How Do I Do It?
From March 18 - April 7, New Horizon Church will join together for 21 Days of Prayer + Fasting. So let’s talk about prayer and fasting.
As a Christ follower, prayer is absolutely vital for developing a deep and meaningful relationship with God. It is a way to communicate with Him, to express gratitude, ask for forgiveness, seek guidance, and bring our concerns to Him. It also helps us to align our will with God's will, and trust in His plan for our lives. Prayer is a powerful tool that strengthens our faith and gives us hope, comfort, and peace in challenging times. It is a way to invite God into our lives and invite His presence to work in and through us. If prayer can impact all of these things, then why don’t we do it more often?
So what is fasting, then, and why do Christians do it?
Fasting is a discipline of abstaining from something good, like food, so that we can concentrate on our spiritual lives and find satisfaction in God, the only thing that can truly fulfill our desires. It is not about harming our bodies or depriving ourselves, but rather it’s about focusing on God.
Jesus said, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Although not commanded in the Bible, Jesus assumes that His followers would fast, and that it would be a private matter between you and the Lord, not to gain likes, comments, and reactions when you post about your fasting update on Insta. Many people fasted in the Bible for different reasons, including mourning, humbling themselves before God, and praying for guidance or preparation.
Fasting can help us understand that Jesus is the Bread of Life who sustains us and supplies our greatest needs. When you plan to fast, set aside intentional time to focus on God, read the Bible, and pray. Schedule it! If fasting from food is not possible due to medical issues, consider fasting from other things like social media or television and using that time to pray and read the Bible.
So now we know why prayer and fasting matters. The next step is to move forward and make the decision to do it. That’s where we come in. When you partner with your brothers and sisters in Christ, encourage one another to keep going, it makes the process so much easier and we grow spiritually together as well as individually.
As we join together during the next 21 days to pray and fast, we’ve built a booklet that maps out what to pray for each day. While you can pick up a hard copy at church at our Connections Center, you can check out or download the digital copy below.
In the middle of the 21 days, we’ll gather together as a church on Saturday, April 1st from 9:30am-10:30am for a Corporate Day of Prayer. The 21 days will convene on Good Friday, April 7th, and we will join together for a special Good Friday service at 7pm, preparing our hearts for the celebration coming on Easter Sunday. [Find out more about Easter here!]
We cannot wait to see what the Lord does through this season of surrender in your life and of our church as a whole!