Lesson Name Fasting Length of Lesson 90min

By the end of this session each participant will be able to :

1. Understand the objective of fasting in our Coptic Church
Educational
2. Practice how to reply other denominations claims about fasting
Objectives
3. Demonstrate an interactive way of teaching fasting for new believers
4. Feel the importance of fasting for evangelism service
Workshop Layout Content and presentation way Time min
Activity 1 https://www.facebook.com/workshops.DIY/videos/1736905323057405/ 60

Before You Start:

• Divide into two groups; each group in a single line.
• Each line of players starts at the ends of the “U”.
• Make sure everyone know where to go when they win and when they don't
• Set Up:
Set out a semi circle (U shaped) path circles or using markers or ropes
How To Play:
• The goal of the game is for a player from one line to make it to the start of the
opposite team's line.
• The game begins on a signal from the leader.
• The first players in each line begin hopping on the path towards each other.
• When the first two players from opposite teams encounter each other on the
path, they stop and the 2 teams will be asked a question.
• Both teams will have 3 minute to discuss the answer using the given references
• We will listen to both answers .
• The winner continues walking on the path in the same direction, while the other
side allows their next player to start walking on the path.
• Again when the players encounter each other, they are asked another question
until one team wins.
• The game continues until one team is completely transferred to the opposite side
The questions :
1. What is the objective of fasting in the Coptic orthodox church
◼ The Coptic Church is an ascetic church that believes in the power of
fasting in the life of the believers. Fasting is not considered a physical
exercise, but rather it is an offering of inward love offered by the heart as
well as the body. "man does not live by bread only, but by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord..." Deut. 8:3, Matt. 4:4.
◼ The Lord, Himself, the Word Incarnate, fasted before undergoing trial and
undertaking His ministry on our behalf. We therefore fast with Him to
attain victory and blessings at work, and to be able to proceed in the
spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom. 8: 1). The Lord fasted for forty
days (Matt. 4:2) to transfigure in the midst of Moses and Elijah who also
fasted for forty days (Exod. 40:28; 1 Kings 19:8). In this way He declared
that fasting is not deprivation, neither is it a restraint upon the body. The
church requires us to fast and abstain from food for a period of time to
experience hunger. The Lord Himself experienced hunger (Matt. 4:2)
though He is the source of all satisfaction, physical and spiritual. The
 apostles experienced hunger as they fasted (Acts 10:1; 2 Cor. 11:27).

2. The church designates 210 days per year for fasting. What are
these days
◼ The Coptic Church fasts over half the days of the year: The Advent fast
that ends with the Holy Nativity feast (43 days in length / fish allowed)
Jonah’s fast (3 days / no fish allowed) The Holy Great Lent that ends
with the Holy Resurrection feast (55 days in length / no fish allowed)
The Apostles fast that ends with the feast of martyrdom of Ss Paul &
Peter (length varies / fish allowed) St. Mary’s fast that ends with the
feast of the assumption of her body (14 days / fish allowed) Every
Wednesday & Friday except during the fifty days after the Holy
Resurrection (no fish allowed) – commemorates the plotting of the Jews
to crucify our Savior on Wednesday and the crucifixion on Friday.
During the fasts where fish is allowed, it is allowed only on all days except
Wednesday & Friday. Moreover, on Saturday & Sunday there is no period
of abstinence from food.

3. What is the wisdom behind eating vegetarian food only after the
period of abstinence?.
They accuse us that by doing this, the words of St. Paul applies on us “…in
latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving
spirits and doctrines of demons…forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving”
1Tim.4:1,3
◼ Fasting in our Church is not merely eating vegetarian food but it is
abstaining from eating for a certain time followed by eating food free
from animal produce.
◼ Vegetarian food was the food which God presented to Adam and Eve in
Paradise (Gen.1:29) and also after the sin (Gen.3:18)
◼ God did not allow eating meat till after the time of the Flood (Gen.9:3)
◼ When God led His people in the Wilderness of Sinai, He offered them
vegetarian food, that is the manna (Numbers 11:7,8).
◼ He did not allow them to eat meat until after their wailing, groaning and
the degradation of their spirits. He only gave them meat to eat after they
murmured against Him (Num 11:33) and with meat He struck them and
killed many of them.
◼ We also notice that vegetarian food was the food which Daniel and the
three youth ate. God blessed their health more than all other servants of
the king (Dan.1:12,15)
◼ The verse in 1Tim.4:1-3 is probably talking about the Mandeans who, at
the time of St. Paul, for forbade marriage, meat and wine. The Church
excommunicated them and condemned all their heretic teachings.
◼ The Church does not forbid the eating of meat and similar foods, but
abstains from eating them during fasts as an ascetic practice and not
because they are unclean food.
◼ Daniel ate vegetables only and abstained from all other foods, yet he was
not condemned according to the aforementioned verses.
◼ Likewise, John the Baptist abstained from certain foods and so do all
ascetics everywhere and in every age.
4. Why does the Church allow us to eat fish on certain fasts?
◼ Since the fasting periods are lengthy, the Church has decided to allow her
children to eat fish to supplement their diet with a protein source [on
certain fasts] if they elect to do so. – We notice that fish was the
preferred meal for our Lord Jesus Christ during His Incarnation (Jn 21:9).

