We want to invite our church onto the spiritual journey of a 21-day fast. God is looking to shift our focus like never before as we set our hearts on where He is calling us as a church body. The calling of this fast is not only for our church but for us as individuals as we desire to consume more of what Jesus has for us and less of what the world has to offer.
The goal of fasting is simply to draw near to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the rest and reset button of our souls and renews us from the inside out. Fasting also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, your personal fast should present a challenge, but it is very important to know your body, and options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
Each day you can find a prayer target and brief devotional below. We look forward to what the Lord wants to do in our church, and in our hearts, during this time of prayer and fasting.
The goal of fasting is simply to draw near to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the rest and reset button of our souls and renews us from the inside out. Fasting also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Remember, your personal fast should present a challenge, but it is very important to know your body, and options, and, most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
Each day you can find a prayer target and brief devotional below. We look forward to what the Lord wants to do in our church, and in our hearts, during this time of prayer and fasting.
Prayer targets
Day 21: Keep Jesus Front and Center
September 21st, 2022
"Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my father's house?" (Luke 2:49)Unbeknownst to Jesus' parents, they left Jerusalem after the annual Feast of the Passover without their 12-year-old Jesus. Once they realized he wasn't among them, they turned back the caravan and searched all over the city, looking for him. After three days, they finally found him in the temple, sittin...
Day 20: You've Been Put on Notice
September 20th, 2022
Day 20- You’ve been put on noticeDon’t freak out, but you need to know that people are watching you. Perhaps they’ve seen you taking different leaps of sacrifice during these last 20 days, and they’re paying attention to what happens in your life because of this 21- day journey.Whether you like it or not, people always have their eyes on Jesus’ followers. When Paul and Silas are in prison, praying...
Day 19: A New Thing
September 19th, 2022
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19)Sadly, our times with God and life in general can fall into the same old- same old monotony. What If I were to challenge you to put an end to this today? Are you ready for Go...
Day 18: Take off the Mask
September 18th, 2022
In Jesus’ day, prayer had become a spectator sport. He criticized and challenged the “hypocrites” who were trying to impress others with their public show of devotion. Think about that strong word Jesus used- hypocrite. The term was used for actors, who at that time wore masks. Some masks had megaphones built in so the actor’s words would not be muffled. And often, the same actor would play severa...
Day 17: Trust Jesus, pick up your mat, and walk!
September 17th, 2022
Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." John 5:8 To appreciate the value of Jesus' command, you must consider the day's culture. Today, although some may feel we don't do enough, there are limited opportunities for the physically handicapped to work and lead productive lives. In Christ's time on earth, the handicapped were outcasts. They lived off handouts they could obtain fr...
Day 16: Don\'t Ever Stop
September 16th, 2022
It's been said that the average adult makes about 35,000 decisions a day. From the moment you arise, your decision-making process begins. With so many decisions to make, it can be hard to know where to spend your time. Scripture gives us insight into what we can do to fulfill God's will in our lives, and this involves praying without ceasing. When we choose to pray continually, we renew our thinki...
Day 15: Perspective
September 15th, 2022
Recently, I’ve been wrestling through this thought that came my way…“Stress is caused by how we interpret a situation. It is created by what we are focusing on. Change your focus, and you will change how you feel about the situation.”To be honest, this can be hard for me. Perspective is such a tricky thing. It’s sometimes solid, fickle, deceptive, and sometimes true. And depending on how I interpr...
Day 14: Be Still and Know
September 14th, 2022
Finding "stillness" in our busy, fast-paced world isn't so easy. To attain it means to do as the late Christian leader and philosopher Dallas Willard succinctly stated, "you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Whatever has been distracting, derailing, and depleting you, my prayer is that you would find rest in His stillness today and that those things would not prevail. I'm believing ...
Day 13: Keep it Going
September 13th, 2022
As we approach the latter part of our time of fasting and prayer, you probably sense that God has begun uniquely moving in your heart over the last several days. Fasting and prayer have a way of quieting our hearts so that God will not only start to work in the situations we have been praying for, but he often works deeply in our hearts as we draw close to him.Leviticus 6:9 gives us a clear pictur...
