Back to the Future: Prayer and Fasting
Copyright: South Bay Community Church
Sermon Reflections: Back to the Future: Prayer and Fasting
Date: 14 January 2024
Speaker: Lead Pastor Tammy Long
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:5-8, 16-18
Sermon Reflections: Back to the Future: Prayer and Fasting
Date: 14 January 2024
Speaker: Lead Pastor Tammy Long
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:5-8, 16-18
Sermon Preamble
We are continuing our mini-series, “Back to the Future,” with the idea that sometimes we must go back to go forward. God is timeless. The details, the circumstances, or the context may change, but the principles and truths of God are constant. God’s basics are a firm foundation that we sometimes must revisit for wherever God is leading us into the future. In this message, we are looking at prayer and fasting, two spiritual practices that have been around for thousands of years and resonate within our souls as ways to connect with the sacred, the holy, and the divine God. In communicating with God, prayer has been a core practice for thousands of years, and it is today. As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this weekend, it is fitting to hear his words: “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Similarly, fasting has been a core practice for thousands of years. Dr. King engaged in fasting as a spiritual discipline of self-sacrifice, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed, and to connect with God for discernment, wisdom, and spiritual power. Pastor and theologian, John Piper said, “Fasting is at heart…an intensification of prayer. It’s a physical exclamation point to the end of the sentence: “We hunger for you to come in power.” “It’s a cry with your body, I really mean it, Lord This much I hunger for you.” From the beginning, prayer, and fasting has been about connecting with God with God at the center. Fasting is about emptying ourselves to make room for God. Prayer is communing with God in our fast. As we do, God fills us with God’s character and many blessings.
Biblical understanding of prayer as specific, personal, and a core practice
For God’s Children of Israel, going back to ancient times, morning, afternoon, and evening were occasions for prayer. Daniel 6:10 reads, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room…. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Sometimes, when we think about prayers in Bible times, we may picture prayers as formulas, stilted, rote, or methodical spoken to a distant God. However, that was not true for those who truly worshipped God (Yahweh). In the Jewish tradition, even in Jesus’ day on earth, prayers were diverse, lively, and spontaneous. Their prayers reflected an understanding that God was a relational God who personally interacted with the faithful. The Old Testament Prayers were specific and personal. The Psalms contain many examples of prayer to God who is in personal relationship with us. In 1st Samuel 1:12-14, Hannah at the altar prayed her heart out to such a degree that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. Prayer was a big deal and personal both in ancient times and today, as noted by Dr. King. The synagogue was known as a place of prayer. Jesus called it a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13).
Prayer, communicating with God, has always been a core practice and has always been basic to walking with God, as it is today. It has been a core practice even when God’s people did not get it right, misunderstood God’s response, or did not listen to God’s directions.
Biblical understanding of fasting as a core practice
Fasting has been a core practice for thousands of years. There are a myriad of examples of fasting in the Bible. Here is a list from the Old Testament and the variety of reasons they fasted. Abraham’s servant fasted when seeking a bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:33). Moses fasted many times, including when he met with God and received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28). Hannah fasted as she prayed for a child (1 Samuel 1:7-8). David fasted on several occasions, including fasting for healing and miraculous intervention (2 Samuel 12:22). Elijah fasted after fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8). Ezra fasted for protection and direction for Israel (Ezra 8:21-22). Nehemiah fasted in mourning for the broken walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4). Esther fasted when God’s people were to be exterminated (Esther 4:16). Daniel fasted on numerous occasions to connect with God (Daniel 1:12-13). There are many more examples.
Fasting, especially in the Old Testament, is most often tied to mourning, repentance before God, seeking God’s wisdom and direction, and asking for God’s favor and victory in times of danger. Fasting had benefits that were both personal and for the community.
Following the model of Jesus in prayer and fasting
By the time Jesus comes in the New Testament, the practices of prayer and fasting are deeply embedded in the religious life of God’s people. Raised in a Jewish home, Jesus leaned to pray at an early age and was accustomed to morning, afternoon, and evening prayer. Jesus would have been encouraged to cultivate a personal relationship with God (Yahweh) through praise, confession, and petitions. We see Jesus engaged with prayer regularly as an adult.
