Here are some helpful tips to guide you as you seek to draw near to God through prayer and fasting.
Fasting
As you consider fasting, we want to encourage you to listen to the Holy Spirit. Ask God to lead you in this time of seeking His face. Whether you choose to fast for one meal, one day, or several days, the point is to humble yourself in a new way and draw near to God. Here are three common ways to fast:
- Selective Fast | During a selective fast, you eliminate certain things from your diet. For example, eat only fruits and vegetables, what some might call a “Daniel Fast.” (View a sample food list.)
- Partial Fast | During a partial fast, you refrain from eating for a set period of time each day. You could choose to fast from a single meal or from sunup to sundown.
- Complete Fast | During a complete fast, you refrain from eating and only drink liquids for particular days or even for an extended period of time.
If fasting from food is not possible, you may feel led by the Lord to fast from something else, such as social media, television, or certain times or activities on your cell phone.
Prayer
Praying is spiritual breathing, essential for our life in God. As we meditate on God’s Word, we breathe in the promises and purposes of God. In prayer, we breathe out, responding to God’s Word to us. Together, let’s put our faith into action, trusting in the promises of God for us and our church. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you pray:
- Time and Place: Commit to a specific time each day to devote to prayer. Find a place where you can be free of distractions and be alone with God.
- Keep It Balanced:
P – Praise Prayer starts by fixing our eyes, heart, attention and affections on God!
R – Repent Pause and ask God to show you what is not honoring and pleasing to Him in your life.
A – Ask Ask for specific needs in your life and the lives of others.
Y – Yield Ask God to direct your steps, to help you walk in His ways. Yield your will to His will. Seek His Kingdom more than your own.
- Write: Take it a step further and journal your prayers each day, simply writing out your prayers to God. It’s a great opportunity to hide God’s Word in your heart, working to memorize verses as you meditate and pray.
- Join Others: Consider ways to pray with others. Set up a Zoom call or meet in person with friends or members of your small group. Pray together as a family.
In all of this, our hope is to draw near to God, declaring our dependence on Him.