Starting on Jan. 7th and finishing on the 2nd anniversary of Liberty Church (Jan. 27th), we will be praying and fasting for 21 days about our upcoming year and the future of our church. Since there is so much power in fasting, prayer and being united, we’d like to invite every member of our church to join us for this special time set aside for God.
Why Fast?
- To strategically make space for God in our lives
- To break routine and spend more time focusing on spiritual matters as opposed to the natural
- To incorporate our bodies and lifestyle into our worship, as a form of gratitude towards God for all he has done and will do
- For breakthrough
What is Fasting?
Fasting is an action that is deeply rooted in Scripture. In Matthew 6:16, for example, Jesus said: “when” you fast, not “if.” Before Christ entered his ministry, he fasted 40 days and nights, and throughout Scripture, the people of God would fast in times of great spiritual need. A fast is a removal of something from your life for a designated period of time; not just to remove it for self discipline sake, but to create space for our relationship with Christ.
A fast is NOT a:
- form of punishment or penance
- forced tradition
- weight loss strategy
- way to manipulate God or other people
Individually, fasting teaches us to deny our flesh (old man) and let our new, spirit-led man rise to the surface (Gal. 2:20). This process of self-denial with the Holy Spirit empowering us can revolutionize our personal prayer life, our relationship with others, and especially with Christ. This is not merely an exercise in self-denial. This is a Holy Spirit empowered grace that seeks a heart transformation, not behavior modification.
Corporately, fasting is notoriously powerful (Esther 4:15) combined with prayer (Acts 1:14). The two are inseparable. We fast together in order to seek God in unity for His Kingdom to be brought to earth, and with one mind, ask God for the impossible. We serve a God who makes the sun stand still, parts oceans, and raises Himself from the dead. God likes to come through for us, so we are asking for just that, for God to show Himself strong on our behalf.
How do I fast?
Three types:
- Lifestyle Fast: Removing lifestyle elements such as TV, certain books or music, or other certain habits from life. Since this can be a multitude of things, it is best to ask what is taking up our time the most.
- Partial Fast: Removing a particular food item from daily life (ie. Daniel fast – an all vegetable diet without sugars, caffeine, alcohol, etc.).
- Full Fast: Removing food completely from our daily lives.
If you have never done a fast before, please speak first with a pastor and internal medicine practitioner about doing a partial or full fast, especially if you have any special diet restrictions, any history struggling with eating disorders, or any other health concerns such as diabetes.
Corporate Daily Prayer Schedule
While praying for the church overall, please also choose something you are believing for in your own life. We want to hear your stories! We encourage you to write them on our Facebook page.
Please pray for:
7th: Salvations throughout the earth – John 4:34-38
8th: Salvation of specific family and friends – 2 Timothy 2:10
9th: The church in NYC – John 17:20-21
10th: Workers to arise for the harvest – Luke 10:2
11th: Boldness to spread the gospel – Acts 4:29-30
12th: Your own eyes to be opened to the needs around you – Ephesians 2:10
13th: The leadership of Liberty Church – 1 Timothy 2:1-4
14th: Favor upon all of God’s people – Numbers 6:24-27
15th: Favor on Liberty Church – Numbers 6:24-27
16th: Favor on yourself (ie. family/career/friends) – Numbers 6:24-27
17th: Favor with the authority figures in NYC as well as their safety and wisdom – Romans 13:6
18th: Unity within Liberty Church – John 17:23
19th: Favor of God and man over all we do – Luke 4:18-19
20th: Liberty City and all its local and global programs – Isaiah 1:17
21st: One thing just outside your possible to stretch your faith – Matthew 19:26
22nd: One thing that is just outside our possible as a church to stretch our faith – Mark 9:27
23rd: A year of unprecedented growth across the church – Isaiah 54:2-5
24th: Brooklyn community and its pastors – Luke 10:2
25th: Our work in Zimbabwe – Isaiah 35:5-7
26th: Miracles in your own life and in the church – John 14:12
27th: His presence to fill every corner of Liberty Church – Acts 2:1-4
Links to additional info on fasting:
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/prayerandcounseling/intercession/hickey_prayerfasting06a.aspx
