The practice of fasting in the Christian’s life is, simply put, a time when the believer gives up something in order to concentrate and be reminded of our utter dependence on God for our every need. Doing this allows our hearts and minds to reflect on the foundational truth that nothing in this world ought to be more important to us than the Lord Himself.
We want to pray to the Lord in faith, trusting in the words of Psalm 10:17: “O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear.”
How do we do this practically?
When most think of fasting, the first thing that comes to mind is abstaining from food. While this certainly is a common way to fast, it is not the only way fasting can be practiced. We can ask oneself this: what is it in my daily routine that consumes the majority of my attention or is important to me? The answer could be food, TV, coffee, a game, a hobby, or any number of things. When we fast, we abstain from partaking in that particular thing for a set time, and in the time when we would normally do that, we replace it with spending that time with the Lord in the Scriptures and prayer.
Why are we doing this?
We are taking these days to fast and pray as a posture of our hearts to start the new year, to seek the salvation of many, and on behalf of our city, nation, and the world.
What are we praying for?
For the Gospel to go forth in Portland, our nation, and around the world this year.
Our friends, family, and neighbors would join us and be changed by the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is not willing that any should perish. His greatest desire is for all to come to repentance.
God, in His mercy, would stop this pandemic and save lives - not only in our city and nation, but around the world, particularly in places that are unequipped medically to deal with the virus.
When is this taking place?
The fast will be on Wednesday, January 19th and January 26th. On both evenings we will gather together in our Gospel Community to break the fast and pray together for our church, city, and nation.