The purpose of this 40 Day Soul Fast is to not only bring health and restoration to the souls of individuals, but also to provide a mechanism for all people to learn to live from the inside out—from their authentic, God-nature selves. This Soul Fast is not addressing the issue of what you are eating, but what’s eating you. The goal of this 40-day journey is to guide you through the process of discarding useless toxic emotions—self-sabotaging thoughts and viruses of the mind—so that you can fully move into who God created you to be. You will be invited to examine all of your objectives and relationships, any hidden agendas or motives that have governed your subconscious, in order to thrust you onto a new path of achievement and abundance. This journey is about setting you free once and for all to maximize your greatest potential.
The 40 Day Soul Fast takes place over eight weeks. For simplicity’s sake, I have taken these eight weeks and divided them evenly so that you can establish a regular routine Monday through Friday, allowing for weekends off so you can focus on family and worship or make up a missed day if necessary.
Put aside time for “me-moments.” Give yourself adequate time to focus on nurturing your inner self. Part of the Soul Fast discipline is not allowing everyday distractions to deter you from cultivating the inner life of your soul. It will require disciplined focus, a heightened mindfulness, and keen sensitivity to the Spirit of God.
We will begin our 40-day journey by talking about capacity building. Week one of our eight-week venture focuses on “The Power of 40: Enlarging Your Capacity.” This theme is more fully explored in The 40 Day Soul Fast, but for the purposes of this study, it ties together the five characteristics you will find in week one. In week two, we will talk about “The Purpose of a Soul Fast: The Self-Leadership Challenge.” In week three, we will discuss “The Nature of the Soul: The Essence of You.” In week four, we address “The Properties of Thought: You Are What You Think.” Week five brings us to “The Importance of Identity: Becoming a Master by Mastering Your Mind.” In week six we look at “The Power of Words: Healing the Hole in Your Soul.” In week seven, we deal with “The Power of Doing: God’s Chosen Fast.” In week eight, we begin wrapping up by “Sealing the Healing: The Cleansing Power of Love.” And after we finish our 40 days, we conclude this journey in week nine with “A Celebration!”
The focus of this study is to develop the 40 characteristics of an authentic person. These characteristics tie in with The 40 Day Soul Fast, but you can also use this guide by itself as a tool for focused self-exploration. Each day, you will read a meditation about one of the 40 characteristics of an authentic person. Then you will be given several “Action Steps” to consider as you put these characteristics into practice. Use the space provided to write your responses, reflections, meditations, and anything else God places on your heart as you delve into these powerful characteristics of authenticity.
THE SOUL OF THE MATTER
Be your authentic self. Your authentic self is who you are when you have no fear of judgment or before the world starts pushing you around and telling you who you’re supposed to be. Your fictional self is who you are when you have a social mask on to please everyone else. Give yourself permission to be your authentic self. —Dr. Phil McGraw
This 40 Day Soul Fast is about finding rest and restoration for your soul. When all is well with the souls of humanity, all will be well in the world. When you have peace in your soul, you will bring that peace to bear on the world around you—you will become the change you are hoping to see.
Over the next eight weeks, you will learn and grow and be empowered like never before to maximize your personal potential and break through to greater success.
May we all feel the presence of God each and every day as we “do our best to enter that rest” (Heb. 4:11 NLT). And as we take up residence there, may we become more acquainted with our authentic selves and equipped to walk in the light of what we discover.
Let this study be a tool you can use to clear the ground of every obstruction and build a life of obedience into full maturity (see 2 Cor 10:6 MSG)—the fully complete you! Are you ready to begin the best 40 days of your life?
Let the soul journey begin!
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2 NKJV).
You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul.—C. S. Lewis