Monday, July 11, Day of Fasting and Prayer
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Normally in July the elders and deacons of GracePoint do not meet because of vacations and summer activities. This year our vice-chair, Jim Merritt, suggested using this day, Monday, July 11,  as a day for fasting and prayer. This is a great idea! I want to invite all who are reading this to participate with our GracePoint leadership in this day set aside for fasting and prayer. A day of collectively asking the Lord to move among us. To grace us with anticipation of what He will do over the next year.
Fasting can consist of skipping a meal or going from Sunday evening to Monday evening without eating. It could include not watching TV, or taking a break from the computer, or silencing your phone. Then using that time, normally dedicated to these kinds of activities, to pray.
Prayer could consist of several kinds of moments and requests. I would encourage you to begin by thanking God for His manifold blessings. Spend some time revering His name. Perhaps God will lead you to repent of some things and/or to repent on behalf of others and our nation. We would welcome prayer for GracePoint, for the staff and board, and our community at large. We are diligent about planning but realize it is God Who directs our steps. It is the Holy Spirit Who empowers and enables. Pray for an anointing of the Holy Spirit to be on the people of GracePoint.
This day of fasting and prayer is very important for preparing us and equipping us for what lies ahead.
Love in Jesus,
Pastor Steve

Ideas  for  how  to  do  a  day  of  fasting

What do we hope for when we do a day of fasting?
  • Like any spiritual discipline, the idea is to ‘raise the sails.’ We want to be receptive to the work that God wants to do in our lives.  We want to listen as much as, or more than, we want to talk.  The basic idea is to ‘give up’ something, generally food. In its place, we add something that points us to Jesus.  Prayer, Praise, Scripture, Silence. These things we put in those slots, saying in essence: “Jesus, You are more important.”
  • Don’t ‘rush’ to making requests. Take inventory first. Follow that Isaiah 6 model and take a good look at God and then a good look at yourself. Think through the conversations you’ve had in the past few weeks, and look for signs of bitterness or envy or a lack of compassion. Then think through again and look for God’s hand and pray for the people with whom you’ve interacted.
  • In terms of what we want to ‘ask’ God for, three things come to mind.  Refreshment and fresh joy for the journey ahead of us this fall, for unity and authentic community to be our hallmarks, and for God to work through GracePoint to help people in our cities and towns to encounter Grace, grow in Grace, and together become Grace Givers… spreading the hope of Jesus and encouraging one another.

Scripture focus
  • Take one of these passages of Scripture:  Romans 12, Isaiah 6 or Isaiah 61 and use the words and phrases in those passages to prompt your prayers. Nearly every phrase can be turned into a prayer for individuals and for our church family.
  • Keep some notes. Write out your thoughts, and make note of what things prompt you to pray, especially ones tied to the Scriptures you focus on. Take a journal or some paper and record your thoughts and prayers during the time you spend.
Time frames
  • If you want to do 24 hours,  do things the way the Jewish people ran their Sabbath.  Go from evening after supper on one day until the same time the next day.  Don’t feel bad if you are not up to fasting for the full 24 hours. That can be a stretch.  Fasting a meal can still be powerful. Decide beforehand your time frame and then do your best to stick with it. Remember, it’s not about an accomplishment. It’s about earnestly seeking to hear God’s voice, and interceding for the needs we see in the world around us.
Additional prompts for prayer that may be useful
  • This is a season for us of rest, renewal, and change as our community begins to gain the new residents who will be with us for the near future. Pray for renewal for our church leadership and staff, for those who are or may be considering becoming small group leaders or volunteers in the months ahead.  Pray for wisdom for our church to see where God is moving in our community, and discern what role He would have us play.


Ideas for How to do a Day of Fasting from Jim Merritt