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Beginning February 1st and continuing through March 12th, our church will be entering into 40 days of fasting and prayer. We have prepared a two week menu that you can view by clicking here. If you would like to read Pastor Gary's letter to the church, as well as to gain more information about the Daniel Fast, please read more.You can also visit:
www.daniel-fast.com
danielfast.wordpress.com
Dear Church Family,
As we enter this new year, we do so with a great sense of anticipation. You may have heard me sharing our decision to declare a season of fasting as a church. Interestingly enough, since making that decision, I have heard of significant numbers of other congregations around the world who have made similar plans. These are, without a doubt, transitional times. Part of our concern is for our Nation, our World and our leaders. Much is at stake with the implications of the monumental decisions those who lead us are making. Without any fear of overstatement, I can say there have been few times in history when humanity was more in need of God's providential direction and wisdom than we are today.
While the turmoil of the world provides us great incentive to pray and fast, there is another, and in my mind, perhaps even more important aspect to our call to enter into these pursuits. I believe the hours just ahead of us are meant to reveal the love and power of God to an increasingly desperate world. Scripture has prepared us to expect the kind of chaos we are now seeing on the world stage. I believe God is “shaking everything that can be shaken” so that which cannot be shaken will stand out in even greater relief! The promise of the great outpouring of God's Spirit upon the Earth in the latter days may well be underway!
In essence, this is the reason for our desire to plunge into the new year seeking the face of God in this corporate effort. Fasting is, by its very nature, sacrificial. We willingly deprive ourselves of certain comforts and pleasures in order to concentrate on the pursuit of God's heart and God's wisdom for our times. We are calling out to Him to "Let His Kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven". We are crying out that we may be able to "say what He is saying" and "do what He is doing" in this critical season of history.
THIS FAST IS NOT TO BE SIMPLY THE STORY OF WHAT WE ARE DOING WITHOUT! We would miss the point of this effort if it was only about staying away from certain foods, entertainment or pleasures. It is, among other things, an effort to experience increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to become more focused on Heaven's priorities.
In order to co-ordinate our efforts and properly prepare ourselves as a congregation we have chosen a forty day period starting February 1 and continuing through March 12th. The breaking of the fast will coincide with our regularly scheduled 45 hours of prayer and worship for the month of March.
We are suggesting what is known as a Daniel fast. We are making information available to help each of you participate in what ever fashion you are able.
We realize each of us has different experience levels and capabilities when entering a period of fasting and there are many different ways to go about it. Our goal is to encourage you to participate at whatever level you are able and to engage with others as we seek the Lord together.
The last thing we want is to have a "legalistic" atmosphere about this fast. Seeking the Lord more passionately and learning to control our flesh in order to do so is more the issue than how much willpower we can muster to do without certain foods or pleasures! I would like to call your attention to Isaiah 58 as we prepare our hearts for the coming days. Spend some time with this scripture and I think you will agree based on Isaiah's words, there is much to be gained here in every way!
I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with you as we begin a new year and a new decade!
Expecting Good Things Ahead,
Pastor Gary
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