In 2022, we are praying and fasting through our membership covenant on four designated Saturdays throughout the year; asking God to help us hunger for his glory and be faithful to fulfill the things we have committed to each other as church members. These are commitments he has called us to live out together according to his Word.
Fasting Together: December 10, 2022
Our fast begins after dinner on Friday (December 9), skipping breakfast and lunch on Saturday (December 10), then breaking the fast by eating dinner on Saturday. Our encouragement throughout the day is to pray, meditate, and consider these things before the Lord.
SING:
READ AND REFLECT:
We will love God's world by inviting the unchurched to attend and warmly welcoming visitors:
"And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.'" (Luke 14:23, see Luke 14:12-24 for greater context)
Prayer Points:
- Pray that you would hunger and thirst for God to draw in lost people even more than your body desires to eat and drink.
- Pray that God would give you opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ to the unchurched people in your life.
- Pray that our church would be characterized how well we recognize and care for visitors.
- Pray for your fellow brothers and sisters to love the lost and preach the gospel.
We will love God's world by walking circumspectly, giving thought to what is honorable in the sight of all:
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." (Romans 12:17-18)
Prayer Points:
- Pray for God’s help as you seek to live honorably and peaceably. Pray likewise for your fellow brothers and sisters.
- Pray for wisdom to know how you ought to live in all areas of your life.
We will love God's world by endeavoring, by example through words, service, and prayer, to proclaim to others that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord:
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)
Prayer Points:
- Pray that your love for making disciples would grow as you trust in Jesus as Savior and King.
- Pray for the Spirit to help us, empowering and emboldening our church and providing opportunities for us to make disciples of all nations.
- Pray that you would be comforted by the knowledge that Christ is with you, and he will always be with you.
HELPFUL FASTING RESOURCES:
- A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer, John Piper
- "Fasting for Beginners" by David Mathis (Desiring God)
- "How Do I Delight Myself in the Lord?" by John Piper
- Fixing the Mind: A Guide to Meditation
FASTING FROM (IDEAS):
- Food
- Technology
- Entertainment
- Social Media/News