Jesus also fasted. The Gospels detail Jesus’ fast of 40 days in the wilderness as He prepared for ministry.
For Jesus, prayer and fasting was a basic foundation. That is why Jesus says, “When you pray,” not if you pray (Matthew 6:5a), and Jesus says, “When you fast,” not if you fast (Matthew 6:16a). Jesus isn’t merely encouraging people to practice prayer and fasting. Instead, Jesus is restoring a closer relationship with God in a reset restoration in their deep inner self. Jesus is taking them back to God’s intention for prayer and fasting, so they can move into a stronger future with God.
From the beginning, prayer and fasting have always been about connecting with God and drawing closer to God. In times of mourning, times of seeking repentance, times of seeking wisdom, or seeking God’s favor for God’s glory, prayer and fasting have always been about God at the center.
God’s people of Israel got off track and made prayer and fasting about them
Jesus is speaking in Matthew 6: 5“When you pray don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth; that is all the reward they will ever get….7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them….” 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth; that is the only reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:5-8 &16).
Jesus is addressing how they made prayer and fasting about seeking attention for their perceived piety. They were relishing the praises from others, not from God. They were trying to manipulate God by repeating words over and over in the hope that God would do what they wanted as opposed to seeking what God wanted.
Jesus says don’t do what the pagans (those who don’t know God) do. Jesus calls it hypocritical. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word referring to the masks actors wore in those days. As hypocrites, the way they were engaging with prayer and fasting was an act for show. The only benefit and reward they would receive was the public applause they were after.
Jesus is challenging them and us today to check the motives behind our prayers and fasting
Prayer and fasting is not about trying to get God to love you more. God cannot love you any more than God already loves you.
Prayer and fasting is not a weight loss strategy. You may lose weight. But if that is your motive, your focus will be on losing weight, and not on God.
Jesus specifically stated that prayer and fasting is not about impressing others. Even if others are impressed, it is momentary and empty.
Jesus teaches what to do as the right motives for prayer and fasting
Jesus teaches in Matthew 6, “6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble… for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him….17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6-7, 17-18). Jesus clarifies that prayer and fasting is really about an intimate and private connection with God that is born out of a personal relationship of walking with God.
Most dwellings in the 1st Century did not have a private room where they could go and shut the door. Jesus is referring to the private room of one’s heart and painting a picture of intimacy. There is humility even when praying publicly or fasting communally. It is all about God in the privacy of one’s heart. God alone is all that matters; God is the audience of one. Jesus reminds them that they don’t have to convince God by babbling the same things over and over. Their loving Heavenly Father already knows what they need.
Jesus shares in Matthew 6:9-15, verses we know as the Lord’s Prayer where we align our prayer with God’s priorities. We tell God our needs and concerns in prayer of connection and sharing. Telling God our needs reminds us that God is the source of our blessings. We are not sharing in order for God to be informed; God already knows. God gives us God’s best, not everything we ask God for. In prayer, we share to create space for God to speak back. The private intimacy of prayer and fasting practices allows us to connect with God and God to connect with us. Often when we do, God changes our hearts, our perspectives, and our desires when we spend time with the loving God.
Blessings and benefits from God rewarding us
“Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6,18). These rewards are a by-product of our time with God. Fasting is about emptying ourselves to make room for God. Prayer is communing with God in our fast. As we do that, God fills us with God characteristics and many blessings.
The blessings of fasting from the gifts of God’s grace include: 1. Hear from God. 2. See God’s vision for the world, ourselves, and our families more clearly. 3. Renew strength, courage, and confidence. 4. Deepen spiritual hunger for God. 5. Direct and provide insight for decisions to be made. 6. Deepen sense of God’s presence and peace. 7. Increase in love for others. 8. Provide spiritual clarity and wisdom. 10. Experience God’s forgiveness and grace through confession and repentance. 11. Increase sense to intercede for others. 12. Recognize God’s calling for something. 13. Increase solidarity with the hungry and poor. 14. Experience spiritual refreshment and revival.
You may not experience all of these, or experience them right away. Sometimes they come after the time of fasting. Through prayer and fasting, we have set the table for God to come. In some way or another, God will come.
