May 22 2011, 10:00 pm | David Hudson
Young Adults -
God is doing a lot among us: He is reviving our hearts along with the rest of the church and many in the city, He is doing a creative work in all the small groups whether by rebuilding after a pruning season or through groups multiplying, He is leading us to a new wineskin of the whole ministry being built on these small groups, and in all of that we're getting ready for the out/in-reach on June 12. God is renovating and rebuilding His house!
In the midst of so much growth, and especially as we are still at the beginning of so much of it, some among us have felt the need to pray and fast. I would love for us to all join in for a 3-day Young Adults fast. Not a fast from Facebook or caffeine, etc (although those are great things to fast from), but a good old-fashioned biblical fast: from food. We'll begin at dinner Monday night (ie - skip dinner and come to Monday night prayer to kick it off with everyone) and break Thursday night when we all gather at 7pm in the Theater.
Why fast? Jesus felt the need to fast at the beginning of His ministry. He also expected us to fast as part of our normal walk with Him, saying, "When you fast..." (Matthew 6:16-18). And He gave us a new reason to fast:
19And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins." (Mark 2)
We fast as a means of intercession for others, and we fast for personal breakthrough. But most of all we fast out of longing to be with our Bridegroom! As we are setting out in a new direction and responding to the powerful move the Holy Spirit is doing in our midst, there is no better time to set ourselves apart to Jesus with hearts that cry, "Jesus, we want intimacy with You more than food! We long for you this much!"
If you've never fasted before, I want to encourage you to fast just one of those days (I recommend Thursday so you can enjoy breaking with everyone that night). If you have fasted before, I want to ask you to join in all three days. Whether you fast for one day or three, consider taking the time where you would normally eat and steal away with the Lord to pray and draw near to Him in the secret place. We will also be holding a prayer meeting each night 7pm at the following locations:
Monday: Main Auditorium at Summit's building (Monday Night Prayer with the whole church)
Tuesday: Bill & Nancy Smith's house at 180 Marseille Dr, Maumelle 72113
Wednesday: Bill & Nancy's again
Thursday: The Theater at Summit's building (break fast - bring something light to share with everyone - juice, bread, fruit, veggies, etc)
I love you all and am so eager to draw closer to Jesus with you this week!
- david
Below are some helpful tips for fasting:
1. If you have a medical condition or are on medication that needs to be taken with food, consult your doctor before fasting.
2. Don't fast if your pregnant. Your baby needs to eat.
3. Be sure to drink lots of water since so much of our water comes from food.
4. It's a good idea to get a little extra sleep each night.
5. Again, I strongly encourage taking the time you would normally spend eating and seeking the Lord in prayer!