I fear that we, the modern Western church, have neglected this spiritual discipline. I must confess that I do not make it part of my regular spiritual existence. However, recently, a group of like-minded believers have started a season of fasting and praying together. I have joined this group and it is a beautiful thing.
A few people from the Gathering have decided to start meeting once a month (to start) and fast for a day (at least), then gather together for a time of prayer and thanksgiving as we break the fast. Yesterday was our first time doing this. The group was small, but we had a powerful Spirit with us as we voiced several specific prayer concerns and shared items of praise and thanksgiving.
We gathered at a dear brother’s home, Dr. Santhosh Abraham. He and his family are a wonderful addition to our community. He specifically started this because of a burden that God placed on his heart to bring more focus to the need to be more dedicated in our service to a Holy God… our God. This is the One True God, Jehovah Nissi, The Lord My Banner! I am so very grateful to have a connection to this diverse group of believers and it enriches my life to have them as friends and brothers and sisters. Amen.
On this first grouping of friends and believers, we had three people from African descent, five from Indian descent, and a couple of home folks 🙂 Everyone shared specific prayer requests. Mine was for God’s rich blessings on CEF of Greater Jackson for this year, to see a season of growth and expansion beyond what anyone could expect. Amazingly, during this gathering, I discovered that a new African friend in attendance had received CEF training in Africa, so that opened a dialog for the possibility of he and his wife assisting us here on a local level. How cool is that?
God bless you, and thank you for reading this little article. If you can, try developing a pattern of prayer and fasting in your life. God is good, and He will reward you for the dedication and effort.
If you would like to take a look at a few scriptures about the topic, look here.