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| 42 Days of I am proposing a congregational 40-day fast, beginning Monday, July 21st and ending with a “Break-fast Picnic” on August 31st (Labor Day weekend). HOLD ON! Before you freak out about the 40-day thing, I need to let you know that it’s technically 42 days, so I guess there’s even more reason to be concerned! Before you think I’ve totally lost it, let me explain my vision for this. I said it was a “congregational” fast, which means none of us are expected to do the “Jesus-in-the-wilderness” fast for 40 days on our own. What I am hoping will happen is that each one of us will prayerfully choose one day out of the week to fast, for six weeks. So, let’s say I choose Mondays. During the 6-week fast, I do not eat any food on Mondays until 5:00 PM. Why five o’clock? No reason…just a number that popped into my head. I would like to have you pray about this, and then let the office know which day you are choosing, so we can, hopefully, have all 7 days of the week covered, meaning that for the 42 days, someone in our congregation will be fasting on any given day. I’m not looking for 7 volunteers here; what I am looking for is for each one of us, young and old, to choose a day (or at the very least, one meal a week) in which we will fast and pray for some specific purposes, which I will share with all of you in the coming weeks. So, take some time to pray—heck, you can even fast and pray about this—and when the Holy Spirit reveals to you what day He wants you to choose, e-mail us at office@newhope4square.org with your choice. Don’t forget to let us know who you are! For specific teaching on what exactly is meant when I say a “fast,” download my teaching of July 13th and hear for yourself. That way I don’t have to take the time to write it all down for you here, okay? Just a note of concern: If you have serious health issues, please check with your doctor to see if you can do a modified fast that won’t affect your health in a negative way. Okay, I know I’m dropping this in your lap last-minute, and I have no idea how many people will participate. The one thing I do know is this is only the beginning. In order for us to really move into all God has destined New Hope for, we must get serious about fasting and praying (don’t forget ACTS from July 6th). We must make the necessary sacrifices in order for us to really move in love and power in a way that will impact our community! So it begins… Week 2: July 28-Aug 3 Hello all of you amazing people! I hope your experience with fasting has been good so far, and I pray that you will continue to seek to know God better as these next 5 weeks unfold before us. Lisa and I are fasting on Wednesdays, and we decided to read a chapter of Ephesians every Wednesday morning during the time we would normally eat breakfast. Also, we have chosen two situations each to be interceding about for the full 6 weeks, and we pray together for God to move on behalf of the people we are praying for. Beyond these, I also want to have a specific prayer focus for each week; something we can be praying through as a corporate Body. This week, our focus will be on Turning to God and His word. Here are some suggestions of things you could do: • Spend time in adoration to God. Recite aloud as many of
His names as you can recall, and praise Him for each part of who
He is. These are just a few suggestions…I know there are far more creative people out there, so just let the Holy Spirit and your own God-given creativity guide you. The key is that we turn our hearts and our focus back onto the Lord and His precious word. We are a blessed people to have the Word of God so easily accessible! Plus, we do not need to go through a priest to talk with the Creator of the universe; we have direct access to His throne of mercy! Let’s not take that for granted… Week 3: Aug 4 -10 Hey everyone! How’s the journey going so far? I’ve
heard from several people that the fasting has been a challenge
from the get-go, and it hasn’t been any different for me.
It’s like this: If I miss a meal because I’m busy and
forget, I don’t even think about it. However, the moment I
say, “I am fasting,” I hear these gurgling sounds welling
up from my intestines and these huge hunger pangs start beating
on the walls of my empty stomach! Those sounds and pains are simply
the sound of obedience, and they are music to Papa’s ears.
? Week 4: Aug 11-17 We are halfway finished with our 42-day journey in prayer and fasting.
Congratulations on making it this far! Now that we have turned our
heart’s focus back on God and His word, and now that we have
examined our hearts in light of God’s love, I want us to focus
on the most important ministry any of us are ever given: the ministry
to our families. My prayer is that family relationships that have
been broken or strained would be mended and put back in proper alignment.
As a spouse, parent, or child, may you let Papa work in your heart
so that you may be a blessing to your family this week. I pray that
the Spirit would go forth and soften the hearts of our families
towards one another so there can be strong connections that the
enemy cannot break. • Write out the names of your family members and pray for
each of them, one at a time and by name. Ask God to bless them (even
if you might be struggling with any of them…). Do not underestimate how much God can be glorified through a family that chooses to honor Him and to honor one another. Do not be afraid to say the following two phrases as often as needed: “I love you” and “I am sorry.” So much damage and hurt can begin to be healed with those simple words spoken in humility and real love. Week 5: Aug 18-24 As the weeks of fasting and prayer go by, I find myself getting
a little more focused each week, but nothing beyond that—nothing
I would term “extraordinary”. I’ve chatted with
a few people who are also fasting, and so far we are all feeling
the same thing: God isn’t necessarily blowing the doors off
of our minds and giving us heavenly revelation when we fast. If
that has been your experience, please do not be discouraged. The
point of what we’re doing is simply to be obedient to God’s
word; it’s not “what we are going to get out of it.”
If we have expectations, we may be setting ourselves up for disappointment.
Who knows what tough ground we may be breaking up presently, the
results of which we may not see with our own perceptions for some
time? Let us offer up a sacrifice of praise by simply being obedient
and open to whatever the LORD would want to teach us through all
this. Week 6 – August 25th – 31st At last! One final week of fasting, then we get to PIG OUT together next Sunday! I can’t wait… Speaking of Sunday, please check your assignments for food and
be sure to bring plenty to share. We are going to have so much fun
together, and it won’t just be chatting over a wonderful potluck
meal, either. We will have a giant water-slide (bring swimsuit),
our new playground (hopefully), and we plan on having some whacky
Olympic competitions going on as well (including full-on Wiffle-Ball
and even the Hammer-throw!). If you aren’t going out of town
for the weekend, please join us as we connect by simply having fun
and laughing together as a family. • Adore Papa God, first. The point of all this is not to get your neighbor/co-worker/classmate “saved,” though that just might happen and would be AWESOME; the point is to bless, Bless, BLESS, and BLESS some more! Papa wants His people to be a blessing to all nations, so let’s start with our own nation, right here, in our own backyard. See you Sunday, and bring testimonies to share! |
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