Resources

New eBook: Lift Up Your Voice

December 5, 2017 By Kristen Feola

Writing another book wasn’t on my radar for the fall of 2017. But God had other plans. I’m happy to announce the release of my new eBook, Lift Up Your Voice: 21 Daily Devotions for Your Daniel Fast (available on Kindle or NOOK).

As I prayed about a theme for the January 2018 Online Daniel Fast, I kept being drawn to the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. When Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was informed that a large army was advancing toward his land, he was terrified. But Jehoshaphat didn’t go into hiding or run from the fight. He turned to the Lord and called for a nation-wide fast.

One day when I was hiking and thinking the 2 Chronicles passage, I sensed the Lord prompting me to write a devotional guide about it. The more I thought about the idea, the more excited I became. Later that day, I began working on the book. Less than a month later, Lift Up Your Voice was completed.

Lift Up Your Voice: 21 Daily Devotions for your Daniel Fast takes an in-depth look at 2 Chronicles 20 by studying the chapter verse by verse. Lift Up Your Voice explores how King Jehoshaphat and his people responded to their troublesome trial and how the Lord provided as they sought him wholeheartedly. Each devotion begins with a personal experience from my life, which is then related to the day’s assigned Bible reading. At the end of the 21 days, you’ll learn more about me, more about Jehoshaphat, and more about the Lord and His Word.

If you’re planning on doing the Daniel Fast this January, you’ll want to get Lift Up Your Voice for your Bible study and prayer time. Also, if you’ve done the Daniel Fast in the past and have been using the devotions in The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, you can get a new set of devotions in Lift Up Your Voice!

I’m excited to share this resource with you because it has been a wonderful gift from the Lord. I believe the Lord will use the devotions in Lift Up Your Voice to encourage you, inspire you, challenge you, and strengthen you. Download your copy today!

Lift Up Your Voice (Kindle)

Lift Up Your Voice (NOOK)

Lift Up Your Voice (PDF)
Submit payment below using a Paypal account or your credit card. Once payment is received, your copy of the book will be emailed to you.

**Find out more about the January 2018 Online Daniel Fast.**

Spiritually Strong Online Bible Study

July 21, 2017 By Kristen Feola

Do you want to become stronger in your faith but aren’t quite sure how to get there? Or are you feeling discouraged and defeated, lacking physical and/or spiritual motivation? If either of these scenarios describes your current situation, I want to invite you to join my Spiritually Strong Online Bible Study, which will be held Sept. 11 – Oct. 22, 2017.

Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul is designed to help you get in better shape spiritually and physically. Spiritually Strong teaches you how to train yourself in godliness through the implementation of six disciplines – Bible study, prayer, fasting, healthy living, financial stewardship, and serving others.

By exercising your spiritual core on a daily basis, you will learn to:

Study the Bible and understand what God is saying to you.
Pray with power.
Incorporate periodic fasting into your life.
Honor God with your body through nutritious eating and exercise.
Practice good stewardship of the resources God has given you.
Serve others in humility as an outward demonstration of God’s love.

When you join the study, you can choose from three different levels of participation:

Tier 1 – You will receive:

Weekly email newsletter (begins three weeks prior start date to help you prepare).
Weekly video.
Access to exercise instruction videos.
Tips, recipes, and tools for success.

Cost for Tier 1 is $5. You can pay via Paypal or credit card (see below). **Registration has ended.**

Tier 2 – You will receive:

Everything included in Tier 1.
Goal-setting and accountability with Kristen through weekly emails.
One phone call with Kristen halfway through the six-week session.

Cost for Tier 2 is $10. You can pay via Paypal or credit card (see below). This level is limited to 10 participants.**Registration has ended.**

Tier 3 – You will receive:

Everything included in Tier 2.
Personalized, signed copy of Spiritually Strong.

Cost for Tier 3 is $25. You can pay via Paypal or credit card (see below). This level is limited to 10 participants. **Registration has ended.**

Throughout the study, I’ll also be hosting weekly webinars. I’ll provide a short teaching time, followed by a time of Q&A. You’ll receive more information on joining the webinars once you register. **Registration has ended.**

Resources for Lent 2017

February 27, 2017 By Kristen Feola

Lent is the season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Easter when believers reflect on Jesus Christ—his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Such preparation often includes days of fasting. For more information on Lent, read my blog post, “The Daniel Fast and Lent 2017.”