5. How long do we fast before communion? What is the significance

of the 9 hours?
◼ The church says that must fast at least nine hours before Holy
Communion. Also, once Communion if given on a Church altar, at least 9
hours must pass before that altar can be used again. There are three
occasions in the church year in which the altar is used on the same day, 9
hours apart. These are Christmas, the Resurrection, and Epiphany.
◼ The 9 hours also symbolize the time of the third hour to the 12th hour for
Jesus on Good Friday. In the third hour, Jesus was scourged, beaten, and
delivered to be crucified. In the twelfth hour, He was buried in the tomb.
◼ The nine hours also corresponds to the hours of the Agpeya from sunrise
(Prime) to the end of the ninth hour (None). Vespers are the Agpeya
readings for sunset and come after the ninth hour readings

6. Is fasting part of the Christian worship or does it pertain only to

the Old Testament?
◼ There are many biblical verses that proves that fasting is indeed expected
from every Christian: Our Lord said, “…do not appear to men to be
fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Mt 6:18) – Thus fasting is
expected from Christians and there is also a heavenly reward if we fast
according to God’s will. Our Lord said about His disciples and those who
believe their teachings, “The days will come when the bridegroom will be
taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Mt 9:15) – an indication
that fasting is expected from Christians. Our Lord said, “This kind can
come out by nothing except by prayer and fasting.” (Mk 9:29) – explicit
message that without fasting we cannot overcome in our spiritual
struggles. Our Lord Himself fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Mt 4:2; Mk
1:12; Lk 4:1). We also read about St. Paul saying “…in hunger and thirst,
in fastings often …” (2 Cor 11:27) – “in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings
…” (2 Cor 6:5) and the rest of the apostles fasted as well (Acts 14:23;
13:3). St. Paul exhorts the married people “give yourselves to fasting
and prayer” (1 Cor 7:5).

7. Fasting should be practiced secretly between man and God,

following the Lord’s commandment in the Sermon on the Mount
(Matt.6:17,18)
◼ There are two kinds of worship that we can identify from the Scriptures;
individual, and communal.
◼ In prayer for example, every one can pray in his room to the Father who
sees in secret. This does not cancel the existence of communal prayers for
 all the groups of believers to pray in one spirit and in one voice.
◼ Examples of such communal prayers are numerous in the New
Testament. One of these examples is the prayers of the believers after
the release of Peter and John from the prison. “So when they heard that,
they raised their voice to God with one accord and said…” Acts 4:24
◼ Likewise in charity, there is a charitable deed done in secret as an
individual act in which you do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing (Matt.6:3)
◼ But this does not cancel the general charity collected from everyone, as
when King David collected donations to build the Temple.
◼ King David mentioned in details how much he contributed, and how
much was contributed by the leaders of the fathers’ houses, the leaders
of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the
officers over the king’s work (1Chr.29:3-9)Likewise in fasting, there is
individual fasting practiced in secret which does not cancel the general
fast shared by the whole community of believers.
◼ There are numerous examples of communal fasts throughout the Holy
Bible, such as:
✓ The people fast at the time of Esther (Esth.4)
✓ The fast of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3)
✓ The people’s fast at the time of Nehemiah (Neh.9:1) and Ezra (Ezra
8:21)
✓ The fast at the time of Joel (Joel 2:12-17)
✓ The Apostles’ fast in the New Testament (Acts 13:2,3)
✓ Therefore communal fasting is an acceptable and Biblical doctrine. It
is a proof of the oneness of worship and in approaching God,
especially if the purpose of the fast is a matter which concerns the
whole community.
✓ There is no hypocrisy with communal fasting as the level and depth of
the fast of each individual remains in secret.
◼ , St. Paul fasted with all the people on the ship (Acts 27:21).
8. There shouldn’t be fixed times for fasting for all the believers at
set times and on certain occasions, but most of the fasts should be
individual practices. Each individual fasts whenever he likes, and
the Church has no authority over him and does not interfere in his
fast.
◼ Fasting in set times is also a Biblical doctrine as God defines in the Book of
the Prophet Zechariah: “The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth,
the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth” Zech.8:19.Occasions of
fasts in Christianity have Christian implications; each fast has its own
spiritual aim, effect and reason.

9. Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a

festival or a new moon or Sabbath, which are a shadow of things
to come, but the substance is of Christ” Col.2:16-17
◼ The Apostle did not say: “let no one judge you in fast”, but he said: “…let
no one judge you in food or in drink.”
◼ By this he meant the unclean foods forbidden to the Jews and the types
 of food which they considered impure.
◼ It was regarding these foods which were considered impure and unclean,
that the Apostle Paul said: “…let no one judge you in food or in drink”. For
at the beginning of Christianity, the first people who became Christians
were Jews who tried to bring into Christianity all the Jewish customs such
as the purification, keeping the Sabbath, moon festivals, and keeping
Jewish feasts
◼ St Paul wanted to resist this trend. That is why he said: “Therefore let no
one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or
Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come” Col.2:16,17
◼ Hence this was not an occasion of talking about fasting but it was an
occasion of talking about the Jewish customs which the converted Jews
wanted to bring into Christianity.

10. Why is fasting important for evangelism?

◼ Fasting is choosing to remove the distractions, giving the Lord God our full
attention and asking him to be at work as we evangelize. Combining
prayer with fasting connects the natural to the supernatural. Matthew 9:
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the
Pharisees fast [c]often, but Your disciples do not fast?”15 And Jesus said
to them, “Can the [d]friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the
bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom
will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
◼ World evangelism is the war between light and darkness. It is the war
between Christ and antichrist. In the Bible Satan is described as the prince
of this world. World evangelism is an attack on Satan’s kingdom; it is
releasing people from his kingdom into the kingdom of God. To combat
supernatural evil forces we need both prayer and fasting. Although
regular prayer has power, fasting brings added power which shines the
light on Satan and his activities. We need both in certain cases: Matthew
17 : 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
◼ The Apostles practiced fasting while evangelizing the world and planting
churches and baptizing people
Act 13: 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit
said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I
have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on
them, they sent them away.
Act 14 :23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and
prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they
had believed.
Activity 2 • In 5 mins think with your group of a creative way to teach new believers 30
(youth and adults ) about the importance of fasting to their spiritual life

• Allow them to present their ideas in 5 mins, then practice with them this
example in 15 mins

• fill a table with symbols or items that represent abundance. Display those
items on a table in the room. You might consider having a television, laptop
 computer, car keys, CD’s, cellular phone, video games, Palm Pilot, expensive
tennis shoes, etc. On the same table make sure you have lots of food items as
well. You might even want to consider making some popcorn, so that when
students arrive, the aroma is overwhelming. A few two-liters of pop would
make a nice touch as well. IMPORTANT: don’t let anyone eat the food items!
• Arrange many distractions for the evening. You might enlist the help of one of
your students and ask them to interrupt you often during the lesson, have
someone call a cellular phone in the room a couple times during the lesson,
ask an adult or two to show up or walk in periodically throughout the first half
of the meeting time. Don’t arrange distractions during the second half of your
time.

DISCUSSION STARTER
• After a sufficient time of hanging out time and conversation, gather your
students together. If they have not noticed the display of items on the
table, give them a chance to get up and take a look at what you have
collected for the evening.
Say: The stuff on the table represents the abundance and wealth we have
in this world. What other items can you think of that could be
represented but aren’t there? (You might want to have a piece of poster
board or dry erase board available to list things the students come up
with.) Now, think hard and tell me what item you wouldn’t want to or
simply can’t live without. (Allow ample time for discussion. Challenge the
students with the questions of ‘why not’ and ‘how would life be different’
if those things were removed from you.
• Read Matthew 6. Explain to them that in the first 18 verses Jesus talks
about three specific topics. Can they figure out what the three are?
✓ Giving
✓ Praying
✓ Fasting
• Jesus talks about these three items by using the word “when”—when you
give, when you pray, and when you fast.
Do Jesus words sound like these disciplines are optional or expected?
Jesus obviously expected that His disciples follow these practices. They
were part of the Jewish culture and faith. We can learn a lot from all
three, but let’s camp on fasting. Tonight, we’re going to look beyond just
giving up food to giving up all items that take away our hunger for God or
items that distract us from focusing on the things of God.
• Ask them to comment on the number and kinds of distractions viewed
tonight. How did they feel about having to put up with all those
distractions? Explain.
• Read Luke 4: 1-4 & Deuteronomy 8:3
What do you think Jesus meant by "Man shall not live by bread alone."
What God means by 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger,
and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers
know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread
alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
the Lord.
• While fasting means to abstain from the consumption of food, tonight I
want to challenge you with the idea that many of the things we consume
can be significant distractions to us. They take our time, energy and
 passion. They certainly distract our attention from the things of God.
• At the beginning of the night, you told us about the items on the table
you “can’t live without.” After reading Jesus words in Luke and the
passage in Deuteronomy, I hope you understand that what you really
can’t live without are the things of God. His is the One who gives life,
brings life, sustains life, and makes life worth living.
• During this week, I challenge you to think about that item or items you
didn’t want to live without at the beginning of the lesson and fast from it.
Take the time you would have used to practice or consume it and use that
time to "feed" on the things of God: His Word.

Closing Discussion • Do we have to fast during missions? 5

• Do we have to teach about fasting for new believers?
Needed Materials Circles either hoolahop or drawing on the floor using chalk or using soltape
Printing bible references
Questions cards
Objects for activity 2
Worksheet for activity 2 with bible references