The uncomfortable question becomes whether we really want to spend more time together with God
God does not force God’s way in. God allows us to determine how much of God we want in our lives. In this new year, God is inviting us to go back for more of God as we walk into the future. But the decision is ours.
Let’s consider the God space in the privacy of your heart. With this message, our church is starting 21 days of prayer and fasting. God knows exactly what you need in your soul. God knows what your daily needs are right now. God knows your concerns. God wants you to come to God about all of it. God knows where God is leading you and what you will need for what lies ahead.
God is inviting our church into these 21 days of prayer and fasting. This is a posture of worship and humility. Walking with God closely over these next 21days of prayer and fasting is God’s invitation for us to do this together. It will be just you and God in the privacy of your heart. God wants to meet us in a fresh way this year. God wants to draw us closer. God wants to give us power. God has extended God’s hand. God is inviting us to be open and humble before God.
Biblical postures of prayer are for connecting with God and expressing love, humility, and worship
There is the posture of standing, “And when you stand praying…” (Mark 11:25). There is the posture of lifted hands, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.” (Psalms 134:2). There is the posture of bowing, “Come let us bow down in worship” (Psalms 95:6a). There is the posture of kneeling, “let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalms 95:6b). There is the posture of prostrate, where we lay flat out on the floor or ground, “Abraham fell face down (while talking to God)” (Genesis 17:3).
Psalms 35:10 declares, “My whole being will exclaim, ‘who is like you Lord?’”
Let’s enter into a time of worship with postures of prayer as the song moves through our bodies
Let’s enter this special time of worship between you and God with this video link for the song as you are physically able:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkcNg7VXuFtMLZivErXq7xu_pY_pWgP5/view?usp=drive_link
Let’s continue worship with reading this congregational call and response prayer
Leader: Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we gather here to embark on a sacred journey, a 21-Day voyage of fasting and prayer. As we stand at the threshold of this spiritual endeavor, let us prepare our hearts and minds for the days ahead.
Congregation: With humble hearts, we are ready to journey with the Lord.
Leader: In these days of fasting, we abstain not just from food, but from all that distances us from God’s love. Let us embrace simplicity, that we may find abundance in God’s presence.
Congregation: May our sacrifice be a gateway to deeper faith and closer communion with You, O Lord.
Leader: Remember the words of Christ: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. Anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.”
Congregation: In secret and in truth, we seek You, O Lord.
Leader: Let us pray for strength that we may endure; for wisdom, that we may discern; and for love, that we may serve others even as we seek God’s face.
Congregation: Grant us strength, wisdom, and love, Heavenly Father.
Leader: As we journey these 21 days, let us remember those in need, those who hunger, and those who suffer. May our fasting remind us of the greater fast–to loosen the chains of injustice and to share our bread with the hungry?
Congregation: May our actions reflect Your love and mercy to all, O God.
Leader: Let us now commit ourselves to this sacred time, trusting in the Lord’s grace and mercy to sustain us.
Congregation: We commit to this path of fasting and prayer, trusting in Your divine guidance, O Lord.
Leader: Go forth in peace and spiritual fervor, knowing that the God who calls us to this time of fasting and prayer is with us, now and forever.
Congregation: Amen. With God’s help, we will walk this path with faith and devotion.
Application: What to do with our fasting time
(1)Read the bible, a devotional or spiritual literature. (2)Walk and talk with God. (3)Enjoy God’s presence in solitude and silence; take a nap. (4)Journal and reflect on what you are haring, seeing, sensing from God. (5)Slow down, be still, and become aware of God’s presence around you. (6)Enjoy worship music. (7)Spend time with God in nature. (8)Share with soul friends. (9)Do whatever you do to best connect with God.
It is also good to share with a soul friend what you are hearing and discovering. That soul friend can help affirm, celebrate, or listen with you.
Application: During our 21 days of prayer and fasting as South Bay Community Church
Our theme for this year is walking with God. Please find your rhythm with God by going back (reviewing) to the basics of prayer and fasting. This will help you walk with God well into the future. Also, consider how you best connect with God; discover the joy of being with God as well as doing for God; realize the power from God when people come together and humble themselves prayer and fasting in unity together.
You can participate through the “You Version app.” The bible study plan we are choosing is called, “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting” that will not take you very long to be with God each day.
