A couple of months ago, we fasted together to petition God for some of the more pressing needs in our congregation. Below are some notes that we put together to give some guidance. They are not meant to be legalistic, but helpful if you need help with practical application. Use the ideas that work- discard the rest!

Goals

1. To glorify God by claiming His promises and trusting in them.
2. To show how great God is and to show ourselves to be His disciples.
3. To fellowship with God. “Fellowship with God is the one need beyond all other needs.” O. Hallesby
4. To set aside significant time to spend in the presence of God.
5. Fasting reminds us that we need our relationship with God much more than we need food.

How to Fast

1. Prepare for your Day of Fasting. Examine yourself and confess any known sin. Collect promises from scripture and plan time for Bible Reading. Make a list of prayer requests: Personal needs, Family needs, Church, Community, Nation, and World needs. Remind yourself of the character of God.
2. We fast from 6:00pm to 6:00pm. On the first day, eat before and on the next day eat after. Respect any medical or dietary issues. You can choose a partial fast when necessary.
3. During that time, set aside significant times for prayer.
4. Pastor has some great pamphlets by Will Bruce, published by Operation Mobilization. They help to add detail to your prayer requests.

Again, remember that we are encouraging our relationship with Christ and interceding for others. Don’t be legalistic. Be excited about the extra time you have created to spend with God.