You can choose from a variety of ways to participate in Lent 2017. There is no hard and fast rule as to what your fast should look like. For example, some people will do a Daniel Fast for the entire Lenten season (March 1 to April 15). Others will fast one day a week from now until Easter. Maybe you want to do a combination of the two types of fasts. That’s fine. But whatever you decide, you want your prayer time to be as powerful and effective as possible.

I want to help you. Following are a few resources that will keep you on track:

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast – If you’ll be doing a Daniel Fast anytime during Lent, you need to get a copy of my book. I truly believe the information I provide will help you stay focused and finish strong. The book provides 100+ recipes, 21 daily devotions, meal plans, grocery shopping lists, and more. You can purchase The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast in most bookstores and online.
Lent 2017 Prayer Guide – Take advantage of this FREE guide! Simply download it and print it. I recommend putting the list in a highly visible place, such as on your mirror, refrigerator, or in your Bible or journal.
Lent 2017 Daily Prayer Points – If you’d like daily accountability during Lent, you can subscribe to my Lent 2017 Prayer Points mailing list. Each day I will send you the prayer point from the Lent 2017 Prayer Guide. The email will also include a Scripture, prayer, and sometimes ministry action steps.

As we humble ourselves, pray, and seek the Lord during Lent, we will see God pour out His favor in miraculous ways!

The Daniel Fast and Lent 2017

February 17, 2017 By Kristen Feola

As an author, I’m a big fan of words. I enjoy looking up definitions to understand terms in a deeper way. So when I began writing this blog post about Lent 2017, of course, I had to do research on “lent.”

The word “lent” comes from the Old English term “lencten,” which means “spring.” On the surface, the meaning seems nice and sweet. After all, Spring is a wonderful season of the year. The weather turns warmer. Flowers begin to bloom. Nature comes alive. What’s not to like?

But you can’t experience the beauty of Spring without the harshness of Winter. Frigid temperatures. Brown, barren landscapes. Bitterly cold winds that cut to the bone. All components of Winter. All necessary to usher in Spring.

(You may think I’m chasing a rabbit trail here, but stick with me. I promise it will all tie together.)

Let’s go back to Lent. You may be wondering, What is Lent? It’s OK if you have no idea. I didn’t really either until a few years ago.

Lent is the season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Easter when believers reflect on Jesus Christ—his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Such preparation often includes days of fasting from certain foods, television, and/or social media. During this time, many Christians also choose to participate in a Daniel Fast.

These types of sacrifices are certainly beneficial. But when I consider the definition of Lent, I have to conclude that its practice should involve more than mere meditation on what Christ did for us.

Of course, it’s good to remember how Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. Our Lord willingly subjected Himself to the cruelest, most unforgiving Winter of all so we might experience life in Him. His death on the cross may a way for us to experience a wonderful, eternal Spring that lasts forever!

The purpose of Lent is designed to make believers ready for Easter Sunday, a day that’s all about celebrating this new life we’ve been given in Christ. But how can we celebrate to the fullest when men and women around us are still dying in their sin? How can we rejoice in our Spring when people we love are stuck in Winter?

The truth is, we can’t.

If you’re like me, you don’t think about eternity enough. You don’t dwell on the fact that your brother or sister or spouse or child is headed to Hell. But you need to think about it. And so do I.

Hell is real place. It’s not a figment of anyone’s imagination. It’s also not a joke or a party. Heaven is also a real place. People who have accepted God’s gift of salvation will be in God’s presence forever when they die. Those who haven’t, won’t. They will spend eternity separated from God and anything good. Instead of unending joy, they’ll endure utter darkness and misery, being tormented in ways we can’t even comprehend.

I see Lent, then, as a perfect opportunity to pray others into the kingdom of God. Eternity is at stake here. The need is urgent. People are desperate to know the hope we have in Christ. Lent is also a great time to intercede for other believers, who need wisdom, strength, and perseverance as they follow the Lord.

Will you fast and pray during the Lenten season, which is Wednesday, March 1, to Saturday, April 15? If so, indicate your commitment in the comments section below.