If you don’t have the app, (a) download the app, (b) click Discover at the bottom, (c) search for South Bay, (d) you can make select South Bay, and you will see our church’s featured plan. Our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting plan is on our website, www.sobcc.org.
Big Picture
Fasting is not easy. We like our routines, and we like being comfortable. Fasting disrupts both. As written by the Apostle Paul, “God’s power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let’s meet God in a special way these next 21 days of prayer and fasting.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FOR USE IN FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-How are prayer and fasting connected? Why are prayer and fasting not done in isolation?
Biblical understanding of prayer as specific, personal, and a core practice
-What are some examples of biblical scripture that treat prayer as a core practice?
Biblical understanding of fasting as a core practice
-What are examples of biblical scripture that treat fasting as a core practice started thousands of years ago?
Following the model of Jesus in prayer and fasting
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. In Jesus’ capacity as fully human and fully God, in what ways does Jesus model for us prayer and fasting?
God’s people of Israel got off track and made prayer and fasting about them
-What would limit the benefits flowing from God in prayer?
-What are the motives of fasting that Jesus taught would limit the benefits flowing from God?
Jesus is challenging them and us today to check the motives behind our prayers and fasting
-What possible motives behind prayers and fasting do we need to check and eliminate in order to have God centered prayer and fasting?
Jesus teaches what to do as the right motives for prayer and fasting
What does Jesus teach about prayer that will result in rewards from the Heavenly Father?
What does Jesus teach about fasting that will result in rewards from the Heavenly Father?
Blessings and benefits from God rewarding us
If you have fasted, what blessings have you received from God’s grace?
The uncomfortable question becomes whether we really want to spend more time together with God
-What limitations, if any, have you placed on the amount of time you are focused on God in fasting and prayer? -In what ways will you adjust time restrictions for accepting God’s invitation of fasting and prayer?
Biblical postures of prayer are for connecting with God and expressing love, humility, and worship
-What biblical posture of prayer is most helpful to you in connecting with God? What other postures would you like to try in expressing love, humility and worship?
Application: What to do with our fasting time
-Which practices resonate with you for connecting with God during fasting time?
Application: During our 21 days of prayer and fasting as South Bay Community Church
-What difference will prayer and fasting make when South Bay Community Church is fasts and prays together in unity?
Big Picture
Why is fasting not easy?
We are continuing our mini-series, “Back to the Future,” with the idea that sometimes we must go back to go forward. God is timeless. The details, the circumstances, or the context may change, but the principles and truths of God are constant. God’s basics are a firm foundation that we sometimes must revisit for wherever God is leading us into the future. In this message, we are looking at prayer and fasting, two spiritual practices that have been around for thousands of years and resonate within our souls as ways to connect with the sacred, the holy, and the divine God. In communicating with God, prayer has been a core practice for thousands of years, and it is today. As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this weekend, it is fitting to hear his words: “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Similarly, fasting has been a core practice for thousands of years. Dr. King engaged in fasting as a spiritual discipline of self-sacrifice, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed, and to connect with God for discernment, wisdom, and spiritual power. Pastor and theologian, John Piper said, “Fasting is at heart…an intensification of prayer. It’s a physical exclamation point to the end of the sentence: “We hunger for you to come in power.” “It’s a cry with your body, I really mean it, Lord This much I hunger for you.” From the beginning, prayer, and fasting has been about connecting with God with God at the center. Fasting is about emptying ourselves to make room for God. Prayer is communing with God in our fast. As we do, God fills us with God’s character and many blessings.
Biblical understanding of prayer as specific, personal, and a core practice
For God’s Children of Israel, going back to ancient times, morning, afternoon, and evening were occasions for prayer. Daniel 6:10 reads, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room…. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Sometimes, when we think about prayers in Bible times, we may picture prayers as formulas, stilted, rote, or methodical spoken to a distant God. However, that was not true for those who truly worshipped God (Yahweh). In the Jewish tradition, even in Jesus’ day on earth, prayers were diverse, lively, and spontaneous. Their prayers reflected an understanding that God was a relational God who personally interacted with the faithful. The Old Testament Prayers were specific and personal. The Psalms contain many examples of prayer to God who is in personal relationship with us. In 1st Samuel 1:12-14, Hannah at the altar prayed her heart out to such a degree that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. Prayer was a big deal and personal both in ancient times and today, as noted by Dr. King. The synagogue was known as a place of prayer. Jesus called it a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13).