Day 12: Failing Forward
September 12th, 2022
This past Saturday, I had the joy of watching our four-year-old boy play his first flag football game! From prepping him with some daddy pep talk, tying his cleats, and making sure his flags were on tightly, I enjoyed every bit and all in with that good ol’ daddy pride! You can imagine how I must’ve felt when I watched my son take the first offensive snap from the backfield and started eluding def...
Day 11: Sacrificial Living
September 11th, 2022
“What a sacrifice that saved my life.” O the Blood by Gateway WorshipOn this day, 21 years ago, many of us can remember where we were as we heard (or watched live) the news that two planes had crashed into the twin towers in New York City. This act of evil cemented the horrible reality that America was under attack. In the wake of this tragedy were a myriad of stories, photos, and reflections capt...
Day 10: New Seasons, New Reasons
September 10th, 2022
Things are constantly changing around us. We go from season to season in life – Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall – yes- how can you not be excited about fall!? Just as the seasons change, so does every other aspect of life. Even though we must accept that change is constant, it doesn’t mean it is easy.Change always brings both excitement and uncertainty as we try to navigate the new opportunity or cha...
Day 9: The Power of AND
September 9th, 2022
In Mark Chapter 9, a father brought his son to Jesus’ disciples. The boy was demonized and epileptic. Even though God had healed people through the disciples before, nothing happened when they prayed. When the disciples brought the boy to Jesus, the boy was healed. Later the disciples asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we do it?” Jesus answered in verse 29, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but ...
Day 8: Short-term denial, long-term gain
September 8th, 2022
The story of Nehemiah is a powerful example of the favor that comes with denying ourselves for the purpose of drawing near to God. Nehemiah worked for a powerful pagan king – one that did not worship the God of Israel. When Nehemiah heard how the city walls in his hometown of Jerusalem had been burned and left in ruins, he knew he had to do something about it. The problem was that the king Nehemia...
Day 7: A Man Just Like Us
September 7th, 2022
Prayer is such an important element in the life of the believer. It is our direct connection with God. Whose prayers will God answer? Ours, if we trust in Jesus as Savior. James tells us that Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours. He was just like us. He had similar passions as we do. In God’s eyes, the great prophet Elijah was just like any other righteous person. James tells us that the ...
Day 6: Spirit-Empowered for the Impossible
September 6th, 2022
Someone once said, “Faith sees the invisible, faith hears the inaudible, faith does the impossible.” But what pathway does faith travel to see the impossible realized? In 1 Kings 17, the nation of Israel is no longer experiencing the blessing of God in their lives and on their land. The people have followed their King, Ahab, into paganism and idolatry. But, during their rebellion, God sent a proph...
Day 5: Power in our Praise!
September 5th, 2022
As followers of Jesus, we have been given powerful tools directly from the heart of God to sustain and empower us as we journey through this life with the Lord. There is power in fasting and praise, and when we get a hold of God’s heart for us, we can live lives of unspeakable joy and purpose. In Psalm 68:1-10, we see the example of a God who is a constant refuge, father to the fatherless, and pro...
Day 4: Real Worshippers Never Sit Down
September 4th, 2022
“A time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23 During a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus makes a bold declaration on what true worship is. This woman is there for water- He speaks of living water that provides eternal life. She recognizes he is a prophet of the Jews and tries to argue where worship s...
Day 3: Fighting our Battles Biblically
September 3rd, 2022
During this time of prayer and fasting, in humility, we are calling on the Lord. We recognize that we are finite and unable to meet the challenges we face without God’s help. Simply put, WE NEED HIM! So, we set ourselves to call upon our God, just as the children of Israel did during the reign of King Jehoshaphat. In 2 Chronicles 20, a great multitude was coming against Israel. Jehoshaphat, though...
Day 2: Dependence on God Through Prayer and Fasting
September 2nd, 2022
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 A father brought his son to Jesus to be healed. He said, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. “If you can?” Jesus replied. “Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:22-23). The father responded with the words of our verse today. I believe that, to some extent, there is a spiritual struggle within the soul of every...