Ways you can participate:

Do a Daniel Fast (my book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, provides all you need to complete the fast successfully).
Fast one day a week during Lent.
Do a combination of fasts (water, juice, Daniel).
Use a prayer journal to record your requests.
Print out my Lent 2017 Prayer Guide and put it where you’ll see it every day, such as on your refrigerator or in your Bible or journal.
Subscribe to my Lent 2017 Daily Prayer Points to receive emails that will show you how to implement the Lent 2017 Prayer Guide.

The most important thing is that you pray. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16B NLT). Your prayers make a difference and will change the history of people you know!

My prayer is for the Lord to pour out His power as we seek Him during Lent. May we see thousands of people turn to Him for salvation! May we also be revived in the process!

If you plan to do the Daniel Fast during Lent, be sure to take advantage of the helpful resources in my book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast. It provides everything you need, including 21 daily devotions, 100+ recipes, three weeks of meal plans, grocery shopping lists, fasting tips, and more!

The Daniel Fast and Lent 2016

February 8, 2016 By Kristen Feola

The observance of Lent has been practiced for centuries. But what is Lent, and why is it important?

Lent is the season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Easter. The purpose of this special time is reflect on Jesus Christ — his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Although mostly observed by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians, Lent is becoming increasingly popular among evangelicals and other denominations. During Lent, people typically abstain from meat and may also give up other vices, such as sweets, television, or social media. Many believers may also choose to participate in the Daniel Fast.

The Daniel Fast is a partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s experiences in the Bible. On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord’s wisdom during a time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” The meaning of “choice food” is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message paraphrase sums up Daniel’s eating habits during that time: “I ate only plain and simple food.”

On a Daniel Fast, people restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to God. The idea behind the fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu but to imitate his spiritual hunger. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to seek spiritual food rather than physical food, which should be the desire for anyone doing the Daniel Fast. For more information on doing the Daniel Fast, click HERE.

How will you prepare for Easter this year?

Consider doing the Daniel Fast sometime during Lent (Wednesday, Feb. 10th to Saturday, Mar. 26th). It’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate what God has done for you and pray for others to know His love!

Download my free Lent 2016 Prayer Guide!

Holy Week Prayer Guide for Easter

March 26, 2015 By Kristen Feola

Easter has always been special to me. When I was a young girl, I would get a new dress to wear on Easter Sunday. Plus, my mother always gave me a basket overflowing with plastic eggs, chocolate bunnies, and fun little gifts.

But my fondest memory of Easter wasn’t the new dress, the basket, or the candy. It was attending our church’s sunrise service.

I loved gathering with other believers at dawn to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. Sometimes, if the weather was warm enough, we’d have service outside. I could almost feel God’s presence as the sun peeked out over the horizon, and I felt its warmth on my face.

Easter is still one of my favorite holidays.

On Easter weekend, churches will be filled with people who don’t know the Lord. Men and women who maybe only attend two times a year, Christmas and Easter. They will be there, singing worship songs. Listening to prayers. Hearing the gospel. What a wonderful opportunity we have to partner with the purposes of God! The Lord is working all around us, and it’s vital that we intercede.

Following is a Holy Week Prayer Guide to get you started:

Monday
Unsaved members in your family; pray for the Lord to stir their hearts this week and that they would realize their need for Jesus.

Tuesday
Divine appointments to share Christ; ask God to open your eyes to see hurting people he brings across your path; ask for boldness to speak truth to others.

Wednesday
Unsaved friends; pray for opportunities to invite them to church this Sunday; ask God to break down the walls in their hearts.

Thursday
Missionaries around the world; pray for specific ones you know by name; strength and protection as they reach the lost; ask God to give them a great harvest; pray for the people groups they;re working with, that the Lord will do a mighty work and many would be saved.

Friday
Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins; that we will spend time meditating on God’s great love for us and that this time of reflection would result in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord; we will be fervent in prayer over the next three days and ready to share Christ’s truth and love with those around us.

Saturday
Your pastor and leadership team; pray for the Holy Spirit’s anointing over your pastor, that the Lord will go before him and give him the words to share; pray for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in the Easter services.

Sunday
Unsaved men, women, and children in your community; that the lost will be found and brought into God’s kingdom; that people will respond to God’s invitation for salvation; that nothing will prevent people from going to church if the Spirit is drawing them.

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1, 3-4).

May God pour out his Spirit in powerful ways as we pray!