Prayer, communicating with God, has always been a core practice and has always been basic to walking with God, as it is today. It has been a core practice even when God’s people did not get it right, misunderstood God’s response, or did not listen to God’s directions.
Biblical understanding of fasting as a core practice
Fasting has been a core practice for thousands of years. There are a myriad of examples of fasting in the Bible. Here is a list from the Old Testament and the variety of reasons they fasted. Abraham’s servant fasted when seeking a bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:33). Moses fasted many times, including when he met with God and received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28). Hannah fasted as she prayed for a child (1 Samuel 1:7-8). David fasted on several occasions, including fasting for healing and miraculous intervention (2 Samuel 12:22). Elijah fasted after fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8). Ezra fasted for protection and direction for Israel (Ezra 8:21-22). Nehemiah fasted in mourning for the broken walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4). Esther fasted when God’s people were to be exterminated (Esther 4:16). Daniel fasted on numerous occasions to connect with God (Daniel 1:12-13). There are many more examples.
Fasting, especially in the Old Testament, is most often tied to mourning, repentance before God, seeking God’s wisdom and direction, and asking for God’s favor and victory in times of danger. Fasting had benefits that were both personal and for the community.
Following the model of Jesus in prayer and fasting
By the time Jesus comes in the New Testament, the practices of prayer and fasting are deeply embedded in the religious life of God’s people. Raised in a Jewish home, Jesus leaned to pray at an early age and was accustomed to morning, afternoon, and evening prayer. Jesus would have been encouraged to cultivate a personal relationship with God (Yahweh) through praise, confession, and petitions. We see Jesus engaged with prayer regularly as an adult.
Jesus also fasted. The Gospels detail Jesus’ fast of 40 days in the wilderness as He prepared for ministry.
For Jesus, prayer and fasting was a basic foundation. That is why Jesus says, “When you pray,” not if you pray (Matthew 6:5a), and Jesus says, “When you fast,” not if you fast (Matthew 6:16a). Jesus isn’t merely encouraging people to practice prayer and fasting. Instead, Jesus is restoring a closer relationship with God in a reset restoration in their deep inner self. Jesus is taking them back to God’s intention for prayer and fasting, so they can move into a stronger future with God.
From the beginning, prayer and fasting have always been about connecting with God and drawing closer to God. In times of mourning, times of seeking repentance, times of seeking wisdom, or seeking God’s favor for God’s glory, prayer and fasting have always been about God at the center.
God’s people of Israel got off track and made prayer and fasting about them
Jesus is speaking in Matthew 6: 5“When you pray don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth; that is all the reward they will ever get….7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them….” 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth; that is the only reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:5-8 &16).
Jesus is addressing how they made prayer and fasting about seeking attention for their perceived piety. They were relishing the praises from others, not from God. They were trying to manipulate God by repeating words over and over in the hope that God would do what they wanted as opposed to seeking what God wanted.
Jesus says don’t do what the pagans (those who don’t know God) do. Jesus calls it hypocritical. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word referring to the masks actors wore in those days. As hypocrites, the way they were engaging with prayer and fasting was an act for show. The only benefit and reward they would receive was the public applause they were after.
Jesus is challenging them and us today to check the motives behind our prayers and fasting
Prayer and fasting is not about trying to get God to love you more. God cannot love you any more than God already loves you.
Prayer and fasting is not a weight loss strategy. You may lose weight. But if that is your motive, your focus will be on losing weight, and not on God.
Jesus specifically stated that prayer and fasting is not about impressing others. Even if others are impressed, it is momentary and empty.
Jesus teaches what to do as the right motives for prayer and fasting
Jesus teaches in Matthew 6, “6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble… for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him….17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6-7, 17-18). Jesus clarifies that prayer and fasting is really about an intimate and private connection with God that is born out of a personal relationship of walking with God.
