Join us as we seek God together through prayer and fasting!
Tuesday, October 27 - Thursday, October 29
We will have a fast-breaking celebration on Thursday, October 29 at 6:30pm, where we’ll pray for a half hour and then have soup and sides afterwards. If you can, bring a dish to share. If you would like to help with the meal, please call Kristi Brown at (614) 578-9834.
If you haven’t fasted before, here are some commonly asked questions:
What is fasting?
Fasting is temporarily saying no to something so that you can say yes to God. It is a way of removing spiritual distractions from our inner lives so that we can hear more clearly from God.
What isn’t fasting?
Fasting is NOT a way we somehow earn God’s love or favor. He already loves you unconditionally. However, when we fast, we are able to focus in more on his love and goodness to us.
Why are we fasting?
Our church is at a significant time of transition where we want to hear his voice for a new vision and direction for us. We also have a significant amount of trials that we need to overcome so that we can truly thrive as a church. When people faced situations like these in Scripture, they most often fasted.
Do I have to fast from food?
Fasting is a time where we hunger for God by exposing our earthly hungerings. While abstaining from food is a very effective means of fasting, it is not the only way. It is often very helpful to choose 2 or 3 things to fast from in order for a fast to be most effective. Here are several other things you can fast from, or remove from your life, for this season:
Phone use
Social media
News
Radio/Music
TV
Watching Sports
Video Games
What are some helpful hints for fasting?
Most importantly, focus on faithfulness, not legalism. God wants us to walk with him. We can get the technical aspects of a fast right but completely miss the heart of the matter.
When you temporarily remove something from your life via fasting, it is best to replace it with something good and helpful in your walk. Some helpful replacements for what we remove are increasing our scripture reading and prayer times, prayer walking through our neighborhoods, having a family prayer time, writing notes to loved ones, doing something creative to encourage healthy conversation in your family, etc.
Should children fast?
Unless you want to get ODJFS called on you, they should not fast from food. However, involving your children in a family fast is a great idea. We encourage a screen time/tv fast, as it seems to be most effective in today’s world. But make sure you let them know this isn’t punishment, but merely a way to hear from God more clearly. Then make sure and use the time to read with them from a children’s Bible and to pray, as well as have meaningful conversations and to do something creative with them.
If I am fasting from food, what are some helpful hints?
Drink plenty of water. Lots of water.
If you have any medical conditions that make it so you should not fast from food, don’t.
For many, doing a total fast during working conditions is not safe or wise. We recommend potentially drinking juice, having some type of substance such as a few crackers, or having a small meal a day.
Are there any specific scriptures we can read to guide us through this time?
Repetition is always a good thing, so reading through the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3 would be wise. Also, pick a Gospel you haven’t read in a while and read through it. Mark is the shortest, but John is the easiest to read. As you read, pay attention to verses that jump out at you, write them down, and consider memorizing one or a few of them.