Fasting Forward – January 2020

Happy New Year!

Let’s launch into 2020 with fasting and prayer! Our theme this year is ‘Advance’ as we ‘Fast Forward’ in God. Beginning a year with the month of fasting and prayer has become a normal part of our church life by now but then we have to be careful of it not becoming a cliché. Let’s consider some keys that fasting and prayer offers us.

Dependence—Fasting and prayer reminds us that God is the source of all we need. We give up things that provide, or seemingly provide, us with life so that we can know more fully that God is the true source of life for us. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6). Our tendency to be independent from God goes back to the fall in the Garden of Eden. Fasting and prayer combats that independent attitude and spirit.

Repentance—Fasting and prayer calls us to shift to move forward with God. While repentance can certainly mean dealing with sin in our life; it can also mean turning more fully towards God and what He is calling us to. We are called to turn away from the things that will trip us up and hold us back and look to Jesus (Heb 12:1-2). Fasting and prayer is a conscious decision to focus fully forward in God. We are thankful for all that has happened to bring us to where we are but our future is not in our past.

Alliance—Fasting and prayer as a church, rather than merely individually, is a means of aligning ourselves with each other in God. We commit ourselves to something together so that we can better move together. We recognize our need of each other prayerfully and practically. As a church, we respond to God’s call to be of one heart and mind in love for the sake of advancing His Kingdom (Phil 1:27; 2:2; 1 Pet 3:8).

Let’s Fast Forward together as we see God move in greater ways in our lives, our church, and our community.

Journeying with you,

Pastor Merril

 


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