Most dwellings in the 1st Century did not have a private room where they could go and shut the door. Jesus is referring to the private room of one’s heart and painting a picture of intimacy. There is humility even when praying publicly or fasting communally. It is all about God in the privacy of one’s heart. God alone is all that matters; God is the audience of one. Jesus reminds them that they don’t have to convince God by babbling the same things over and over. Their loving Heavenly Father already knows what they need.
Jesus shares in Matthew 6:9-15, verses we know as the Lord’s Prayer where we align our prayer with God’s priorities. We tell God our needs and concerns in prayer of connection and sharing. Telling God our needs reminds us that God is the source of our blessings. We are not sharing in order for God to be informed; God already knows. God gives us God’s best, not everything we ask God for. In prayer, we share to create space for God to speak back. The private intimacy of prayer and fasting practices allows us to connect with God and God to connect with us. Often when we do, God changes our hearts, our perspectives, and our desires when we spend time with the loving God.
Blessings and benefits from God rewarding us
“Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6,18). These rewards are a by-product of our time with God. Fasting is about emptying ourselves to make room for God. Prayer is communing with God in our fast. As we do that, God fills us with God characteristics and many blessings.
The blessings of fasting from the gifts of God’s grace include: 1. Hear from God. 2. See God’s vision for the world, ourselves, and our families more clearly. 3. Renew strength, courage, and confidence. 4. Deepen spiritual hunger for God. 5. Direct and provide insight for decisions to be made. 6. Deepen sense of God’s presence and peace. 7. Increase in love for others. 8. Provide spiritual clarity and wisdom. 10. Experience God’s forgiveness and grace through confession and repentance. 11. Increase sense to intercede for others. 12. Recognize God’s calling for something. 13. Increase solidarity with the hungry and poor. 14. Experience spiritual refreshment and revival.
You may not experience all of these, or experience them right away. Sometimes they come after the time of fasting. Through prayer and fasting, we have set the table for God to come. In some way or another, God will come.
The uncomfortable question becomes whether we really want to spend more time together with God
God does not force God’s way in. God allows us to determine how much of God we want in our lives. In this new year, God is inviting us to go back for more of God as we walk into the future. But the decision is ours.
Let’s consider the God space in the privacy of your heart. With this message, our church is starting 21 days of prayer and fasting. God knows exactly what you need in your soul. God knows what your daily needs are right now. God knows your concerns. God wants you to come to God about all of it. God knows where God is leading you and what you will need for what lies ahead.
God is inviting our church into these 21 days of prayer and fasting. This is a posture of worship and humility. Walking with God closely over these next 21days of prayer and fasting is God’s invitation for us to do this together. It will be just you and God in the privacy of your heart. God wants to meet us in a fresh way this year. God wants to draw us closer. God wants to give us power. God has extended God’s hand. God is inviting us to be open and humble before God.
Biblical postures of prayer are for connecting with God and expressing love, humility, and worship
There is the posture of standing, “And when you stand praying…” (Mark 11:25). There is the posture of lifted hands, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.” (Psalms 134:2). There is the posture of bowing, “Come let us bow down in worship” (Psalms 95:6a). There is the posture of kneeling, “let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalms 95:6b). There is the posture of prostrate, where we lay flat out on the floor or ground, “Abraham fell face down (while talking to God)” (Genesis 17:3).
Psalms 35:10 declares, “My whole being will exclaim, ‘who is like you Lord?’”
Let’s enter into a time of worship with postures of prayer as the song moves through our bodies
Let’s enter this special time of worship between you and God with this video link for the song as you are physically able:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkcNg7VXuFtMLZivErXq7xu_pY_pWgP5/view?usp=drive_link
Let’s continue worship with reading this congregational call and response prayer
Leader: Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we gather here to embark on a sacred journey, a 21-Day voyage of fasting and prayer. As we stand at the threshold of this spiritual endeavor, let us prepare our hearts and minds for the days ahead.
Congregation: With humble hearts, we are ready to journey with the Lord.
Leader: In these days of fasting, we abstain not just from food, but from all that distances us from God’s love. Let us embrace simplicity, that we may find abundance in God’s presence.
Congregation: May our sacrifice be a gateway to deeper faith and closer communion with You, O Lord.
Leader: Remember the words of Christ: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. Anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.”
Congregation: In secret and in truth, we seek You, O Lord.
