21 days - Fasting & PrayerНамуна

Fasting collectively

First, read Joel 2:12-18.

Churches are increasingly deciding to declare special times of collective fasting and prayer. This reading plan was also created for a joint fasting period for the ICF Munich church at the beginning of the year 2021. There is great power when we fast and seek God as a whole church. 

In the first part of the Bible, God himself called his people here to fast and turn back to him. Today, our fasting is not about averting punishment or pleading for forgiveness of sins. Every sin and punishment were carried by Jesus Christ. But today, as in those days, the Father is concerned with the hearts of his children, not with outward gestures.

Read Revelations 2:4-5a.

The call found in the Book of Joel was to all the people - from infants to seniors. The spiritual leaders came before the throne of God in a special way to intercede. And today also, we are called to intercede as Christians, for example for our country, our government, for persecuted Christians, the powerful proclamation of God's Word, and for people being saved.

Especially in a phase in which the whole world is reeling from shocks, in which no one knows exactly what will happen next, where plans that were previously considered so certain suddenly become uncertain, the call to the church to turn to God with all their heart and to pray as a royal priesthood is more relevant than ever.

The Book of Acts describes how the whole church gathered in prayer for specific concerns and how God supernaturally intervened in response to their prayers.

Read Acts 12:5.

Let us turn our hearts to God together in a new way - in fasting and prayer - and pray in agreement with the heart of God that his kingdom will come.

Perhaps you would like to fast with your group or with your spouse, or as a whole family. Maybe you can join with a friend. Perhaps there are opportunities to join prayer meetings in your city this Lent. Once you team up with someone else in fasting and prayer, there is an added special power because you are standing together as a group for one cause.

Immediately following the collective fasting in the book of Joel, you see God reaching out to his people again (Joel 2:18).

And in the section on the fasting challenge, it says:

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." (Joel 3:1)

Fasting can have tremendous effects. A new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Revival. Signs and wonders. Prophetic dreams and visions.

But in all of this, God is always interested in our heart, to be close to his heart.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the many examples in the Bible where your people came together to fast and pray. Help me and help us to fast as you want us to. I turn my heart to you anew. Please touch my heart this fasting season with the things that move you. We long for revival in ourselves, in our churches, and in our country. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Amen