A Guide for Fasting
Hi everyone,
As promised, here is a suggestion about how to spend the day of fasting.
The basic point is to temporarily turn from something ordinary (food) to devote ourselves to something spiritual (prayer). Fasting does not have to be only about food. I would suggest that tomorrow we also turn from news, social media, and other entertainments as well. This is a simple way to reserve time and attention for prayer.
At breakfast time, read Nehemiah 9. Pray for God to forgive our sins, both personally, as well as the sins of the church more generally, and of our society. Praise God for his power in creation and his kindness in providence.
Mid-morning, read Psalm 67. Pray for God to renew his blessing in the life of the church, for the sake of reaching the nations with the Gospel. Specifically, pray for God:
- to bless the worship of the church with his presence,
- to empower the preaching of the word,
- to use the sacraments to strengthen and comfort us,
- to abundantly provide us with the gifts of the Spirit for service,
- and to give us a joyful zeal in working to build his kingdom.
At lunch time, read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:16. Pray for God to purify the church so that we may fully enjoy his presence with us. Specifically, pray for God to:
- help us to pursue personal holiness in light of his promises (7:1)
- to give us boldness in confronting sin (7:4)
- to comfort us in discouragement (7:7)
- to renew our zeal (7:7, 11)
- to give us grief that leads to repentance (7:10)
- to increase our affection for each other (7:15)
At 3pm, we will meet at the church for a time of corporate prayer. We will setup the videoconference equipment so that you can join by Zoom if you can’t come in person.
And then it will be time to break our fast, and prepare for the Lord’s Day.