each location, it is important to understand how sacred and

imperative this season is. Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Joshua 3:5 declares, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Before wonders come, separation comes. Before expansion comes surrender.

As we institute this, it will be done differently from how we usually do. I will not set any guides or rules for a fast but instead below have provided a guide for YOU to choose how you will fast on your own if you choose to at all.

The only thing we will institute is daily prayer at 12 noon and 7pm CST daily beginning tomorrow, February 19, 2026. Details for those calls will be sent tomorrow.

The Lenten Season is February 18, 2026- Thu. April 2, 2026. You are welcome to start your fast anytime between then and now should you choose to fast; however our corporate prayers will begin tomorrow.

Guide for Choosing Your

Lenten Fast

A Guide for Prayerful Discernment & Spiritual Alignment

Why We Fast During Lent

Lent is not about deprivation, it is about devotion.

Fasting creates space for God by intentionally removing what competes for our attention, appetite, or affection.

Key Truth:

Fasting does not earn God’s favor it reorders our focus.

Biblically, fasting is used to:

• Seek God’s direction (Acts 13:2–3)

• Humble the heart before Him (Joel 2:12)

• Break spiritual resistance (Matthew 17:21)

• Heighten spiritual sensitivity (Ezra 8:21)

• Before You Choose a Fast: Start With the Heart

Before asking what to fast, ask why.

Take time in prayer and reflection to ask God these questions:

Heart-Check Questions

• What has been crowding my spiritual attention lately?

• Where do I feel spiritually dull, distracted, or disconnected?

• What appetite (physical, emotional, digital, relational) feels out of control?

• What do I sense God is trying to shift or redirect in my life during this season?

Lent Insight:

The most effective fast is the one that confronts what controls you.

God often uses fasting to deal with one of these areas:

🧠 The Mind

• Examples inclusive of but not limited to: Constant noise, anxiety, comparison, overthinking

  Possible focus: media, social platforms, news consumption, entertainment

❤️ The Heart

• Examples inclusive of but not limited to: Unforgiveness, grief, bitterness, heartbreak, emotional dependency

  Possible focus: relationships, emotional habits, unhealthy attachments

🍽️ The Body

• Examples inclusive of but not limited to: Discipline, health, appetite, self-control, struggles with flesh, sexual immorality, lust

  Possible focus: food-based fasts (full or partial)

🕰️ The Schedule

• Examples inclusive of but not limited to: Busyness, exhaustion, misplaced priorities

  Possible focus: unnecessary commitments, time drains, overworking

There is no single “right” fast—only a responsive one.

1. Food-Based Fasts

Choose this if God is calling you toward discipline, humility, or physical surrender.

Options may include:

• One meal a day

• Certain foods (sweets, meat, fast food, etc.)

• Daniel-style fast

• Specific days of full fasting (with medical wisdom)

📌 Always consider health limitations and consult a doctor if needed.

2. Digital / Media Fast

Choose this if you feel overstimulated, distracted, or spiritually scattered.

Examples:

• Social media

• Streaming services

• Gaming

• News cycles

📌 Replace scrolling with Scripture. Replace noise with prayer.

3. Emotional or Relational Fast

Choose this if your struggle is internal or relational.

Examples:

• Complaining or negative speech

• Gossip

• Unhealthy communication patterns

• Emotional dependence on people instead of God

• Unequally yoked relationships/friendships

📌 This type of fast often requires journaling, prayer, abstaining from certain people and forgiveness work.

4. Activity or Lifestyle Fast

Choose this if God is addressing pace, priorities, or presence.

Examples:

• Unnecessary spending

• Overworking

• Late nights

• Certain social activities

📌 The goal is margin—not misery.

5. A Mixture of all of the above

Your fast should be:

• Intentional (chosen prayerfully)

• Sustainable (not reckless)

• Consistent (better steady than extreme)

Options include:

• Entire Lenten season

• Certain days each week

• A specific number of weeks

• A progressive fast (increasing over time)

Reminder:

God is more honored by obedience than intensity.

A fast is incomplete without replacement.

Ask:

• What spiritual practice will fill the space I create?

Possible replacements:

• Daily Scripture reading

• Focused prayer time

• Journaling

• Silence and solitude

• Acts of generosity or service

📌 If nothing replaces what you remove, the fast becomes a diet—not devotion.

Write or pray a simple statement like:

“Lord, during this Lenten season, I am fasting from ______ so that my heart can be more attentive to You. I am asking You to search me, shift me, and redirect me according to Your will.”

A Pastoral Word of Grace

• This is not a competition

• This is not about perfection

• This is not about public display

Jesus reminds us:

“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:18)

If you stumble, restart.

If you struggle, pray.

If God redirects, follow.