Church isn't the place, it's the people

Why are we holding 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting?

1. To Seek God

As Christians we are told not to worry. What’s the alternative to worry – to seek God.

Matthew 6:33 says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

It is easy in life to get comfortable and used to life, and find that our spiritual life begins to drift. It’s important to set aside a designated time to go after God in a new and different way, to make sure we are actively pursuing God.

 

Seeking God is the only activity in the world where you cannot fail. If you genuinely seek God, you cannot waste your time. God makes many promises throughout his word that if we seek him we will find him. Eg:

  • 1 Chronicles 28:9 – “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever”
  • Psalm 9:10 – “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
  • Psalm 34:10 – “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”
  • Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
  • Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

CS Lewis said: “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

 

2. To be with the 2, not with the 10

We want to have the faith in the hand of God that Caleb and Joshua showed on returning from spying out the land, rather than the fear shown by the other ten spies. Caleb and Joshua were prepared to fight, because they knew that God was big enough to face all their enemies. When we recognise that we are in a battle, then the most effective weapon we have to fight with is prayer.

 

3. For breakthrough

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

The Biblical pattern for breakthrough and advance is to pray and fast. Again and again throughout scripture and church history God breaks through when the people pray and fast. For example :

  • Jesus – before his ministry began he spent 40 days praying and fasting.
  • In Acts 13 – the early church spent time in prayer and fasting to seek God’s guidance at a key point in the church’s ministry. In response God called them to send out Paul and Barnabas, and the Gospel spread to the Mediterranean and further.
  • John Wesley recorded in his diary that at a time when Britain feared invasion from France the King called for a national day of prayer and fasting. The invasion was averted.

Do you want history changing moments in our church? In your Christian life? Then prayer and fasting is the route! Do you have breakthrough that you are waiting for in your own life? Then commit to pray for these through the 40 days too.

 

4. Because God has said

Psalm 14:2 – The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Isaiah 56:6 - Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

 

As the leadership of Gateway we feel God has spoken to us specifically about setting aside this time to seek him. As we have approached it we have felt increasingly convicted that this is a key time and we are really expectant of what God will do within us.