How The Exodus 90 Challenge Works

God wants it for us even more than we do, and he is willing to bring about all that needs to be done to accomplish it. In the Exodus, God visited his people, enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt, to set them free. He desired an uncommon freedom for Israel: to embrace the reality of sonship within a life of communion with him in the land he provided. To free his people, God overturned the most powerful ruler in the world, sending plagues upon Egypt, and he led his people through the sea. He overcame a host of nations arrayed against them and settled them in peace, free from their enemies.

This is God’s plan for us as well. He wants us to come out of what enslaves us to discover our true identity as his sons. He will free us from what oppresses us–if we allow him. But we cannot come to this freedom on our own. He calls us into his freedom through a commitment to prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. First of all, we need to encounter him as the source of true freedom through daily prayer. Next, we must break the chains of what binds us, offering our attachments and distractions to him as a sacrifice. Finally, we need the help of our brothers, other men who also have received the call to freedom and with whom we will make this journey.

The next ninety days—and the years that follow—will offer you the chance to a different kind of life. It’s time for a new beginning, a new Exodus into God’s promises. As we follow Israel out of darkness and into the promised land, we will encounter Jesus as the one who can set us free and bring us to become the man who intends for us to be, living a life of uncommon freedom.

Exodus 90 Challenge Disciplines:

• Read Exodus Reading & Reflection — The Exodus Story is the journey from slavery in Egypt to the uncommon freedom of the Promised Land. The scriptures are your guide through this spiritual journey. There is no perfect Exodus. No doubt, just like the Israelites, we will grumble against the Lord or erect a golden calf. Nonetheless, stay faithful to the Lord who sets you free. | Daily |  
• Make a Holy Hour each Day — Set aside one hour for personal prayer before the Lord. This should include at least 20 minutes of silence, reading the Exodus scriptures, and other personal prayers. While not at all required, making a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament is recommended, as is making holy hours together as a fraternity. If a full hour is not possible on a given day, be sure to pray for at least 20 minutes in silence. | Daily |  
• Make a Morning Offering — Every morning, begin by offering the day to God and asking for his blessing on all that you do. A morning offering is a short prayer said upon waking up. | Daily | 
• Make a Nightly Examen — At the end of the day, prayerfully examine your actions (and inactions) throughout the day. Where did you see God working in your life? Acknowledge where you responded to God’s grace and where you chose to do otherwise. Ask God for his forgiveness and blessing. | Daily |
• Get a Full Night’s Sleep (8 hours) — Plan your day and responsibilities to get a full night’s sleep. We highly recommend eight hours but no fewer than seven. Family responsibilities come first, of course, if you are caring for others. | Daily | 
• Take Cold Showers — Take cold showers, keeping your normal shower schedule. The difficulty of this practice reinforces the overall discipline we are building as we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God. Make this act an offering of love to God and offer it for the intention of others. | Daily |  
• Avoid Unnecessary Smartphone Use — Avoid using a mobile device except in cases of necessity. Whenever possible, connect with people in person instead of using technology. | Daily |  
• Avoid Unnecessary Computer Use — Do not use a computer for things other than work, paying bills, education, etc. While using it for these necessary reasons, do not allow yourself to get pulled into any distractions. | Daily |  
• Give Up Video Games — Do not play video games on a game system, computer, mobile device, or by any other means. Instead, fill this time with prayer, reading, and attention to others. | Daily |  
• Give Up TV — Do not watch any shows, news, or sports. Instead, fill this time with prayer, reading, and attention to others. | Daily |
• Give Up Alcohol — Do not drink alcohol, but offer up this sacrifice for your Why or another intention. | Daily |
• No Soda or Sweet Drinks — Do not drink anything sweet, including soda, fruit juices, sweet sports drinks, and sweeteners for coffee or tea. As we abstain from food and drinks that please us, we are able to offer a sacrifice of our desires to God in love. | Daily |
• No Snacking between Meals — Refrain from eating anything between meals. This will help us to grow in self-control and to discipline our appetites. | Daily |
• No Desserts or Sweets | Do not eat any desserts or sweets, whether as part of a meal or as a snack. (No, jelly does not count as a sweet.) | Daily |  
• Listen only to Music that Lifts the Soul to God — Listen to uplifting music that keeps you in a prayerful frame of mind. While this does not have to be explicitly Christian music, it should be uplifting, positive, and peaceful. | Daily |  
• No Unnecessary Purchases — Do not make any purchases that are not necessary. This includes not eating out unless there is a special occasion that requires it. | Daily |  
• Check in with your Anchor — As your fraternity is forming, partner off into groups of 2 (or 3 if there’s an odd number) for daily check-ins. We call your partner your ‘Anchor.’ Check-ins should usually be a brief meeting or phone call, but on a busy day, a text conversation is acceptable. | Daily |  
• Weekly Fraternity Meeting — Once a week, everyone in your fraternity should meet to pray together and share the ups and downs of this journey to freedom. Stay faithful to the commitment you made to your brothers, doing your part to make your fraternity a committed band of brothers. | Weekly |  
• Fast on Wednesday & Friday — We offer up Wednesday and Friday as special days of penance during Exodus 90 in memory of Christ’s betrayal by Judas and death on the Cross. Fast on these days by eating only one meal and two small meals (which added together are smaller than one meal). | We, Fr |  
• No Meat Wednesday & Friday | In addition to fasting on Wednesday and Friday, abstain from eating any flesh meat also. Fish, eggs, and dairy products are permitted. | We, Fr |
• Exercise 3x per Week — You should exercise at least 3 times per week doing something rigorous enough to get your heart rate up. If you have a health condition, make sure you are following your doctor’s orders. | 3x per week |
• Celebrate the Lord’s Day — Every Sunday is a Little Easter and should be observed with joyful celebration and rest. How many of us unknowingly resent the Lord’s Day by succumbing to the Sunday blues? Pattern your day for prayer, family, and friends. Relax one of your disciplines in honor of the Resurrection.