This Friday, April 10 (Good Friday), Resurrection Community is joining with hundreds of thousands of Christians in our denomination (PCA) and several others (ACNA, EPC, ECO, ARPC) for a day of prayer and fasting.
Good Friday is the day when we particularly recognize and remember the death of Jesus on the cross and the significance of that for us personally and for the world. Fasting (traditionally abstaining from food for a certain period, though it can mean abstaining from other things as well) is a spiritual discipline that reminds us of our need for God.
As a church community, we’ll be holding three prayer meetings in our virtual church building at 8 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM. Each of these meetings should last about 30 minutes. We’ll remember the events of Good Friday and take time to pray for ourselves, our neighbors, and our world. You’re invited to join in as many of these meetings as you can, whether or not you choose to fast on that day.
For those who would like to join in fasting, especially if you have never done so before, here are a couple practical suggestions:
Decide what you are fasting from. Food is most traditional, but if that doesn’t seem feasible or desirable in your situation, you might also consider fasting from screens or social media or phone use or something else that you particularly feel the lack of.
For fasting from food, decide how many meals (and in-between snacks!) you are planning to miss. The point is to feel the lack and let that lack turn your heart to God, so don’t try to “make up” for the meal you are missing. Some people may choose to have a light breakfast, skip lunch, and feel the hunger until a late evening dinner. Others may skip breakfast and lunch, breaking their fast at dinner, perhaps after the 7 PM prayer meeting, making a 24 hour fast from the meal the night before. Or you may choose to wait all the way until breakfast on Saturday morning. And still make sure to drink water!
Whether by joining our corporate prayer meetings or on your own, make sure to replace the meal times (or whatever you’re fasting from) with time spent with God. Here is a brief guide to prayer and fasting and some other suggested topics for prayer.