Join the Spiritually Strong Online Bible Study!

March 24, 2015 By Kristen Feola

A few weeks ago, the first Spiritually Strong Online Bible Study was launched, and more than 675 people signed up! If you missed out or weren’t quite ready to commit, you have another opportunity to participate.

But, first, let me explain what Spiritually Strong is and what the online study offers.

To grow stronger in the Lord, you must exercise your muscles on a regular basis. My book, Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul, outlines six exercises that will train your spiritual core – Bible study, prayer, fasting, healthy living, financial stewardship, and serving others. (Watch the Spiritually Strong book trailer for more information.) As you develop self-discipline in these areas, you will learn to:

Study the Bible and understand what God is saying to you.
Pray with power.
Incorporate periodic fasting into your life.
Honor God with your body through nutritious eating and exercise.
Practice good stewardship of the resources God has given you.
Serve others in humility as an outward demonstration of God’s love.

Spiritually Strong includes a 6-week Bible study and workout plan. You can go through the book on your own, but I recommend doing it with others. A group setting provides accountability, encouragement, and support, which will help you be more successful.

That’s where the online opportunity comes in.

The second Spiritually Strong Online Bible Study begins April 20th. When you register for this session, you will receive a weekly email from me that includes a short devotion, video message, recipes, and other helpful resources. You’ll also have access to a private Facebook forum that’s only available to study participants.

So, what is your first step? Get a copy of Spiritually Strong (bookstore or online), and begin reading. You need to finish Parts 1 and 2, as well as Chapter 10, before the start date. The last day to register for the study is April 9th. Please note that registration for the April-May session is closed. If you’d like to be informed about future online study dates, sign up for my monthly newsletter.

God has called you to be strong in Him and in His mighty power (Eph. 6:10). So do your best to get physically and spiritually fit. You don’t want to miss out on God’s best for your life!

Kristen Feola
Author and Former Personal Trainer

Get Spiritually Strong in 2015!

February 16, 2015 By Kristen Feola

What does it take to get in better physical shape? You have to push yourself beyond what’s comfortable. You can’t just sit around and think about working out. You have to get off the couch and do it.

The same is true spiritually.

To grow stronger in the Lord, you must exercise your muscles on a regular basis. I’m not talking about your biceps or quads here, either. I’m referring to your spiritual “muscles” – those unseen parts that make up the inner you – your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

But how are those muscles developed? I’m glad you asked.

My book, Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul, outlines six exercises that will train your spiritual core – Bible study, prayer, fasting, healthy living, financial stewardship, and serving others. As you develop self-discipline in these areas, you will learn to:

Study the Bible and understand what God is saying to you.
Pray with power.
Incorporate periodic fasting into your life.
Honor God with your body through nutritious eating and exercise.
Practice good stewardship of the resources God has given you.
Serve others in humility as an outward demonstration of God’s love.

(Watch the Spiritually Strong book trailer for more information.)

The Spiritually Strong program includes a 6-week Bible study and a workout plan. It’s perfect for small groups, but you can also do it on your own.

God has called you to be strong in Him and in His mighty power (Eph. 6:10). So do your best to get physically and spiritually fit. You don’t want to miss out on God’s best for your life!

Kristen Feola
Author and Former Personal Trainer

The Daniel Fast and Lent 2015

February 11, 2015 By Kristen Feola

Up until a few years ago, I didn’t really understand the purpose of Lent. My knowledge was limited to these facts: 1) My Catholic friends gave up a food item, such as meat, to prepare for Easter, and 2) They attended a special service on Ash Wednesday and received a black mark on the forehead. That’s it. That’s all I knew about Lent. Since that time, I’ve become more educated about the significance of this sacred event.

The purpose of Lent is to reflect on Jesus Christ — his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Ash Wednesday, or “Day of Ashes,” marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which this year is Wednesday, February 10th. In the typical Ash Wednesday service, the priest or pastor applies ashes in the shape of the cross on the forehead, while speaking the words, “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). The ash cross is a visual reminder of our need for repentance and God’s offer of forgiveness.

Although mostly observed by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians, Lent is becoming increasingly popular among evangelicals and other denominations. Typically, people abstain from meat and may also give up other vices, such as sweets, television, or social media. Many believers may also choose to participate in the Daniel Fast as a way to observe Lent.

