7 Day Prayer & Fasting

What If... by Lindsay Chance

What if we set our hearts to be a people of prayer?What if our rally cry was "Pray First"?What if, in any situation, we turned to prayer before action?What if prayer was our first response, not our last resort?
For the past few months I've been wrestling with these questions and building a vision for our church body, wondering what it would look like for Redemption Flagstaff to be known as a people of prayer. In scripture, we see Jesus wholly rely on prayer in carrying out the Father's will. It is more than a mode of communication; it is a liftstyle - a discipline as essential as exercise to the Christian. 

What if fasting became a regular part of my prayer life?What if I made a habit of emptying myself so that I could be filled by the Spirit; saying "no" to my selfish desires so that I could say "yes" to the Spirit?
These questions come from me personally. I'm a novice, at best, at the discipline of fasting. But when I study the scriptures, I see its importance. Moses fasted, Esther fasted, Daniel fasted, Israel fasted, Jesus fasted. So what did they know that I don't? Literature on the subject tells me that fasting can bring me closer to God by providing clarity, serving as a reminder that Jesus is the true living water and the bread of life. By going without things that I feel sustain me or entertain me, I can attain a greater knowledge of the holy.

So we've come up with this experiment to engage our local church body in corporate prayer and fasting. On Saturday March 30, Redemption is hosting A Praying Life seminar, which helps badly praying Christians—that’s 99% of us—discover the joy of prayer. Through this we will explore the prayer card course which will help you practice becoming childlike, patterning our prayers after Jesus’ own teaching and prayers. If you’ve ever struggled with or felt defeated during prayer, A Praying Life is for you! Sign up here : http://tinyurl.com/PLseminar2019

Then we will launch into a 7-day event called 7 Days of Prayer and Fasting, where we will host daily corporate prayer meetings at our church office. This will be a time to come and pray alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ while worshiping the Lord. Meanwhile, you can participate in a fast - any kind of fast - throughout the 7 days. If you are part of an RC, share with them your experiences while fasting. If you are in a mentor/mentee relationship, journey this together. It is our hope that through this shared experience we can grow as a body of believers and encounter the living God. Please let us know if you would like to participate in these 7 Days with us - here