This week, Pastor Chris kicked off the new year with a powerful series titled Power Through Prayer, designed to guide us through our church-wide fast. As we embark on this journey, it’s essential to check the posture of our hearts—ensuring they are soft toward God, ready to obey, and eager to love Him. It might be the perfect time for a spiritual reset. Cultivating a generous heart and making a habit of meeting with the Lord will set us on the right path to loving Him more deeply and following Him faithfully throughout the year.
Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV)
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
- Generously Give
Luke 12:34 (ESV)
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 10:8 (ESV)
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
2. “Secret Place” Prayer Life
Matthew 6:5–6 (ESV)
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Prayer is conversing with God which includes talking and listening. It is a solemn address to God that can include adoration, confession of sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for others, and thanksgiving.
“Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” – St. Augustine
“Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself.”
– Mother Theresa
“Prayer is the force that moves the hand that moves the world.”
Prayer is releasing what God has intended to do.
3. Biblical Fasting
Matthew 6:16–18 (ESV)
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
- Fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose.
- Fasting is setting the stage for God.
- Fasting is designed to shift our focus from our bodies to our spirits, from the flesh and to the Father.
- Fasting reorients our attention and affection.
- Fasting dethrones king stomach for deeper communion with God.
- Fasting confronts our spiritual numbness.
“You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness.” C.S. Lewis
“Whenever you begin a fast, remember, if it doesn’t mean anything to you, it won’t mean anything to God. Without being combined with prayer and the Word, fasting is little more than dieting.” Jentzen Franklin
“Fasting is designed to reveal our dependence, not just tweak our habits.” Jon Tyson
Why should you fast?
- If you feel like your dream is in a holding pattern, try fasting.
- If you feel like your marriage is maintaining the status quo, try fasting.
- If your heart is breaking for your kids, try fasting.
- If you need to make a big decision, try fasting.
- If you need a breakthrough, try fasting.
- If you’re chained to a hurt, habit or hang up, try fasting.
What are the benefits of fasting and praying?
- Deepens humility.
- Increases hunger for God to work in our lives and ministries.
- Intensifies prayer concentration.
- Solidifies determination.
- Feeds our faith.
- Sensitizes and opens us to more of the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.
- Fires earnestness and zeal – honest sincerity in our walk with God.
Types of fasts to consider:
- Full fast: abstain from food for a day, two, or five.
- Daniel fast: abstaining from sweets, meats, and treats. Like a vegetarian fast.
- Partial fast: fasting from food for certain meals throughout the week. A type of partial fast is eating only one meal a day.
ESTABLISHING A PRAYER LIFE
- Prayer for my personal life…
- Prayer for people and places…
- Prayer for strategic social issues…
- Prayer themes:
- Gifts of the Spirit (God’s power/favor).
- Fruit of the Spirit (character).
- Wisdom of the Spirit (insight, revelation).
- Remember, God releases more blessing as we ask Him.
“Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”
– Dom Chapman
Discussion Questions:
- Matthew 10:8 says to give without expecting anything in return. In what ways can we cultivate a heart of generosity, even when we don’t see immediate rewards?
- Matthew 6:5-6 encourages private prayer. Why do you think Jesus emphasized the importance of a “secret place” for prayer? How does this contrast with public displays of religiosity?
- Fasting is often described as a way to shift our focus from the physical to the spiritual. How have you experienced this shift in your life, either during a fast or through other spiritual practices?
Application Questions:
- Ask the Lord what type of fast He would have you do for the next 20 days.
- Ask the Lord to show you how to pray and contend during the Empowered Fast. Refer to the “Establishing a Prayer Life” section above for suggestions.