New Life Church is starting the new year with two days of prayer and fasting on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th January. God has taken us on an exciting adventure over past years and we are looking to Him for further direction. We long to see more miracles – people getting healed physically and emotionally. We long for more of His presence. And we long for Jesus to be glorified for who He is and all He has done.
So why not come and join us. We’ll be meeting together at 7:45pm each evening. Meanwhile, here are some notes on prayer and fasting that one of our leaders sent out to our small group leaders this week.
WHY PRAY?
Prayer acknowledges that we have a relationship with Jesus, and because of this, we are able to respond to Him. Further, we come to Him through the communication of discussion, learning, and our relationship building (as in His Word and Spirit). The Discipline of Prayer comes down to our willingness and desire. We must have a yearning and desire to commune with our Lord and Saviour. The Spirit persuades us to be yielded, and inspires us to respond and seek Christ out so He can mould us, indwell us, motivate us, empower us, and shape us to His will—inside and out (Psalm 27:8). This requires us to see the importance of it, the duty we have to persevere in our faith, and the humility we are to put on (Psalm 65:2; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-14; Heb. 11:6). To make this discipline work, we must use our passion to pursue Christ more and ourselves less (John 3:30). The question is, are we willing to respond to His calling to seek Him further as He first sought us out? The Discipline of Prayer is committing to a two-way communication between God, our Creator, and us! This does not happen overnight. It may take years to develop this discipline to become second nature, automatic, and continual. Normally, for most Christians, prayer is intermittently used for occasions when we want something, when we have the time, when we schedule it, and so forth. The Discipline of Prayer is normally scheduled, but it is so much more; it is an attitude that we put into practice. We still should do our scheduled prayer times but not let that be the only time! We do this not to just maintain our relationship with Christ, but to empower it further, to build it, and pursue Him totally and continually in a reverent attitude of prayer!
True prayer is not about the quantity of our words, but by the quality of our hearts, offered with a merciful spirit. Our prayers must be sincere, heartfelt, and real! The more time we spend in prayer, the more we will grow in our Christian formation. The point is to be sure we are not praying in circles with vain repetitions but with what is called brevity (brief and sincere), as we can cover more ground by focusing on praise for God and requests for others (Matt. 18:21-23; Col. 1:15-23; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; James 2:13).
WHY FAST?
Matthew 6: 16-18
When you take a look at our culture, fast food places on almost every corner and countless opportunities to eat whatever you wish, even a committed Christian may never consider Fasting. Yet, one of the classic, Christian aspects of growing deeper in the faith is Fasting.
Our minds are cleared to seek Christ without distractions and interruptions. Even though we may feel distraction with our stomach aching and growling, we can more easily pour ourselves out to the Lord. This passage tells us that Fasting is important, but Jesus sternly warns of abusing it by using it for a show and tell game to draw attention to oneself, thus missing the real purpose, that of drawing close to God, and seeking His Will for your life and church. This passage is in the context of pleasing God, where Jesus places Fasting in the ranks of prayer, spiritual commitment, and trusting Him, making it a vital, if not paramount component of spirituality, of growing deeper in Christian formation/spiritual growth.
When you fast: Jesus is assuming we will be following the Mosaic Law that required the Jews to Fast at least once annually. This was to be done on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31). This was a Fasting of contrition, which means coming before God, having remorse for one’s sins, seeking His forgiveness, and pledging repentance, penance (following the requirements of the Law for atonement such as sacrifices of food or animal) and to not do them (sins) again. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all Fasted for 40 days!
The Bible records that Fasting was not just for the super leaders, rather it was practiced by most, such as during the Judges (Jug. 20:26; 1 Kings 21:27). Isaiah challenged the Jews, prior to their captivity, that their fasting was empty of purpose, pretentious, vain, and not pleasing to God, (Isa. 58) just as Jesus does here. Isaiah further expounded that because of their pious, fraudulent behaviour, they corrupted themselves, and that justice and virtue became absent in the land where God’s love, and rule was to be shown to the world. Such decadence led to their seventy-year captivity under the Babylonians. John the Baptist Fasted regularly as a testimony to piety that was real, heartfelt, and pointed to God, not to himself (Matt. 3:11). Paul listed Fasting among other things that proved he was a minister of Christ (1 Co 11:1; 2 Co 11:23-28). Put oil on your head and wash your face: Jews put ashes on their heads and wore sackcloth (from the Hebrew sack, a coarse cloth similar to burlap, dark in colour, and usually made of goat’s hair–a very cheap and itchy material) when Fasting. They did this to show their piety and reverence; however, it was usually a show, with no real meaning under that itchy material. What we are called to do now is maintain our regular appearance, as Fasting should not be done in a pretentious or showy way. Be sincere in your heart, not with your garments and looks! Anointing your head in this context was the daily routine of hygiene. The Jews did not shower or bathe as we do (which was not a daily routine in western culture until the early 20th century, and still not in most parts of the world), but put olive oil on themselves, then scraped off the sweat and dirt. This kept them clean, and their skin smooth and sunburn free in their hot climate. When they Fasted, they did not anoint (clean) themselves (Dan. 10:3). Anointing can also mean rejoicing (Psalm 23:5; 45:7; 61:3; 104:15). In the New Testament, Fasting was practiced when one was faced with temptations (Jesus), in serving the Lord and beginning a new ministry (Antioch), and, when selecting and appointing elders (Galatia). The effects of Fasting with prayer when it is real and heartfelt is that it humbles us (Psalm 35:13), disciplines and corrects our wrong behaviours and thinking (Psalm 69:10), and even though we have grace, I believe when we are humble, God is more likely to respond to our prayers. (Ezra 8:21-23)!
We should Fast and persist in prayer whenever we are truly seeking Him and His help, just as it is modelled in the Scriptures (Luke 18:1-8). Such situations would include difficult temptations, when sending out missionaries, when choosing leaders, seeking the start of a new ministry or direction, or a serious illness of a loved one, to name a few reasons. Individuals, a small group, or the entire congregation can practice Fasting. Fasting was meant to draw one near to God. Thus, if it is only for show, or only to keep one away from pleasures, with no purpose behind it, it is empty and foolish!
Fasting also meant removing themselves from any pleasure– even their work in some cases. Hence, it could be manipulated to enable one to avoid responsibilities! Although Daniel did this sincerely, most did this to appear more pious than they were. Some did not drink water either. However, this was very unhealthy. Some did what is called ascetic (severe) fasting that was meant to wear themselves down, as some Monks did in the Middle Ages. This is unbiblical and dangerous. Should Christians Fast today? The answer is a big, YES!!! Keep in mind that Jesus, Himself, Fasted (Luke 4:1-2)! He assumed His disciples would Fast, as He said when, not if (Mt 6:16-17; 9:14-15)! When Fasting is done properly, it will glorify and please God! Fasting includes prayer, and seeking God’s Will (Matt. 17:20-21)!