The Daniel Fast is a 21-day partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s experiences in the Bible. The purpose of the Daniel Fast is to restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to God. On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord’s wisdom during a time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” The meaning of “choice food” is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message paraphrase sums up Daniel’s eating habits during that time: “I ate only plain and simple food.”

The idea behind the Daniel Fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu but to imitate his spiritual hunger. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to seek spiritual food rather than physical food, which should be the desire for anyone doing the Daniel Fast. For more information on doing the Daniel Fast, click HERE.

How will you prepare for Easter this year? Consider doing the Daniel Fast as you celebrate what the Lord has done for you!

Download my Lent 2015 Prayer Guide!

Are You Ready for Easter?

March 31, 2014 By Kristen Feola

“Our God is a God who saves!” – Psalm 68:20 NLT

For believers, Easter Sunday is a high time of worship as we celebrate victory in Christ. But for many, Easter is nothing more than chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs. People who haven’t accepted God’s gift of salvation don’t understand why it’s such a glorious day.

That’s exactly why we must pray.

Over the next three weeks, set aside time to intercede for others, especially for unsaved family and friends to know the Lord. You might consider a Daniel Fast, water fast, or juice fast. Ask God to show you what to do.

Friend, there isn’t time to waste. Our loved ones need our fervent prayers. Let’s press in and believe God for great things during this Easter season!

(Need guidance on how to pray? Follow my Lent 2014 Prayer Guide).

The Daniel Fast and Lent

February 26, 2014 By Kristen Feola

March 5th is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a special time when the Church remembers how Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before He launched His public ministry. Although mostly observed by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians, Lent is becoming increasingly popular among evangelicals and other denominations. (SIGN UP HERE to receive your Lent 2014 Prayer Guide).

The purpose of Lent is to reflect on Jesus Christ — his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Typically, people abstain from meat during Lent and may also give up other vices, such as sweets, television, or Facebook. Many believers also participate in a Daniel Fast.

The Daniel Fast is a 21-day partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s experiences in the Bible. The purpose of the fast is to restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to God (see Food Guidelines). On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord’s wisdom during a time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” The meaning of “choice food” is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message translation sums up Daniel’s eating habits during that time: “I ate only plain and simple food.” The idea behind the fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu but to imitate his spiritual hunger. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to seek spiritual food rather than physical food, which should be the desire for anyone doing the Daniel Fast.

How will you prepare for Easter Sunday? Consider doing the Daniel Fast as you celebrate what the Lord has done for you!

Holy Week Prayer Guide

March 24, 2013 By Kristen Feola

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, a sacred time commemorating the final days of Jesus’ life on this earth. As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection and victory over death next Sunday, we must be mindful of why Jesus came in the first place – “to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).”

Those of us who have been wonderously saved by grace must not forget why we are here. Our mission is the same – to bring glory to God and to bring people to Him.

What should we be doing this week to prepare for Easter? We must get on our knees and pray. God is working in the lives of people all around us, and it’s vital that we intercede for them.

Following is a prayer guide to get you started. May God do what only He can do this week – open hearts and draw people to Himself.

Monday – Unsaved members in your family; pray that the Lord would stir their hearts this week and that they would realize their need for Jesus.

Tuesday – Divine appointments to share Christ; ask God to open your eyes to see hurting people that He brings across your path; boldness to speak truth.

Wednesday – Unsaved friends; pray for opportunities; invite them to church this Sunday; ask God to break down the walls in their hearts.

Thursday – Missionaries around the world; pray for specific ones you know by name; strength and protection as they reach the lost; ask God to give them a great harvest; pray for the people groups they are working with, that the Lord will do a mighty work and many would be saved.

Friday – Christians all around the world as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins; that we would spend time meditating on God’s great love for us and that this time of reflection would result in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord; we would be fervent in prayer over the next three days and ready to share Christ.

Saturday – Your pastor and leadership team; pray for the Holy Spirit’s anointing over your pastor, that the Lord would go before him and prepare his heart for what to share on Sunday; pray for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in the services.

Sunday – That the lost would be found today and brought into God’s kingdom; that those for whom we’ve been praying would respond to God’s invitation for salvation; that nothing would prevent people from going to church today if the Spirit is calling them.