Fasting
Below you will find a summary of this week’s teaching, along with daily prayer prompts. You can also download a printable version of the daily prompts.
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Fasting is another powerful spiritual practice that goes hand in hand with prayer. Pastor Stephanie laid out a clear Biblical picture of what fasting is, why we fast, and how we see fasting modeled in the Bible.
When we fast, we voluntarily give up something—usually food—for a period of time in order to draw near to God.
Jesus fasted (Matt. 4:1-2, Matt. 17:21) and expected His disciples to fast (Matt. 6:16, Mark 2:19-20).
We don’t fast to “prove” something to God or “demand” something from Him; rather, fasting helps us become aware… aware of our own weakness and inability, aware of our need for God, and aware of His voice and sustenance. It’s a posture of humility.
God truly is our daily bread; we do not live “by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
When we fast, our flesh gets quieted and loses its power over us. It’s a time of recalibration and reset.
Fasting invites us to deepen our intimacy with Jesus and increase our sensitivity to His Spirit.
We must avoid the pitfall of making “fasting” the focus rather than God… it shouldn’t be motivated out of religious ritual or guilt, and it shouldn’t be an exercise of our “strength.”
When we fast the way God wants, we start to care about the things that He cares about (Isaiah 58:6-7), and we receive His grace for it!
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This week, we invite you to lean in with us as we fast together! Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight how He would like you to participate—He can reveal what to fast, and also why. The what and the why will be different for most of us, and we’ve provided a few suggestions below. Whatever your answers are, write them down somewhere where you can be reminded. When you feel hungry, turn to Him in prayer and thanksgiving and ask Him to fill you. Turn to His Word and intentionally feast upon it to sustain you. Reading Scripture while fasting helps turn our thoughts of physical hunger into deeper hunger for Him. Try meditating on the psalms David wrote describing his feelings of fasting as He turned to God (Psalm 42:1-2; 63:1-8; 73:25-26;119:20,81; and 143:6).
What should you fast?
Fasting often involves abstaining from food, but it doesn’t have to mean completely stopping all eating, and it could involve things other than food:
You could fast a meal a day, or fast for a certain day or days this week.
You could limit yourself to juices, abstain from meat, eliminate sugar / junk food / desserts, or eat significantly less than normal.
You could fast from things other than food, like media, shopping, using your phone, recreation, or entertainment.
Whatever you choose, fasting should create awareness of your need, of your weakness and flesh… and lead you to find fulfillment in Jesus!
Why should you fast?
There can be many personal reasons to fast, and you should identify what that reason is for you specifically. Simply “because your church is doing it” is a great reason—you don’t need something more specific than that. But, fasting is often done for specific reasons—is there a specific target the Lord would have you focus on while you are fasting this week?
Seeking God’s wisdom in a decision
Drawing closer to God
Pursuing breakthrough or freedom in an area in your life
Praying for a certain person’s salvation
Help to forgive and let go of an offence
Join us in unified prayer while we fast together!
As we all participate somehow this week, there will be such a beautiful unity as a community, and we’d invite you to use the daily Scripture prompt to agree toward some specific requests for our Imagine community.
Remember, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!
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Find a consistent time and place to set aside 20-30 minutes daily.
Print out the prayer prompts and Scriptures.
Invite family or roommates to join in, or find your own quiet space without distractions.
Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” and put it in the other room.
The prompts provided here are just a guide. Feel free to adjust and adapt during your prayer time.
Don’t worry if you miss one day. Just pick it up again the next day and keep going!
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“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately grow more in love with Jesus.
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“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:39
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately grow in our love for others.
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“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately experience the richness of the love of God.
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“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” Psalms 147:11
“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” Psalms 128:1
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” Psalms 111:10
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately grow in the fear of the Lord.
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“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:17-18
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately have the spirit of wisdom and revelation upon us to know Him more.
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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately hunger and thirst for righteousness.
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“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14
Let's agree together that we would individually and corporately be led by the Holy Spirit.