We have a very healthy tradition at APC to take a week at the beginning of a new year and spend it in concentrated corporate praying and fasting. Many of us will begin a liquid-only fast on Sunday after lunch and will continue through until Friday night after the final Prayer Service.
Some choose to fast a meal or a day. Others may fast lunch every day that week and spend that meal moment in prayer. Some may do a modified (Daniel-fast) throughout the week. If you are planning on doing a season of corporate fasting and prayer in your church, or if you are planning on joining in with the APC fast...let me make some recommendations.
TEN STEPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF A FAST:
1. Prepare Yourself Mentally + Physically - Fasting is something that needs an ADVANCED DECISION. Spur of the moment fasting often ends in pre-mature eating. So decide a week or so in advance what your plan of action is. Then make yourself accountable to someone. Tell someone what you are going to do and ask them to fast with you or simply back you up in it.
A great little booklet to read to prepare physically and spiritually is Bill Bright's 7 Steps To Fasting + Prayer. Also, if you have any health issues, check with a Dr. prior to making a commitment.
2. Adjust Your Schedule For Maximum Benefit - This is a moment to purposefully slow yourself down and create margin for rest and for God. If you allow busyness to overtaking you, you may end up with a week of 'not eating'. But fasting has a twin sister...PRAYING.
So decide in advance when and where you will have prayer moments throughout the day. Purpose to spend the time in prayer that you would normally spend on eating or entertaining yourself.
3. If Possible, Commit To Corporate Prayer/Worship Gatherings - We purposefully schedule a special worship service every night of the Week because evenings are the most difficult times to fast. So we come together to worship and hear the Word. Being together reminds us that we are not alone in this. We also can focus our prayers in agreement with others which adds power to our process.
Every afternoon, we have a NOON PRAYER GATHERING in the Prayer Chapel for those who can spend their lunch hour at the church in prayer.
4. Identify Some Good Reading Material - I try to limit my TV viewing and Internet surfing during this week. During that time, I may read a spiritually challenging book to feed my mind and my soul.
More in a later post...
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