FIRST FRIDAY FAST
For the past several years we have been urging people in the Missionary Church to set aside the first Friday of each month as a day of prayer and fasting. It was part of a pattern of prayer established prior to the Great Awakening.
Many in the Missionary Church and in the broader body of Christ have been praying for another great awakening — a revival. This longing for revival preceded the February 2023 Asbury revival. The Holy Spirit has been stirring the hearts of leaders in the Missionary Church to cry out to the Lord for an awakening. Thousands of people in America and around the world are praying for revival. There is both a sense of desperation and anticipation.
The overall moral decline in our country, the huge political divide, and the rejection of Biblical truth and values in many parts of our culture remind us of how desperately we need a fresh wind of the Spirit to blow across the nation. However, it is not just the nation that needs a fresh move of the Spirit. Revival begins with the Church. Could it be that if the Church does not seek to be revived, God will bypass the Church and awaken a lost culture to His love and grace?
As we fast and pray, pray that revival begins with us as individuals and then pray that it spreads to the Church. Pray that revival will bring an awakening to the communities around us.
Fasting is not magic. It is not a formula for getting God to do what we want Him to do. God already desires to revive His Church. To pray for revival is to pray what is already on the heart of God.
FASTING is about a desperation for God. It is an expression of faith that nothing matters as much as an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. It is an expression of a longing for more of Him.
FASTING is about a desperation to see myself as God sees me — to have him examine me so that He can cleanse me. Revival starts with me. It is an expression of our longing to be holy people of God.
FASTING is about a desperation to see others as God sees them so that I am moved with compassion for the lost rather than looking at the world with a critical spirit. It is so easy to be critical of the world around us. Fasting and prayer can align us with the Spirit of God who looks on the world with great compassion and a longing for their love.
FASTING is about a desperation to hear from Him and to learn from Him what is on His heart. It is in those times of prayer and fasting that the Lord speaks and prompts us to share our faith and gives us the boldness to speak His name.
FASTING is about a desperation to see where He is working so that we can join in what He is doing. It is in these times of prayer and fasting that God opens our eyes to see the places where he is working and prompts us to celebrate and worship Him.
Whether you have fasted in the past for spiritual awakening or if this is new to you, we encourage you to join others in this monthly time of seeking for revival and awakening.