Leader: Let us pray for strength that we may endure; for wisdom, that we may discern; and for love, that we may serve others even as we seek God’s face.
Congregation: Grant us strength, wisdom, and love, Heavenly Father.
Leader: As we journey these 21 days, let us remember those in need, those who hunger, and those who suffer. May our fasting remind us of the greater fast–to loosen the chains of injustice and to share our bread with the hungry?
Congregation: May our actions reflect Your love and mercy to all, O God.
Leader: Let us now commit ourselves to this sacred time, trusting in the Lord’s grace and mercy to sustain us.
Congregation: We commit to this path of fasting and prayer, trusting in Your divine guidance, O Lord.
Leader: Go forth in peace and spiritual fervor, knowing that the God who calls us to this time of fasting and prayer is with us, now and forever.
Congregation: Amen. With God’s help, we will walk this path with faith and devotion.
Application: What to do with our fasting time
(1)Read the bible, a devotional or spiritual literature. (2)Walk and talk with God. (3)Enjoy God’s presence in solitude and silence; take a nap. (4)Journal and reflect on what you are haring, seeing, sensing from God. (5)Slow down, be still, and become aware of God’s presence around you. (6)Enjoy worship music. (7)Spend time with God in nature. (8)Share with soul friends. (9)Do whatever you do to best connect with God.
It is also good to share with a soul friend what you are hearing and discovering. That soul friend can help affirm, celebrate, or listen with you.
Application: During our 21 days of prayer and fasting as South Bay Community Church
Our theme for this year is walking with God. Please find your rhythm with God by going back (reviewing) to the basics of prayer and fasting. This will help you walk with God well into the future. Also, consider how you best connect with God; discover the joy of being with God as well as doing for God; realize the power from God when people come together and humble themselves prayer and fasting in unity together.
You can participate through the “You Version app.” The bible study plan we are choosing is called, “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting” that will not take you very long to be with God each day.
If you don’t have the app, (a) download the app, (b) click Discover at the bottom, (c) search for South Bay, (d) you can make select South Bay, and you will see our church’s featured plan. Our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting plan is on our website, www.sobcc.org.
Big Picture
Fasting is not easy. We like our routines, and we like being comfortable. Fasting disrupts both. As written by the Apostle Paul, “God’s power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let’s meet God in a special way these next 21 days of prayer and fasting.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FOR USE IN FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-How are prayer and fasting connected? Why are prayer and fasting not done in isolation?
Biblical understanding of prayer as specific, personal, and a core practice
-What are some examples of biblical scripture that treat prayer as a core practice?
Biblical understanding of fasting as a core practice
-What are examples of biblical scripture that treat fasting as a core practice started thousands of years ago?
Following the model of Jesus in prayer and fasting
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. In Jesus’ capacity as fully human and fully God, in what ways does Jesus model for us prayer and fasting?
God’s people of Israel got off track and made prayer and fasting about them
-What would limit the benefits flowing from God in prayer?
-What are the motives of fasting that Jesus taught would limit the benefits flowing from God?
Jesus is challenging them and us today to check the motives behind our prayers and fasting
-What possible motives behind prayers and fasting do we need to check and eliminate in order to have God centered prayer and fasting?
Jesus teaches what to do as the right motives for prayer and fasting
What does Jesus teach about prayer that will result in rewards from the Heavenly Father?
What does Jesus teach about fasting that will result in rewards from the Heavenly Father?
Blessings and benefits from God rewarding us
If you have fasted, what blessings have you received from God’s grace?
The uncomfortable question becomes whether we really want to spend more time together with God
-What limitations, if any, have you placed on the amount of time you are focused on God in fasting and prayer? -In what ways will you adjust time restrictions for accepting God’s invitation of fasting and prayer?
Biblical postures of prayer are for connecting with God and expressing love, humility, and worship
-What biblical posture of prayer is most helpful to you in connecting with God? What other postures would you like to try in expressing love, humility and worship?
Application: What to do with our fasting time
-Which practices resonate with you for connecting with God during fasting time?
Application: During our 21 days of prayer and fasting as South Bay Community Church
-What difference will prayer and fasting make when South Bay Community Church is fasts and prays together in unity?
Big Picture
Why is fasting not easy?
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