JANUARY 9TH – 30TH
A FEW WORDS ABOUT OUR UPCOMING FAST
WE READ OF FASTING being practiced by faithful men and
women in both the Old and New Testament scriptures. In fact,
fasting is mentioned over 70 times in the Bible. Examples include
public fasts, private fasts, and communal or even national times
of fasting, in which God’s people fasted together, unified in a
common cause.
The scriptures teach us that at various times people who sought
God through fasting were blessed with wisdom, revelation,
greater faith, peace, and often relief from dire circumstances.
Moses, David, Daniel, Esther, disciples in the early church, and
even Jesus, himself, fasted! Jesus also confirmed that it would
be appropriate for his followers to fast after he was no longer
with them (Mt 9:15, Lk 5:35).
SO WHY DO WE FAST TOGETHER EVERY JANUARY?
Like the men and women of the Bible, we fast together to
collectively draw close to God. It is an exercise in spirituality and
unity of the body. Our congregational fast is meant to help us all,
as one, turn our hearts and attention towards God. It is, in part, a
means by which we offer ourselves to God as a “first fruits
offering” and “living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1) for the new year.
We also fast together to remind ourselves of our dependence on
God. It is a means by which we seek his face and better
understanding of him and his will, both individually and as a
community of believers. Thus, we pray and fast both for
individual needs and concerns and for the body as a whole.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
Our congregational fast lasts for 3 weeks. This year, we are
beginning our fast this Sunday, Jan 9, and it will run through
Sunday, Jan 30. We will break the fast together in our House
Churches on Sunday the 30th.
A true fast involves abstaining from food, and sometimes drink,
for a period of time in order to focus on prayer and seeking
God's will or favor. Most of our members choose to fast from
certain foods which they normally love (examples might be
meats, sweets, breads, coffee, etc.) A few choose to engage in
full fasts, at least for part of the time, abstaining from all food for
a period.
CAUTION: Before choosing to fast from food or drink, make sure
your body is healthy enough to do it. Certain health conditions
make it unwise and dangerous to fast. If this is the case for you,
we encourage you to participate in other ways, such as choosing
to give up an activity or hobby for the duration of the fast as an
offering to God, then using the time normally spent on said
activities to pray, read scripture, or engage in some other
spiritually focused pursuit.
This year we are asking every disciple in the Athens Church of
Christ to have 3 areas of focus when it comes to our fast.
FIRST, we have a communal, churchwide focus. We have been
studying the book of Ephesians and learning how the church has
always been God’s predestined, eternal plan for revealing his
wisdom and glory, and for restoring his people to the image of
Christ! Ephesians 4:1 urges us to live lives worthy of this calling!
Let us fast together that God will continue to empower us to live
such lives that we will exhibit the God-glorifying community he
has called us to be in 2022!
SECOND, in the spirit of continually becoming more unified in
our family groups, have a family group focus as well. Fast for
something together that you pray to see happen as a family
group in 2022! This midweek we meet in family groups. Use this
time to discuss the fast.
THIRD, by all means, have your personal areas of focus also.
Maybe it is a circumstance you hope to see change or, if not,
endure with faith and which results in spiritual growth. Maybe
you simply want to grow in your faith and learn to trust God
more. It could be anything.
Below are some scriptures you can study if you would like to
examine fasting further. There are many others as well. Don’t
hesitate to contact Kindred or any of the elders or family group
leaders if you have more questions. May God bless our fast and
use it to help us know him better!
2 Samuel 1:12; 12:15-17 Luke 2:37; 4:2-4
Esther 4:16 Nehemiah 1:4
Daniel 9:3-5, 10:3 1 Kings 21:25-27
Joel 2:12 Ezra 8:21-23
Acts 13:2-4; 14:23 Matthew 6:16-18
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